The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-07-24
TIMID
GIRL
By JOHN 7. LARNED


creature l ever knew. Whenever there
was a sign of danger she would col.
lapse. In q thunderstorm she would
90 upstairs. get on q bed and tremble
like a leaf till 1t was all over. II any
n talked OF robbers she would listen
with wide open eyes and soon get into
show at imaginary dangers that every
body said II anything really happened
she would go all to pieces. Something
dh happen one day. and this II what
1t was and how Miranda acted:
Miranda was q very good looking girl.
and ! would have fancied her II she
had had more grit I'm a practical
sort of fellow, and It never seemed to
me that ! wanted a wife who. II left
her alone for IN hour and a peddler Or
q tramp came along. would be scared
% death. would always be worrying
about her TIL I got back to her. Still
! always had . liking for Miranda.
and the principal part Of It wal that
! felt very sure she had q decided
hiking Tor me.
But. a. I was saying. this IL what
happened: One day all the Jones fam
ily was invited to 60 over to spend
the day with Deacon Wirts' folks. MI
randa had q headache or something
and thought she wouldn't 60 The
rest Of them went OF in the wagon
after the morning chores were done
and were to be back about s O'Clock.
How they dared leave her all alone in
q farmhouse with no neighbor nearer
than u mile ! don't know. Miranda
~ - they were going. and kind
q t1o1ght she fancted l might happen
along while they gone. and
might do a little courtnG.
The family hadn't been gone very
long before . man came down the road
and when be got to the house turned
in at the we'll for q drink Of water. A
be was pulling up the bucket and
drinking out Of the gourd be tept a
lookout IN the house. It must have
looked pretty quiet and a. II there
wasn't anybody there. When be got
through drinking be went to the house.
opened the door and walked In.
The only way to get the rest Of the
story was from Miranda herself, SO
there's u use in telling whether she
acted brave or c0wardly. She said she
wanted to run across the fields, but
che didn't dare do 20 because she was
afraid the man would kill her while
she was running. The truth II. when
her grandmother died she had left Mi.
randa $500 the old lady had saved dur.
ing a period of many years. 1t was In
quarters, dimes. nickels and cents. and
In the same wooden stocking the grand.
mother had kept It. Miranda, In seek
ing a safe place for It. had hit on the
big chimney. She had climbed up in
It. found q loose brick. taken It out.
put In the stocking and covered 1t With
. part Of the brick, protecting It from
IRE and ~concearng the place where she
kept it.
! remembered what Miranda had said
about the folks going away, though !
hadn't said I'd 60 over. After dinner.
the weather being hne and the driv-
ing good. ! allowed I'd harness up my
mare. run ove and ask her TO 60 for
drive. It's four miles from q farm
b theirs. and J logged along. thinking
Of the drive l was going to have and
wondering what Miranda was doing
thae III By herself. When ] got pref
q near the mousse ! saw her sitting
a tho stepping platform IN fr0at Of
tbo house. A moment after 6rst saw
~ ahe oot up and raised . gun abe
holo n hee hands and podnbs0 Il -
~AY ~ Dolng p ehoee . br0