The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-09-25
A PERILoUs IDENTIFICATION


/ head ana said.
wen. l don't know. I'd hesitate a
( icng tine before accusing a stranger on
: the strength of descriptions OF photo
/ graphs. 1 remember an experience I had
/ hen 1 was a young man-yes, a good
while agO-that pretty nearly convinced
/ me that there are such things as living
images. went over 10 the bank 10
make the daily deposit and il happened
that just in front OF me in the line was
very handsome. aristocratic looking
! young lady. When she presented her
/ check-the receiving teller was also the
| TaylnS teiler-the young man behind the
grating told her that she'd have 10 be
Identified She explained that she was :
stranger il town. on her way 10 Cincin-
nad I think she said. that the check
was her fathers. and that she could prove
X, because she had more Of them. The
teller, however, was obourate. although
she got out about six or seven similar
checks. and looked terribly injured when
he said no.
She was such dainty. pretty. spirit
Cd creature. that l couldn't help watch
ing her She went TO the president and
II the cashier and made an earnest. and.
l guess, perfectly sincere attempt to con
vince them that she was all right but
they both politely refused 10 cash her
cheek unless she could supply Identified
ton or get some one known To the bank TO
4 indorse il for her. When / was going out
she was standing in the vestibule. a pic
ture Of female loneliness in distress
saw the little tear at the end of her de-
.ghtful nose and I determined to accos.
her. Madam 1 began, is there any
thing l can do for you2s' She Frightened
up at once and related what had hap
rened in the bank, most Of which | knew
already. She was making a little trip,
and, for safety, was carrying about a
hundred dollars in checks Of ten each.
made payable to herself. and signed by
her father. who WIS. she said, 4 respect
able merchant Of Adrian Mich. She was
unaccustomed TO travel and supposed
that a check would be just as easy to
cash in Chicago as at home I almost
smiled at the ingenious simplicity of this
explanation, and readily consented TO in
dorse one Of the checks. Ny own wife Is
so utterly mystified by what she calls
the red-tape of business matters that I
quickly appreciated the embarrassed
young womans position.
The payee on the check was Miss Ada
topping, and it was signed by .Theo J.
Topping. all plain enough She was so
evidently and sincerely grateful. and
was so impressed with the child-Iike trust
Iulness OF her demeanor that I took her
over to the railway depot, looked after
her luggage a bit and advised her 20 get
New York drafts or postoffice notes from
her father before she needed any moro
money. She was quite gay by this time
and laughingly promised TO do as l bid
her. And so we parted
Yes, I see you smile" continued the
cid gentleman. anticipating interruption
You are right About three or four
days later I got notice from the bank
that 'IheO. j. Topping's check was no
good. and I went down and took il up.
admitted to myself that I was a fool
out must say that / would have risked
my life upon the honesty and good char
aeter of that young woman She was
one of the most polished, best spoken and
absolutely ladylike women 1 ever con-
Yersed with, and SO strikingly handsome.
81 We'll attired and so DISTINGUISHED in
appearance that I'd have sworn I would
Know her again anywhere, under anv
circumstances.
We'll about two years ago a young
woman plainly but neatly clad, came into
my office TO sell me a book / could hav..
fallen through a knothole with astonisb-
ment, for II it wasn't Miss Topping ii was
her double thought I was very shrewd.
Tor as soon as ! saw that she didn't rec
oSnlze me | bade her sit down. locked the
door and pulled out that worthless check.
Remember anything about this. Miss
topping? I said, with pretty caustlc sar-
casm IN my tones. She looked up at me
in bewildered surprise I didn't under
stand at first so / pointed to the lead pen-
eli notation on the back Of the check over
my Endorsement NO such account at
his bank, ii said. But she seemed more
at sea than ever Aren't you Miss Ada
Topping, and didn't you get THO check
cashed on my Endorsement I growled.
But she only smiled the innocent. dis
concerted, mystitied smile Of absolute ig-
norance.
some mistake. sir, she said. with a
slight German accent that at once con
Vinced me of my mistake. I wish to zeli
desc books TT is specially gotten up vor
attorneys, and so forth. and 50 forth
l let her take her own time. for I was
visited with occasional suspicious that
perhaps she might f0rset herself and re-
appear IN the true character Of Miss Ada
Icpplng- But when she stood w I was
sure that my fair swindIer had been
much taller than this poor girl. even
became so interested that l asked the
slmp'e-minded book agent where she lived
ana whom she was supporting. and she
answered all my questions with such
flank and even confidential caudor that
felt Ike pickpOcket TO have suspected
Eer Her black. wooden skirt was rusty
ana mended, but scrupulously clean. She /
j
DAINTY Miss Topping would never have
displayed. but SEQ far as face. head. hair
and eyes were concerned she seemed the
exact counterpart OF my fair confidence &
lady.
Well. 1 made the best amend 7 could
under the circumstances. I bought ono /
o. her books and bowed her out Of the
oHlce- Now. what a horrible thfnr II
would have been If I had accused that
80 u mi
upon her innocent character and upon her
struggling family"
she have rnulcted YOU for damages.
colonel. suggested Captain Hogan. the (
detective. Alisprison. Slander-oh. she
could have soaked you all right You
might have known a smart criminal Ike 4
ycur Miss Topping would see your name
or the office door and keep away. Shed +
never have blundered right into the Hons +
Jaws. colonel.
That's your judgment. IS II. CAM"
asked Hutchinson. wei wslt rnf-,.-s
When got back into my Office after
thar book agent was gone naturally be-
an 70 look fo- shat no 5000 check 4
seerchel everywhere but couldr't frf
t. Finally Z abandoned che search. sun
fosing that il had blown out ~ The z-in-
q - OF slipped down into @ crack il ny
desk.
In about week got a memorandum
from ms bank inCiosi1r that same dcl-
gested check Miss topping had taken
7 down ana cashed i again. John Il
Rsftery.
Encouraged.
frrom TIE Ch-cas5 I-.5uueA
Good morning. spoke the mar IL the
faded SUIT ~ black. setting dewn his va
Use ara opening IT, 1--WE got son,ethiag
hare that every r-sr chat et-r-e- r.r-a.ff