The Armed Stranger

The Armed Stranger

In the early 1960's, on a country farm in Casey County, Kentucky, two teenage girls lay huddled in bed.  A vicious summer storm was blowing outside, and rain was crashing against the tin roof, with a dreadful din.  Even though it was about 3:00 am the girls were wide awake. Margret and Kay Miller were sharing the bed, listening to the storm and getting more frightened by the minute.

Lightning flashed and suddenly Kay let out a piercing scream, pointing at the window.  Margaret looked where she was pointing, but all was darkness.  In a high pitched voice she asked "What is it?"

Kay whimpered "There is a man outside the window!"

Margaret's response "In a storm like this, who would be outside?"

Suddenly lightning ripped the night apart, and they saw his silhouette outlined against the shade drawn window.

"Oh, my God, he has a gun!" Margaret screamed.

All four girls started screaming for help at the top of their lungs.  The girls' father, Dave Miller, came running into the room.  "For land sakes, what's going on?"  He yelled above the girls screams.

The girls were crying and talking over top of each other.  He eventually understood "---- man ---- gun -----outside window!"  Dave ran back to his room, grabbed the shotgun, and ran out into the storm.

After a while he came back in, wet, and mad clear through.  He stomped back to the girl's room.  "There is nobody out there!" he shouted.

The girls were still sobbing, but were adamant, "There was a man out there!"  As Dave looked at the girls, wet and angry, lightning flashed again.  "He is still there!" they sobbed.

Dave ran to the window and jerked up the shade as another bolt of lightning illuminated the night once more.

Outside the window was the clothesline, a piece of linen still attached, next to a pole propping up the middle of the line.  In other words, "the man with a gun."

According to Margaret, HE didn't think it was nearly as funny, as I do.