Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1914-01-07
A TIMID
GIRL
By JOHN B. OvERAKER

Nellie was her name, though If she
bad been born in New England when
they We're naming children for the hui
man virtues they would have called
her Modesty. Timidity would have
also described her, for she appeared to
be afraid Of her shadow. She was
typewriter In my private bank out in
the western town of d. My institu-
ton was small one, and / required
but a small force. There was one
teller, who paid and received; also
bookkeeper, boy and my typewriter.
One day party of robbers rode into
an adjoining town, pulled up at the
bank, shot the cashier dead, emptied
the loose currency into bags and gal
loped away, all within seven minutes.
Their leader was known to be a des-
perate youngster called Kid Malone,
scarcely twenty-five years old.
When Kid Malone a few days later
rode into another town and robbed an
other bank with only one man to as
sist him and III less time than before,
it occurred to me that had better be
taking measures to prepare for an at
tack on my own institution. l called
my little force together for consulta-
ton. The cashier proposed that re-
volver be so fixed in the door of my
private office that could fire it imme-
diately on the appearance of a robber
and another be similarly fixed to his
window. The bookkeeper should also
be armed. Bob. the boy, said he in
tended tn arm himself with hand
grenades. When it came Nellie's Turn
to make suggestions she said she
couldn't think of anything. In care.
robber came she would duck under her
typewriter table. But after number
of proportions, none of which seemed
to be practical, she gathered her wits
and surprised us all by very sensible
proposition.
These preparations to fight desperate
men frighten me. 1t seems to me that
they should rather be met by art1fice.
Until this scare is over how would it
do to conceal the cash in something
Ahub Notfu NC CdShy iCLloNCus hIOW
you'll think it ridiculous, butt l have
an idea that think I could work my
self If 1 could only keep enough cour-
age. How would it do to have baby
carriage standing near the back door
with a lot of little pillows and blan-
kets ami quilts in 1t, just as though
there was baby asleep, and under
the covering to keep the cash during
banking hours? Then If this Kid Ma
lone comes to rob the bank l can
shrek, run to the baby carriage and
wheel IL away"
That's an idea worth considering"
said I.
The more l thought about Nellie's
plan the more l approved of it. A
baby carriage was procured, and as
soon as the bank opened in the morn
ing the bulk of the funds was put in
1t and kept there till after 3 o'clock,
when we closed the doors. The car
rage stood in hallway. the opening
to which was screened so as to conceal
the bank officials when they went to 1t
to put in or take out cash. Nellie's
machine was within a few feet Of the
passage and in case of trouble 1t
would be the most natural thing in
the world for her to take to fight
through the exit. All l feared was that
IL we were attacked the girl would
be so frightened that she wouldn't stop
in her aight to wheel away the treas
ure.
We kept up our precaution for three
days, End since it was quite incon-
venient in doing business l was about
to abardon it, hut Nellie said SHE had
dreamed that Kid Malone had appear
ed and somehow had got away with a
lot of money. | am ashamed to con-
TESS tbat l was influenced by this
dream, which decided me to keep up
our precaution for another day.
About II o'clock the next morning
a clattGr of horses hoofs was heard
coming down the street. Nellie heard
It and rrrned pale. She didn't walt for
robbers to reach the bank. She ran for
the baty carriage, and both she hnd II
disappeared. | heard the riding party
stop before the bank and sat still, in
tending to submit to a robbery of what
few bits there were on the counters.
The teller crouched down below his
window, the bookkeeper ducked under
his dess, and, as for Bob, he followed
Nellie cut through the back door.
I waited every minute expecting to
see arrled men come in through the
front d oor, but nobody came. Then
heard The horses without trot away. l
was wondering what it all meant when
Bob came in and cried:
"Stupg!'
He had been running and wss out
of breath. When he recovered he said
that Nellie had gone from the back
around to the front door, where one of
the party of riders had helped her on to
a horse, while another had taken the
contents of the baby carriage under
his arm, and, mounting. the party had
ridden out Of town.
could not believe the story and hur-