The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-03-25

1
| he must take care and not get too near to
| brighten her. SO he dropped back again
| There she was, sliding again, and down
1 she goes, but up before he could reach her:
| then giving herself a shake like a child ana
| looking guilty at the windows be heard
| her murmur: NO more slides, Nelly girl.
| You must grow steady and solemn like
Miss BraRkston Hall and be good" Then,
! as he retired again, he heard, Checker
! mints,' in subdued, ecstatic tone
! This was mystery to the professor, but
| he followed breathlessly along.
| They had passed the Common, and she
! was crossing fremont street. A beautiful
! palace electric car about a mile long got
! between them, and by the time he had
| threaded his devious way around it she
! was nowhere TO be seen. But l know
i where to find her. thought the observing
| professor. She'll be looking at the pic
| lures of the Cadet theatricals. That's
what all the ladies go TO see first now; a
| month ago it was Shadows, up on the
| place" Right enough, and he bumped up
| against tall, rigid figure in front of him.
| Sir, pardon me, but you are exceedingly
| awkward in your manners" There he
| was again, the specter of the morning. He
| retired to the corner crushed, but the pro
| fessors dander was ''gettin riZ." Miss
| Brankston Hall put him in mind of that
| beautiful elastic band on Miss Helen 8
| pocketbook. But for her it might have
| been his ere this, and as he stood there
waiting for them to finish their comments
on the photos and move on, he nursed his
! grievance and brooded over it. ut WASH t
his fault he had slipped it ON his wrist, a
trick that had never failed him before. In
another moment he would have gracefully
retired, and it would now be peacefully en-
circling his notebook-a pure Para maroon
band, too, full half an inch wide, some
thing one didn't strike every day" and he
turned impatiently, more than half bound
to ask for it, for the professors fad, from
years OF fostering, was so much Of a mania
that he almost believed the worlds supply
OF rubber bands belonged exclusively to
him.
Aha! They were just going. He'd
follow them. Perhaps, who could tell, it
might yet be his"
They walked down as far as Boylston
street. the tall lady keeping a wary eye on
the wretched professor; then turning into
a confectioner's store, she spoke cordially
to young man who was buying.
Theprofessor, watching through the win
dow with eyes only for the rubber band,
didn't notice him hurry out; Miss Helen
had got her little oblong box of checker
minis and had laid her pocketbook on the
counter; the professor leisurely pushed the
door open, and walking in asked for some
of the same; the girl seemed fiurried, but
he didn't notice, being occupied watching
the ladies. Their backs were turned; there
lay the pocketbook and the beautiful
maroon band beside it; he put out his hand
to clutch it, but instead he was caught by
the shoulders from behind and whiried
round face t. face with policeman.
Miss Helen screamed and almost tainted,
but Miss 3. Hall, with proud smile on
her firm lips, said: ''Sir! or rather thrice
hardened wretch, you are at last in the
tolls of the law, and by my handl Officer,
to your duty. Drag the miscreant to-
to-
''To Lagrange street, mum?" said the
policeman.
Yes, that's it," said she. "My friend,
Miss Helen Jones here, accuses this man
of attempting to rob her of her purse.
Three times today he has tried it, but I
saved her. All, this shall be known far
and wide over the broad land-'A Boston
woman decoys bold thief to his fate
This morning be attempted to rob her on
the Common, and | outwitted him. This
afternoon he followed her from Common
wealth avenue to fremont street, and I
foiled him again. Then, seeing his bold
ness, lured him here, sent into the library
for you-and he is yours"
ooh, let him go!' cried Miss Helen tear
fully; she didn't mean anything, | know;
perhaps he was hungry. Oh, say you were
hungry, sirl Do! please do! and perhaps
he'll let you go"
Cant do it, mum; got to take him now;
guess won't call the hurry-up; I'll make
him walk. Say, what your name?'
''John Smith,
'"Nuff said broke in the policeman;
''you re like them all; bet Blacks taken
your phiz!'
ooh, l say" said the now thoroughly
aroused professor. 81 didn't want her
money; really-I've got plenty. Seen' max
ing a bad matter worse; 'all | wanted was
the rubber band"
At this there was loud laugh, and back
of the professor, where a crowd of young
men had gathered, prolonged Singer,
which was quickly hushed.
Your name is John Smith, and you Just
wanted the rubber band. " mimicked the
officer, with a grin. No" said the pro-
fessor, rallying bravely TO the charge, my
name is Professor John Smithers Toddle-
winker, of the institute, and if the librarian
hasn't gone home he'll identify me-" HE
won't need to, professor we all know YOU
came howl from behind and the shame
faced professor turned about TO see half a
dozen OF his young men tottering about in
various stages of commissions. and one of
them, the one the professor had seen go
out for the officer. and whom he now saw
was one of his own class-Fred De Jones
stepped up and introduced the equally
chagrined ladies as Miss Brankston Hall
and his sister, Miss Helen Jones.
The professor never wrote the mastery
dissertation on the Ginkgo biloba tree af-
ter all. He heard that every true Bosto-
man, from the grocer's boy to the Listener,
knew that there was another and better
specimen OF the same tree on the public
garden; but ask his opinion of fads, and he
viii probably say, as he looks in proud,
proprietor sort of way at a certain trim
little figure: "Fads! my boy. fadsl best
thing in the world. Let ME tell you it's
poor sort of man who doesn't have a fad"
But hes little more careful Just the
same!-Boston Transcript.
How Felt