The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-07-17
TIMID
GIRL
By JOHN 7. LARNED

Miranda Jones was the timidest
creature l ever knew. Whenever there
was a sign Of danger she would col
lapse. In a thunderstorm she would
90 upstairs, get on a bed and tremble
like a leaf till it was all over. If any
one talked Of robbers she would listen
with wide open eyes and soon get into
q SILVER. So much terror did she
show at imaginary dangers that every.
body said If anything really happened
she would 90 all to pieces. Something
did happen n day. and this is what
it was and how Miranda acted:
Miranda was a very good looking girl,
and I would have fancied her II she
had had more grit. I'm q practical
sort Of fellow, and it never seemed to
me that I wanted a wife who, If left
her alone for an hour and a peddler or
q tramp came along. would be scared
10 death. l would always be worrying
about her till l got back to her. Still
I always had a liking for Miranda.
and the principal part Of 1t was that
! felt very sure she had q decided
liking for me-.
But. as ! was saying. this Is what
happened: One day all the Jones fam.
fly 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 we're done
and were to be back about 8 o'clock.
How they dared leave her all alone in
. farmhouse with no neighbor nearer
than a mile ! don't know. Miranda
Told me they were going. and l kind
e thought she fancied | might happen
along while they were gone. and !
might do a little counting.
The family hadn't been gone very
long before a man came down the road
and when he got to the house turned
In at the we'll for a drink Of water. As
he was pulling up the bucket and
drinking out of the gourd he Kept a
lookout on the house. 1t must have
looked pretty quiet and as If there
wasn't anybody there. When he got
through drinking he went to the house.
opened the door and walked in
The only way to get the rest of the
story was from Miranda herself. 50
there's nc use in telling whether she
acted brave or cowardly. She said she
wanted to q across the fields. but
she didn't dare do so because she was
afraid the man would kill her while
she was running. The truth is. when
her grandmother died she had left Mi.
randa $500 the old lady had saved dur
ing q period of many years. It was In
quarters. dimes. nickels and cents, and
In the same wooden stocking the grand.
mother had kept it. Miranda, in seek.
ing q safe place for it. had hit or the
big chimney. She had climbed up in
it. found a loose brick, taken it out,
put in the stocking and covered it with
a part of the brick, protecting It from
fire and ~conceahng the place where she
kept it.
l remembered what Miranda had said
about the folks going away. though
hadn't said I'd go yer After dinner,
the weather being fine and the drtv'
ing good. ! allowed I'd harness up my
mare. run vel and ask her to 60 FOL
. drive. It's four miles from a farm
to theirs, and l logged along, thinking
Of the drive ! was going to have and
wondering what Miranda was doing
there all by herself. When ! got pref
u near the house I saw her sitttna
On the stepping platform In front O
The house. A moment after ] 6rst saw
hw she. got up and raised . gun CHI
Md n her hands and pointed + q
though che Wa going Y shoot, . IN