Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-13
CHAPTER x.
To Avoid an EntanpIins Alliance.

|
Mr.. Constitutional Smith occupied very
| delicate-a very ucklish-position. He
knew that somewhere on the face of the
earth a man Of the name of Ellington
OKeefe was moving heaven and earth to
| get back home. He knew that the entire
| New York police department and several
| banks, to boot, had thrown -out over the
| United States and perhaps in other coun-
| tries net In which there was great danger
of his being enmeshed His first impulse
had been to maintain n his identity as
away some night with the wealth of
O'keefe. He had found that O'Keefe's
| wealth was merely a myth: and he found
| that New York still maintained, in Monroe
| at least, one man who had strong suspt-
| cions that all was not as it should be. He
| knew that If once he left town, wherever
he appeared after that, he would be rec
| ognized at once as Constitutional Smith,
| The danger was too great sHe was forced
to choose between the two horns of a diem
ma: He chose the lesser evil. He con or.
identity as Ellington O'Keefe. He must
| stay and face 1T out and trust to luck.
The town of Monroe does not know to
| this day that Constitutional Smith mas
| queraded at one time as Ellington Okeefe.
| The town does not know that Ellington
O'keefe spent several months in the Pa
| cific ocean, upon the Isle Of Swat. Smith
unquestionably played his part to perfec-
Interpretation to greater degree than
| was really necessary.
Disappointed as he was in finding
| OKeefe's fortune dwindled to a cipher,
| Smith cast about for ways and means.
At first he had concluded that it was up to
| him to enter into a systematic raid, by
means of few swindling games he knew
| Of upon the pockets of the richer men In
| town.
! Never had crook such an opportunity
| as was presented to this man Smith, and
| that because behind him stood the reputa-
| Ili1 Hnnf N
nothing else, was a square man. The
rogues chief difficulty is that the world
lacks confidence in him; but the world be-
lieved in Ellington OKeefe. Naturally.
| therefore, it believed in Constitutional
Smith. 1t was the greatest chance of his
| life and Smith recognized it.
But" he exclaimed to himself. and that
| but meant much. Great wealth Is
| fine thing If it can be properly enjoyed, but
| Smith preferred to contemplate his wealth
| in the free air rather than behind cold steel
| bars. He understood that 1t was possible
| to get away with many Of the hard-earned
dollars of Monroe, but the aftermath was
| too uncertain. Smith was governed by the
| signs of the times.
1t was necessary, therefore, in order that
| he might run the best possible chances ulti-
mately to enjoy full liberty and the pursuit
| of happiness, 1T was necessary that he do
| something that he had rarely ever done.
| That was to live an honest life.
| He determined that for some time to
come he must not only resemble OKeefe
| outwardly, he must actually be Okeefe.
| Instead of Constitutional Smith, strong-arm
| man and swindler, he became Ellington
O'Keefe, an honest man.
Two things worried him. One was the
social relation that existed between Billing
! ton OKeefe and a Miss Margaret Robson
| and her mother. The other was the social
| relation that existed between Ellington
had conferred upon him the $1,000 check.
| Smith was very shy of women. NO wo-
| men in mine,'' he was accustomed to say,
! they're too dangerous" He sized up wo-
men as a class. They've all alike" he
| said they're all alike and wouldn't trust
| one of them around the corner, not for five
minutes"
He had Stunned them-as class. For
tunately for himself, he had never cared
| for women. But he had seen his 1elioW
| criminals curse their sweethearts, sisters
| mothers, wives-for innocently and mad
| vertently, or with malice aforethought,
| giving clue to the police which ultimately
had proved fatal. Without women the po-
| lice department would give up In aespail,
| 1t makes little difference whether tney ar
| dealing with defaulting bank casne r., y.
good family, or burglar OF the lo"eet ~ MI
| Of character-it is the woman OF inc ".
men that they watch be the re,at nan ,eeitt
mate or illegitimate-it makes no olnerenoe'
At some time the woman will unconscious
| ly betray the man. and the authorities ""-'
| and watch for that time to come
constitutional Smith understood these
things. and it was therefore upon principe
| that he regretted the advent of these wo-
men upon the arena of events. Personany
and individually he admired them MISS
| Robson from her picture and the wl1 io
| on account of her attractive personality
| Smith was but human, and, judging the
| widow with a critical eye, he was forceo 10
| acknowledge to himself that she was just
| about his kind. In fact. when he held her
| hand on the occasion when he waited TOT
| the check he felt two or three pleasant lit
| tie thrills run up and down his brawny
| arm
She's a good sort. after all" he said to
himself. IF l were OKeefe I'd stick to her
! and let the little girl go, though h knows
| she's all right, too"
| But, as a matter of precaution. he thought
| 1t we'll, IL possible, to shuttle off both these
women and thus lessen his chances OF pos
| sible detection. But he knew also that he
| must not evade the social duties which Bill
| lington O'Keefe would be likely to perform.
| He was not disobedient therefore to the In
| junction of Patricia Jelliffe Robeson, direct
| Ing him to obtain and produce forthwith
| before her the latest novel of the name of
| THE Chilled SOUL" and, incidentally. to
| come out to Jelliffe" and court her daugh-
ter.
| CTo be contnued)