, 1921-06-16
Down in the Cy-
clone Cellar
By FRANK H. WILLIAMS


t9. 1921. by Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.)
Perhaps it was because pretty
Betty Simpson lived in the cyclone belt
that she was of such a tempestuous
temperament; perhaps 1t was simply
because she was born that way. At
any rate she was nightly tempestuous
when any of her deeper emotions were
involved. And when Der father, stern,
morose Henry Simpson. accused her
sweetheart of being responsible for the
loss of the Simpsons slowly accumu-
lated Liberty bonds she fiared I'D at
once.
'Of course Jim Brown didn't take
them" she stormed. you ought to
know him better than that, father I"
Jim knew / kept them in my desk
and that the desk was unlocked" said
her father stolidly. "And what does
he do when l say something to him
about them being gone-he disappears !
That proves he look them !"
Betty wrung her hands disconso-
lately.
He didn't take them I" she cried.
II just know he didn'tl"
She looked around the modestly fur
nished little living room desperately. If
only she had some one to help herl If
only her mother hadn't died-she
would have understood!
Betty looked at the foolish grin on
he face of her senile old grandfather
and then at the happy smile on the
fpCa nf hQr hahp sfctar And Cla
sighed deeply. Life was going hard
with her. If only she could make her
father desist from his expressed pur-
pose.
please don't file an affidavit against
him Please don't father Z" she cried.
81 just know Jim didn't take them. I
just know everything Will come out all
right"
I've already filed the affidavit 7"
answered her father shortly. IL can't
AFFORD to lose all that money. I can't
help 1t If Jim has been your beau"
He turned away heavily. Tears
started to Betty'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
IN anything. What could she dor
That night Betty wrote an i'm
passioned letter to Jim-to an address
he had given her before leaving-urg-
ing him to come back and prove his
innocence. And in this letter, too. she
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 o even
told Betty why he was going.
II was about a week later hat the
cyclone visited the spot where Betty
lived.
Cyclone weather" had been worry
Ing the country folk for some hours
before the u~nmlstakable signs of ap-
preaching trouble sent the Simpson
family scurrying into the cyclone eel
lar near the home. Even as 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 cyclone was visible down
the valley.
Betty's father had entered the cellar
first. and as Betty pulled the storm
door fiat and locked 1t she saw that her
father had lighted a lantern and was
looking quickly and somewhat fear
fully around ,the cellar. What was
wrong?
Betty leaped down the remaining
steps OF the ladder into the cellar.
whats the matter?" she crieu TO
her father. who was holding the Ian
tern high above his head.
Once more stern Henry Simpson
loked around the small room before
replying. Then he gazed fearfully into
Betty's eyes.
where's the baby?" cried Henry
Simpson.
Panic clutched at Betty's heart Mt
this question. She gazed around the
room with wild eyes. The baby was
nowhere In sight.
II put the baby down here n half
hour ago. She must have climbed
out !"
Frantlcally Betty rushed to the side
Of the room and leaped upon a box
which brought her eyes in line with n
little portfolio. partially raised above
the level Of the earth. in which heavy
glass formed a lookout. She looked
u fearfully.
There. half way between the cellar
and the house was the baby, dancing
up and down in the gusts of wind
which heralded the near approach of
the twister. A pair OF the grand
fathers old o%veralls. which had been
blown from the house, were partially
twined about the baby, And only an
appallinGiy short distance away-com-
pared with the speed nj which Il was
coming-was the cyclone.
Betty jumped from the box and ran
toward the ladder, crying swiftly TO her