The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1913-01-16
ONE GIRLS PLUCK
She Out Generaled a Robber and
Saved Her Fathers
Position.
BY n, M. EGHERT.

round the bend into the distance Men
bank and looked cautiously around
him. His clothes were ragged, his
shoes displayed liberal space of I'M
clad ankle; also, he was hungry.
Hard Luck" Menzies, he was called
among his fellow yeggs, Hobo by
trade, thief as a side line, his sobri-
quet had hitherto always justified it
self Where others OF his kind re-
ceived a generous meal he would fall
loul of bulldog; and he hardly ever
stole ride but he was spotted and
thrown into the cinder-strewn road
bed.
This time, however, fate seemed to
nave been kind to him. He had laid
his plans well. He had ridden from
Uniondale upon freight and leaped
off at the precalculated place without
detection. He knew that Old Man
ing west upon the night train that
ran by Rowland Junction, that his
daughter took charge during his rare
absences, and that there must be two
thousand dollars, all told, in the tiny
wayside station which stood alone in
the center OF a vast plain Of swamp
lots.
The night was moonless and this
favored him; the chances of capture
were almost infinitesimal. Once the
money was his he would strike for
Uniondale along the pike which par
alleled the railroad, and, the five
miles completed what easier than to
conceal himself and his hoard among
the floating mining population Of that
little Pennsylvania town?
After a while he rose cautiously
from behind the shelter of the bank
and, crouching low toward the damp
ground, approached the shanty. A
single electric light burned within.
Against this he could see the profile
OF woman seated at a typewriter;
he heard as he drew nearer the tap,
tap of the keys. At her left hand
was telegraph board; at her right
a telephone. His first object, then,
must be to withdraw her attention
from those two convenient instru-
ments, before he could venture to
lay hands upon the comfortable piles
Of greenbacks which a sure instinct
told him lay neatly folded within the
drawer Of her desk. Five hundred
there must be; that and the reg
istered mail-Uniondale transmitted
much money to Russia and Bohe-
mia-would give him that two thou
sand which he had set as the min
imum of his aspirations. And the
mail had arrived only half hour be-
fore; there it lay, the bags still
sealed. Certainly his weeks of plan.
ming would not be ineffective.
All at once his eyes fell upon some
thing that set his heart humping ex-
ultantly. 1t was a revolver, doubtless
the girls fathers, which he had left
with her for protection in case any
body should choose that night of all
others on which to make his attempt
But she had placed it at her back,
on small table-and just within
reach of his hand If he could gain
the window sill. With the dexterity
born of long practice Menzies hoisted
himself upon the sill and, reaching
In carefully, grasped the weapon by
the rhuzzle and drew it toward him.
After that all that he needed would
be to make his entrance so swiftly
that the girl would not have time to
lift the telephone receiver. He bal
anced himself and prepared to spring
At that moment the girl suddenly
rose, and Menzies, still holding the
weapon, crouched back behind the
jutting portion of the window frame;
In this position he was invisible ex-
cept in case she should come to the
window. The girl took down the re-
ceiver. Menzies prepared for fight
at her first words, Then, as he re-
membered that she had made no
movement toward the revolver, his
courage revived
Besides, even If she gave the alarm,
1t was three miles to the nearest sta
ton, Crosstown, and he could surely
escape, even though this would mean
an inconvenient detour through the
soggy marshes.
''Hello!' she called. "Crosstown!
Is that you, Harry? Yes, this is me,
Father had to meet the superinten.
dent at Rowland Junction this eve
ming and I'm in charge. No; why
should l be afraid? He left me his
revolver" Menzles heard her laugh
softly. Then, You're at the telephone
tonight" she continued "Of course
| will If | need anybody, but who's
going to break in this evening of all
nights in the year,"
A few more words and she hung
up the receiver. Turning to resume
her seat. the girl came face to face
with Menzies, now in the room and
covering her with the revolver.
Sorry to scare you, miss" he vol
unteered, but I'm not going to harm
you. l want that money in that there
drawer-likewise the registered mail"
He grinned with the satisfaction of
work well done, for the girl, terrified,
first uttered o stihed cry and then
sank into her chair, half fainting.
staring up at him with look of alb.
ject terror. Menzies looked; the KEY
was actually In the drawer.
Now II you'll sit perfectly still.
miss" said Menzies, you won't be
hurt any. III just shift you away
from that there telegraph.
He carried her In the chair into
the center of the Office and then set
about his task Inside the drawer,