The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-01-05
Quite a Heroine
By ALVAH J. GARTH


] boat landing at Bolivar and bestowed
mods and smiles upon the captain aud
! helmsman about the little craft moored
: there.
Erwin Trask did not take his eyes
away from her from the moment she
had come in view of the top of an
incline leading down TO the waters
edge She carried two large pasteboard
boxes which she set carefully upon d
stool.
Just in time, Captain Taft" she
remarked to the rOtund, busting own
er of the launch. "Will you stop for
me at AShton?'
Wed stop for you in the middle
of the ocean if you asked us to, honey
girl" responded the captain with gen.
uine ardor. Eth, Barton?"
Every time" piped the man at the
wheel enthusiastically, and then cap
tain and wheelman chatted with her
about the health of her father, things
up at the little farm and variety of
subjects, evincing an intimate knowl-
edge of her affairs and an interest in
the same.
The girl looked sweet enough to de-
serve the name bestowed upon her
honey girl'-but Trask soon discOv-
cred that this was not, as he had at
first supposed, a familiar endearing
epithet She was called "hOney girr'
because her father operated Il small
farm specializing in honey and bees.
He reared and dealt in rare and de-
sirable breed of Italian bees and
shipped as we'll as delivered them all
over the country. The two boxes the
girl had brought aboard probably held
some of these, which she was taking
to a customer at a distance.
Two grim faced. unprepOsseSsing
looking men taken aboard up the river
sat by themselves at the stern of the
boat. No particular attention was
paid to them. They had paid their
fare for the through trip. They got
up and moved about the deck with
some animation, however, as the boat
traversed part of the river that
broadened out, with little islands here
and there. The captain had gone up
close TO the wheelsman when the craft
entered this stretch. as If the tortuOus
course demanded careful attention.
Trask had never seen the girl be-
fore and the captain had motioned ID
him as he went about his duties.
Mr. Trask of the Byron bank. Miss
Warren" he said. We have two
treasures aboard this trip---the banks
big iron box and you, honey girl"
Very soon the twain, young compaE-
ionables, were conversing pleasantly to
pass the time. Trask was interested
in the unique calling of the young lady
and her father. and Ada Wallen
learned that once u week he made the
trip with q large amount of ready cash
for a city correspondent banks Her
eyes opened wide as he observed that
there was over fifty thousand dollars
in the heavy clamped box in the cabin.
The two strangers had approached
the wheel. One of them carried with
him n common tool bag, the other sud-
denly revealed two revOlvers.
Run the boat against that island
over yonder. shut off the power and
get to the stern with your passengers
or we will do some shooting grutfly
ordered the man with the bag. Keep
them lined up. partner" and within
the ensuing next few minutes the
startled Ada and the young bank man
knew that they were in the midst of a
hold-up. The wheelSman aud Captain
were compelled to crowd back between
some benches, held at bay by leveled
weapon. Ada sat pale and inert on
the stool, warned by the rufiian to
make no move or he would show no
discrimination in her favor because
she was woman.
Then his confrcre entered the cabin.
They could hear the clinking of tools
and heavy blows as he began his as
sault upon the treasure box, Alta
glanced pityingly at Trask. The loss
10 the bank would be great but 10
one dared move from under the domi-
nation of the armed ruflian, for it WAS
apparent that he was Il desperate
character.
Gradually Ada's color returned. Her
eyes glowed with resolution. She was
not guarded as closely as Trask and
the wheelsman. She suddenly caught
up both of the paSteboard boxes,
knocked in their top against the out
side of the cabin, sent one box and
then the other through window,
crashing In glass, frame and all. and
arose to her feet defiantly facing the
armed guard. He directed weapon
at her menacingly. Then in profound
amazement his hands dropped TO his
side. -.. .....
For from the cabin there burst
forth the most frightful cries of rage
and distress. The next moment, beat
ing his head and body with his hands
and covered with bees, the occupant
of the cabin dashed out upon deck and
in frenzy of his singing torture
sprang overheard to relieve himself of
his tormenters.
That was the critical moment for
I'M