The Tupelo journal., 1915-07-30
toward Ananias and the Widow Row

seat, s%trspping her in with deft rapid
ity.
There's your passenger, Ananias,'
he muttered in a choked tone. Clear
the way. all of you!' he shouted.
The crowd fell back. Ananias
jumped nimbly into the pilots seat,
was strapped in, Barker whirled the
propeller. the engine started, stopped,
started again, and the ungainly bird
teetered over the ground on it's land
ing wheels.
1t mounted a rise, then lifted and
rose obliquely toward the pale moon.
From the pilots seat leaned a gnome-
like figure. Ananias Slime.
In the passengers seat, stifby erect,
sat the passenger, the yelled lady.
On the ground two other yelled la
dies stood shoulder to shoulder and
gazed upward after the vanishing Ana
Mas.
For the moment a common grievance
declared a truce between them.
who was she?' rumbled Em Bevis
in her deep tones.
The Widow Rowell cleared her voice
of emotion.
1T looked like that Underwood girl
from Snarling Hollow she muttered.
The shout of applause which had
arisen when Ananias Slime sailed away
died down as the airship became a
dark speck against the moons face.
Silence fell upon Terry's field-si-
lence which was broken by confused
shouts.
We turned hastily to discover Hay
wood Drayton's big motorcar plung-
ing across the grassy field. Haywood
Drayton was president Of the Ounce
Harbor bank.
Mr.. Drayton jumped from his motor
car, followed by the imposing form of
Constable Lee.
Alvin Barker was sliding toward his
own little runabout when the big con-
stables hand fell upon his arm.
Il guess you'll have to come along
with me, Alvin" he said good natured-
ly. and as the teller struggled to free
himself the officers hand frightened its
hold.
BE a good boy. Alvin" he coaxed.
"You can't rob the bank without be-
ing punished for it. o know"
1T was Ananias." %quavered the teller
desperately.
"Ananias is an accessory; don't for
get that. We must get him." put in
Haywood Drayton.
He's got a lady with him." some
one said. and the constable laughed.
"A nice Iady-deaf, dumb and blind
he explained between chuckles-''a
wax fieger from En- Bevis' show win
dow, her holler form filed with pack
ages of greenbacks from the bank. Oh,
Ananias is clipping with an heiress, all
right"
En- Beyis and Hetty Rowell ex-
changed chances of dismay.
Look screamed some one. He is
coming backr'
We eaZed up at the pale star Strewn
sky.
Out of the silence came the throb of
the airShip'S engine. and the huge
wings We're directly over Terry's field.
Down swooped Ananias Shines air
ship until it was 200 feet above us.
For a m it lowered. rocking VIC
lently.
Then some one screamed in horror,
for n dark object was falling from the
airship-a human form.
A S%huddering cry went up as the
yelled passenger struck the ground and
was still.
Some one remembered what the con
stable had said about the wax figure
i'll En- BeviS' show window.
Lets see.,' he shouted, and ran for
ward.
Sure enough. the poor yelled lady
was the familiar figure We had often
seen in Mrs. Bevis' window. But her
waxen head was smashed to atoms.
and her broken form revealed rolls and
wads of newspapers-that was all.
Cunning Alvin Barker had tempted
Ananias to run away with the stolen
money, while all the time he had hid
den the money in a safe place and had
stuffed the dummy passenger with pa
per.
Ananias. conscience stricken-per-
haps fear stricken. who knows?-had
repented and returned TO drop the lady
and the loot upon Terrys field. He
might have made his escape in the
Hawk had not something happened to
the engine.
SO the Hawk came Topping to earth,
and .Ananias crept out of the ruins and
sought Constable Lee to give him
self up.
An hOur afterward two yelled ladies
appeared in the constable's office. One
was En- Beyis. and the other was Het-
ty Rowell. They came to proffer bail
for the aviator'S release.
"Cap'n Fish bailed him out an hour
ago explained Lee. Il don't reckon
we IAN do much agin a mans running
off with wads Of newspaper-unless.
he added hopefully. You want to make
a charge against him for stealing your