Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1921-07-09
Down in the Cy-
clone Cellar
BY FRANK n. WILLIAMS

=. 1924. BY Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
Perhaps ii WAS because pretty
Betty simpson lived In the cyclone belt
that she was of such tcmpestuOu>
temperament; perhaps 1t was simply
because she was born that way. At
any rate she MAS nightly tcmpeStuous
when any Of her deeper emotions were
involved. And when her father, stern
moruSe Henry Simpson, accused her
sweetheart of being Responsible for the
loss OF the simpsons slowly accumu-
lated Liberty bonds she ilared up AT
once.
"Of course Jim Brown didn't take
hem" she Stormed. You ought to
know him better than that, father"
Jim knew | kept them in my desk
and that the desk was unlocked" said
her father Stolidly. And what does
he do when | say something 10 him
about them being gone-he disappears
That proves he took them :"
Betty wrung her hands d>conso
lately.
81 just know he didn't"
She looked around the modestly fur
uiShed little living room desperately. II
only she had some one 10 help her II
only her mother hadn't dcd-she
would have understood
BETTY looked at the foolish grin on
the face Of her senile old grandfather
and then at the happy smile on the
face Of her baby sister. And she
sighed deeply. Life was going hard
with her. II only she could make her
father deSiSt from his expressed pur-
pose.
pleas" don't file an affidavit against
him Please don't father" She cried
IL just know Jim didn't take them
Just know everything will come out all
right"
ave already filed the affidavit :"
answered her father shortly ~ cant
afford to lose all that money. can't
help II II Jim has been your beau"
He turned away heavily. Tears
started to Retty's eyes as she looked
after him. Her father was stern and
hard Much sorrow and a bitter life
had made him cruel. There was no
moving him when he had set his mind
on anything. What could she do?
That night Betty wrote an i'm
passioned letter 10 Jim--tO an address
he had given her before leaving-urg-
Ing him TO come back and prove his
-, .hG N
urged him TO tell her why he had left.
for quite suddenly after her father had
partially accused Jim OF the theft he
had left the countryside without let
ting any one. save Betty. know where
he was going. And he had not even
told Betty why he was going.
II was about n week later that the
cyclone visited the spot where Betty
lived.
"CyclOnc weather" had been worry
ing the country folk for some hours
before the unmiStakable signs of ap-
preaching trouble sent the Simpson
family scurrying into the cyclone eel
lar near the home. Even n Betty
helped her grandfather down the stairs
into the cellar. which had been pre-
pared years before at some little dis
lance from the house the menacing
spiral of the c! clone was visible down
The valley.
Betty's father had entered the cellar
first and rs Betty pulled the storm
door fiat and locked II she saw that her
fnthcr had lighted lantern and was
looking quickly and somewhat fear
fully around the cellar. What was
wrong?
Betty lcaped down the remaining
steps Of the ladder into the cellar.
"What'S the mattcr?" she cricn 10
her father. who was holding the Ian
tern high above his head.
Once more stern Henry Simpson
lokcd around the small room before
replying. Then he gazed fearfully Into
Bettys eyes.
where's the baby" cried Henry
Simpson.
Panic clu,chcd al Bctty'S heart nj
room with Wild eyes The baby was
nowhere in sight.
al put the baby down here a half
hour ago She must have climbed
out :"
Frantically Betty rushed to the side
Of the room and leaprd upon a box
which brought her eyes in line with Il
little portfolio, partially raised above
the level Of the earth, IN which heavy
glass formed lookout She looked
out fcarfully.
There. half way between the cellar
and the house was the baby. dancing
M and down In the gusts ~ wind
which heralded the near approach Of
the twister \ pair OF the grand
/ fathers old overalS. which had been
blown from the house. were partially
twincd about the baby. And only an
/ appalingly short distance away-com-
pared with the speed AT which II was
cOmlng-waS the cyclone.
BETTY jumped from the box and ran