Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1919-04-24
lel|l||:ie's
Adventure
b RALPH HAMILTON
!copyr.eht. le1e. 81 western Newspsb.r uaioa

I. Inc electric line was temporarily
out Of service. and Nellie Bross. who
lived mile from town, had to walk,
or await repairs which might mean an
arrival at the bank where she was.
employed an hour or more. late, She
had not gone three hundred yards,
however, when a hearty voice hailed
her and the driver Of a load of hay.
old Ezra Ward, neighbor, sang out
cheerily:
All aboard. little miss If You aren't
afraid of climb up the boom rope
tand Nellie astonished him with Il
bright laugh and landed among The
fresh, understanding hay behind him
( In a jiffy.
And this here special Will deliver
you at terminus in time. rhirrnped
|. the accommodating Old FELLOW. Gid
dap and Nellie was. ;is comfortably
settled MS though riding OF, n pillow
of down.
The novelty of the ride mingled with
pleasing thoughts. for within two
months Nellie MAS to be married TO
Bryce Winslow.
"Perhaps Mr.. Lupton will open his
heart and give ME bonus when
leave" unused Nellie.
Mr.. Llpton was the owner OF the
Belleville bank. u small country insti-
tuition, and not inclined to either senti-
ment or liberality Nellie was stenog-
Erapher, bookkeeper and cashier. She
did her work we'll. but her employer
was close-fisted and exacting.
ooh, dear!'' uttered Nellie, as there
was Jolt 1t shifted the box con-
tanning her MONDAY lunch and her
handbag from her lap. The latter
sank quite out of sight amid the Yield
ing hay. Nellie CROPPED for it. Then
she barely suppressed cry Of alarm,
for. up from under the hay a human
hand was projected, extending the
handbag. A new lurch brought TO
view mans face. Nellie shrank back.
1 Just enough Of the jacket worn by the
stowaway was revealed to show that
| it was of the striped pattern worn by
| the cOnvicts in the penitentiary, ten
miles from Belleville.
Nellie sat staring aghast at this un-
| expected manifestation and shivered.
The eyes of the fugitive wore a hunt
! ed, pleading look. She c0mprehended
that, escaping, he had found tempo
rary hiding place in the load of hay.
Don't tell % he whispered. There's
a wife and little one awaiting me, IT
i I can ever reach them"
''Tnke this" said Nellie, impulsiye-
ly. and pushed her lunch-boS toward
him. "And this and she opened the
4 handbag and took thence a silver half
dollar.
4 "BIess yon!" hreathed the man
gratefully. "You have given me lib
erty and hope" and drew again out OF
{, sight beneath the hay.
i Nellie alighted at the bank quite as
j, 'dexterously as she had gained the sum
4 init s'I'm glad" she whispered to
I. herself. as she went up The bank steps
"He didn't look wicked. He has a wife
i and children waiting for him. Oh,
i hope he gets away free!" and an hour
she learned that four convicts
hid escaped from the penitentiary the
I night; previous.
I She told her lover only of her i'm
petuons act that evening, and he com
mended her for her kind heartedness
The next day Mr.. Lupton went to visit
4 branch bank in another town.
"Miss Bross,' he said, you will
Ehave to take charge here until I re
y turn. My father will drop in off ant
on during the day and help arount
what little he can.
1t was no new thing for Nellie to at
tend manifold details without assist
ance. Old Mr.. Lupton came in abou
two o'clock in the afternoon and help
ed her with some of the heavy banl
ledgers and vault boxes. There were
ne. many visitors End the bank wa'
deserted except for themselves, whel
abruptly two men quietly entered thu
bank One directed a revolver at tn
shrinking old man and addressed Mel
lie.
mo one will get hurt il you ar
quiet" he told her. and his compan
ion glided behind the counter and be
}gan to fiji satchel he carried wit
the bank treasure.
Suddenly a swift form passed tn
, omen doorway. 1t was that Of ma
wearing heavy goggles and broad
brimmed hat that well shaded hi
face.
J "Drop your gun !" rang from his lip
; to the man on guard. Leave tina
bag and get out of here as fast as yo
can" he ordered the thief behind tn
counter, Cor"
His leveled weapon emphasized tn
mandate. The two men SUNK out {
\ the bank and disappeared down til
street The latest caller approache
Nellie.
''They asked me to join Them" h
spoke to her. II wouldn't anyway, fe
I'm through with crime. Then whe
8 knew it was your bank they wer
after, remembered, and
. He lifted his goggles, and Nellie re
I ognized the man of the hay wagon.
Bread on the waters he saie sir
ply" and was; gone.
So thrilling n story did old Mr.. Lu
ton tell, and SO surely had Nell
through another saved the bank trea
ure, that her employer actually u
: locked his heart and gave her hui
dred-dollar bank note.
A month later an unsigned lett
inclosed the photograph of three bea
tiful little children, and. Nellie kne
that the convict had gained safety al