Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1904-02-22
40.
FOR LOVE
OF SHORTY
a.. FREDERICK WHITE
co,yloht, 1909, by MeCf'ires
up" Newspaper Syndicate
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

.oiation and had escorted her nome
soe. u.ord Unfortunately for her
ar, az Of mind Maggie had not in
s g shorty with anything in partic-
ular. -, "a hoa
nood with her because she did not
uaL to have many partners.
uo walked home with her because
,hov happened 10 dance the last waltz
taoether Then he forgot all about it,
hnt Maggie did not.
WI IoJ She known Shorty's profession
La WAS a burglar-she would have
.ad nothing to do with him. But she
Nv knew that he was what she con-
oidsrad handsome and that he talked
o,ost attractively about books.
She was young, very young, and nc
nan or bow had ever paid her so much
attention before
Reing afflicted with an imagination,
sha gaye herself up to dreams in which
shorty was always the predominant
ecure On her way to and from the
factory she was continually on the
Iookout for him, and every evening she
surprised her mother by putting on
her best dress in the hope that he
might come to see her. But Shorty
mover came. He had other business
m hand. if not more attractive at least
more remunerative, so Maggie looked
and waited in vain.
shorty had just pulled off a good
thing. so good that the police were
almost as much interested as the vic.
tins of the robbery, and that meant
trouble.
Shorty realized this and resented ii
because it interfered with his reading.
He always read voraciously-betwe
times-and, with the wherewithal for
six months comfort on hand, he hated
TO be disturbed. He knew, in that
mysterious way by which police news
travels to those most interested, that
he was under suspicion and, much
against his inclinations, he was pre-
pairing to leave town until the atmos.
phere should clear.
In the meanwhile Maggie had be-
come almost desperate. In her print
tive way she was very much in love,
and to see Shorty again was her one
thought, day and night. Her fancy
wove a glamour about him that even
Shorty himself would have repudisted
with scorn had he known.
Then came the arrest, for the powers
had been too much for him at last.
Maggie saw 1t in the papers, and a
picture of her hero brought the shock
home to her with sickening directness.
She was dazed, stunned, hopeless, but
still In love. Without saying anything
to her mother she visited Shorty In
the city prison.
Shorty was very much surprised, but
appreciated the attention, although the
girls grief and disappointment in him
(she had impulsively told more than
she should annoyed him.
Though more or less callous in re.
gard to the right or wrong of his call
ing, he would have welcomed respecta-
bility If he could have afforded it, but
now it was too late, and in his heart
he resented this too. The first visit
led to others, and in the devotion of
the girl Shorty saw a CLEAN of hope.
He was not entirely selfish in this
matter. If he escaped his term in
prison, he would do the right thing by
her.
He would take her away with him
and marry her, but for some reason or
other he never told the girl this.
SO 1t was that for pure love of him
Maggie agreed to help him establish
an alibi, although she knew from his
own lips that he was guilty.
With the aid of lawyer, who asked
no embarrassing questions, they con-
cocted the defense. On the day of the
trial Maggie went ON the stand. Pale
OF face, but exalted in spirit, she
swore that on the night of the robbery
Shorty had been with her, in her home,
until o'clock.
fortunately for the success of this
story, Maggie's mother could not deny
II, Tor she had spent that night away
from home nursing a sick friend.
Broken hearted at the smirching of
the good name of Dolan, she asserted
ner belief that her daughter was be-
Wltched and, shaking her fist at Shorty,
threatened vengeance until suppressed
by the court.
der evident animus against the pris-
oher had an effect directly opposite
from that which she had hoped to pro-
auce. 1t strengthened his alibi mate.
rally, and much to the disgust of the
ponce Shorty was acquitted.
When the jewellers of the tenements
wish to be alone and undisturbed, they
seek the comparative privacy of a park
Sench. On the evening of his release
onorty met the girl by appointment,
ana together they threaded their way
through the crowded streets to one of
'ne city's breathing spaces.
SHORTY, pale and worn and somewhat
cnastened in spirit by his enforced Sc
eIusion' breathed the air of liberty
WIN ever growing delight.
II was good to be his own boss
.sain' and with the realization came
fhOuUhf- he xrran -,