The Press., 1921-09-29
Down in the Cy- clone Cellar
By FRANK H. WILLIAMS

Perhaps 1t was because pretty Betty Simpson lived in the cyclone belt l that she was of such a tempestuOus | temperament perhaps it was simply because she was born that way. At any rate she was nightly tempestuousi when any of her deeper emotions were l involved. And when her fatheC, stern, morose Henry Simpson, accused her sweetheart of being responsible for the loss of the Simpsons slowly accumu- lated Liberty bonds she flared up at once.
 Of course Jim Brown didn't take them," she stOrmed. You ought to know him better than that, father!'
 "Jim knew I kept them in my desk and that the desk was unlocked" said her father stOlidly. "And what does he do when I say something to him about them being gone-he disappearsl That proves he took them !"
 Betty wrung her hands discOnsO- lately.
 "He didn't take them!' she cried. "I just know he didn'tw
 She looked around the mOdestly fur , nished little living room desperately. If only she had some one to help her! If only her mother hadn't died-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. If only she could make her father desist from his expressed pur- pose.
 Please don't file an affidavit against himi Please don't father !" she cried. "I just know Jim didn't take them. I just know everything will come out all right"
 "Tve already filed the affidavit!" answered her father shortly. q can't afford to lose all that money. I can't help if 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 bitter life had made him cElel. There was no moving him whep he had set his mind on anything. What could she do?
 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 not even told Betty why he was going.
 Ii was about a week later that the cyclone visited the spot where Betty lived.
 "CyclOne weather" had been worry before the unmistakable 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 tance 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 flat and locked it she saw that her father had lighted lantern and was looking quickly and somewhat fear fully around the cellar. What was wrong?
 Betty Ieaped down the remaining steps of the ladder into the cellar.
 "What's the matter?" she erica 10 her father, who was holding the, lan- tern high above his head.
 Once more stern Henry Simpson oked around the small room before replying Then he gazed fearfuIly into Betty's eyes.
 "Whcre's the baby?" cried Henry Simpson.
 Panic clutched at Betty's heart at 'hs question. She gazed around the room with wild eyes. The baby was nowhere in sight.
 "I put the baby down here a half Hnur ago She must have climbed out !''
 Frantically Betty rushed to the side of the room and leaped upon a box which brought her eyes in line with a little pOrthOle. partially raised above inc level of the earth, in which heavy -'a&S formed lookout. She looked out frarfully.
 There, half way between the cellar and the house was the baby, dancing I'D and down in the gusts of wind which heralded the near approach of he twiSter. A pair of the grand ,lI ''nwn from the house. were partially !wincd ahOut the baby. And only an :nIaIlingly short distance away-cOm- p"red with the speed at which it was ,unling-was the cyclone.
 Betty jumped from the box and ran toward the ladder, crying swiftly to her l 'ather as she ran:
 "The baby's out there! I'll go get l her!"
 Just as Betty reached the foot of the | adder surprising thing happened. ! The solid earthen wall behind the lad ! oAr seemed to stir. Then Betty saw | that some painted burlap sacking. l whi"h in the dim light had seemed t0 | he earth. was moving. Behind this | curtain q new excavation had. been I mah", And from this excavation I <tcrncd--.Tim Brown:
 You sray here'" cried Jim pushn" | "rltv back "TIl get the baby!
 Tim climbed the ladders few steps | hastily. As he unlocked the storm l door and pushed it open a fierce gust l of wind swOOped and howled its way | into the room. Then Jim leaped out, dropping the door into place again.
 Betty rushed to the lookout. She | saw Jim run, stopping to the baby. l She saw him grab up the baby, over alls and all, and rush back toward | the cellar. And she saw trees falling in the path of the advancing cyclone. Would Jim be able to make 1t?
 Betty left the lookout and rushed | back to the ladder. Her father was