The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1914-08-14
A TIMlD
GIRL
By John 7. LARNED


creature | ever knew. Whrurveu Their
was "A sign OF danger she would cOI
lapse. In Il thunderstorm she wuulC
20 upstairs. get On il tied end trrmhi,
like II leaf till ii was AL over. II an,
with wide open eyes and Soou get int
"a Shiver. SO much terror did Sh,
show AT Imaginary dangers thai every
body said if anything really napITntt
she would go all to pieces SoInrtnlu.
did happen one dav, and this is wha
1t was and how Miranda acted:
Miranda was \ very good looking girl
and | would have fancied her II s,le
had had more grit I'm practica
sort of fellow, and it never seemed Il
me that | wanted wife WHO. If | Jeff
her alone for an hour and peddler Or
a tramp came along. would be scared
to death. would always be worrying
about her till got back to her, Still
always had liking for Miranda.
and the principal part of it was that
| felt very sure she had decided
liking for me.
But. as / was saying. this is what
happened: One day all the Jones fam,
lily was invited to go over to spend
the day with Deacon Wirts' folks. Mi.
randa had headache or something
and thought she wouldn't 60. The
rest of them went off in the wagon
after the morning chores were done
and were to be back about o'clock
How they dared leave her all alone In
q farmhouse with no neighbOr nearer
than mile | don't know. Miranda
told me they were going, and ] kind
of 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 man came down the road
and when he got to the house turned
in at the well for drink of water AS
he was pulling up the bucket ant
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 be goi
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, Sc
there's no use in telling whether she
acted brave or cowardly. She said she
wanted to run 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 period Of many years. 1t was In
quarters. dimes. nickels and cents, anC
in the same wooden stocking the grand
mother had kept it. Miranda, in seek
ing safe place for it. had hit on the
big chimney. She had climbed up II
1t, found a loose brick. taken it out
put in the stocking and covered 1t wltt
a part Of the brick, protecting 1t IRON
fire and concealing the place where she
kept t.
| remembered what Miranda had sale
about the folks going away, though
hadn't said Id 90 over. After dinner
the weather being fine and the drlv'
ing good. allowed I'd harness up my
mare. run over and ask her to go tol
q drive. It's four miles from our farm
to theirs, and | logged along. thinking
of the drive | was going to have anC
wondering what Miranda was doing
there all by herself. When | got pref
ty near the house | saw her sltnns
on the stepping platform in front o
the house, A moment after ! first saw
her she got up and raised gun sh'
held in her hands and pointed II ID
though she was going to shoot blr'
off the top of the chimney.
well, III be dod rotted.' | SAID &C
myself, IF that isn't the queerest sign
| ever saw Miranda daring to use
gum!
| drove right up to her, and as dl'
so glanced at the chimney top TO SCI
the bird she was trying TO get a sho
at when / was tlabbergasted at seelni
a mans head pop up above the brlcks
Then Miranda, seeing me, dropped ID
gun and fell in a faint.
IL didn't require more than a few
seconds to take in the situation. MI
randa had d man up the chimney
Who he was or how she got him ther
didn't concern me just then. Leavln
her on the grass to come to hersel
when she got ready, | picked up tn
gun. Then | called to the man t
show himself He did so, and ash
ed for an explanation.
That GAL" he said, has got tn
devil in her. might as well comics
that. finding her alone, told her
she didn't tell me where the famll
kept their money I'd kill her. She sal
they kept il up the chimney. wei
ND after it. and she barricaded the fir
place with heavy furniture so
couldn't get out that way. and when
climbed up 10 get out this way 81
was watching me with gun. u
glad you've come along. I'm near
dead in this cramped place. I've bee
here nearly three hours
Well. that's the end Of the story.
told the man TO come down the wash
armed,. Miranda came to herself, an
instead Of taking a pleasure drive,
drove the man to the county seat al
turned him over married Mirand
/ thought after what she'd done
might depend upon no one getting al
cash / might leave with her when
was away.
Since we'vA been married have hi
but one thanCe to see how Mirant
will act in presence of danger.
mouse came ont of its hole; she shire