The Butte inter mountain., 1902-12-04

CORRESPONDENTS OF INTER MOUNTAIN.
Chicago Dec. I.--Elsie Viola Larsen is
a victim of MacLaneism. She is having a
bad attack. There are other girls who
have had t--more than one could count
but Viola is almost a MaeLane.
To be a MacLane one must have red
gullet, charmingly romantic imagination
and sensitive nature. Viola has all OF
these she has more she has genius. But,
come to think of it, so has Mary MaeLaiie.
The great difference between Viola Lar
sen and Mary MacLane is that Mary has
n high school education and three more
years of experience. Then, too, Mary has
attained Lest someone might question
what Mary MacLane has attained, it will
be well to state. She has attained the
distinction OF distracting very silly girl
great many silly girls, rather--inio thins.
ing they are geniuses. She has attained
the suffering Of as many anxious mothers
and hard working fathers She has brought
about tragedy in the Larsen family which
il will take years TO soften. She has per-
haps been the ruin OF Viola, who was an
ordinary little girl until she decided to be
a Macl.ane.
Is Our Mary to Blame?
The question will naturally arise, is
Mary MacI. .ane entirely to blame for this
rather serious state Of affairs And, again,
is that ro-year-old prodigy from Butte,
Mont, worth the sacrifice?
The story of this one girls ambitions
and delusions has come TO light through
the police court, which returned verdict
OF mot guilty" in the case of Viola Ncsral,
or Elsie Larsen, booked in the Harrison
street station as horse thicf Viola ap-
pearcd in police court Saturday, November
~. and told dramatic story Of her arrest.
Il could write it and ii would be thrill
ing, ii only had time, but | suppose there
isn't time for that 7" she questioned Of the
policeman who marched her down from the
annex to the police court
No" growlcd the policeman, moi feel
ing in humor for such nonsense.
Now, Viola had a sentimental regard for
all men in uniforms and She was disap-
pointed that the officer of the law did not
make conversation with her just as the
reporters had done. Amt reporters
nice; 7" she grlelessly asked of one.
i didn't go to steal the horse" she told
the Judge. "Oh. Of course ! thought we
would be arrested but then | wanted that
for my book. My hero is going to be
chased by the police. But | wasn't out
for that. / was looking for my heroine.
saw her name in the paper last week
about marriage and | was going TO her
house to look at her. | could pretend, you
know
She Dared Me.
"When met girl in Washington boule-
ward | asked her where the number was.
] was near the zoos and she said it was
about a mile. Ii was near GOO. She said
she'd ride with me ii ! did, and | said,
you take the horse then # you want to-
And she said. oh, you're the oldest,
you ought to do IT, So | thought I'd show
her | could and dId. She ran up into the
next block. We drove round Union park
and were just coming back when a police
man on horseback and man in a buggy
chased us Then we got ont OF our buggy
and ran. She hid between two houses, but,
OF course, couldn't go there and get her
caught too.
II hen a grocery wagon came by and the
boy let me in and told him would he give
me a ride and he said sure Mike and |
said just whip up your horse and he did.
But the policeman caught up and | was
kind OF scared then
That is just how il came that Viola
spent tne n1gHt III Tie HARRISON street pO-
lice station. She was taken first To the
Warren avenue station. where She gave TIE
name Viola Aesral. When she gave the
wrong house address the police tailed 10
find her people and her father searched
for her until the next day. hen, fright
cned, she told the station matron that her
mother lived al No. iS6 North Green street
and her father was summoned to give bond
Tor her temperance. 1t was OH thursday
that Viola stole the horse; It was Saturday
when she finally reached home, proud IN
her accomplishment and fired with a new
ambition.
She Is Misunderstood
They don't any OF them understand
me, she said with parrot-like Mac claneism
hey think | am crazy, my people do, but
III not; m genius Some day the world
will know that. Just now | have not hn-
ished my book and | don't want to say any
thing more about it. What | took it for
was TO really feel how it would be to do
something OF that sort and then be chased
by the officer Of the law on horseback |
am glad did il IT was a real experience
and ! am going TO put il i'll my book /
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