The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-28

mis-, and am pleased to know you.
1 have no doubt that we shall get
along like father and son. Another
thing, Sammls-I hope and trust that
you have never been seen in pool
room %
Never, sir. In the first place, the
wrong horse always comes in ahead,
and in the next I have q character to
maintain among men of integrity. If
they knew Of MY going to pool
room they would drop me at once"
Surely they would my son. Avoid
the pool room as you would a poison
Gus serpent. I had a dearly beloved
brother who went to ruin through the
pool rooms. How about your even
ings?"
Il am home every night. sir. When
my dear mother don't want me to read
to her learn from ten to thirty verses
for Sunday school,"
Il haven't missed a Sunday IN five
years. That Sunday of the blizzard I
was the only one there, and you can't
think how bad I felt when had to stop
outside the church and repeat my les
son to a snoWdTift."
LAS to that mortgage, Sammis" he
said, after q while; las to that mort
eyes, sir
1--WE will see about it later on. There
will be people calling here to inquire
for me, Sammis. Take unusual pains
to see that they are brought right up
at once. When people crave for straw
berry jam they want it fresh. And
don't talk about me around the build
ing, my son. 7 am a modest and re-
firing man. and court no notoriety. I
think old Hawser. on this same floor. is
q man of undue curiosity. If he should
ask you any question you will know
how to turn him down"
Eyes, sir"
''Well, that's all and eood-day to
you. AS 1 said. wen see about that
mortgage later on
A week. past, and heard no further
from Mr.. Jason. All kinds of people
4 came to see him, and among them
! lot Of kids Shaking cigarettes. asked
/ one of them how he liked straw berry
jam, and he ,gEinneds and wiI1ked at me- me
and said it was yun-yum. At length
old Mr.. HaWser tackled me one day
and askedz
''samnis. is it true that you are in
love with the little blond typewriter in
room 600?''
s'She has had my heart for some
time," was my truthful reply.
ST thought so, and I hate to see a
Ito tell you, Sammis, that she is fair
Motto me. bring her candy and
/ flowers every day" ss
II know yousdO. butas9 does some
E6otfv else. In sfact somebody else is
1 taking her out to lunch almost every
/ noon. I have Watched her conduct
/ with pain and sorrow, Sarnnaiss but the
I
pare yourself for the stroke. She IS
playing you for a minnow, and can
And who is my rival psi asked
with spots Of blood dancing before my
ssfts that man Jason, on the ninth
| f1oor-tlle strawberry jam man.
at cannot be! He is like a father
" He is the villain, sannis. ana
l.have known it for a week. He may
pretend friendship for you, but you VIII
discover the wolf in the sheepskln
when too late. Doesn't he claim 70 De
in the jam business?
tfOf course.
but is he, sammis? Is he what he
pretends to be? Is it the scent OF
strawberry jam that takes 50 many
people up to his room? Think 1t over
Sammis Think it over and take his
trail and run him to earth
Five minutes later 1 was on the
trail / went to Room 500 and de-
manded of the blond if she was still
frne to me. Her face paIed and her
chin ouivered, and for moment she
could not answer. Then she managed
y ..sarnnnis. how can you doubt me %
"Base woman, where did you lunch
s'I2T.forget.@
Il s.And who was the villain who ac-
companied you and paid for your coffee
and pie? Girl, do not attempt to ue-
caive@ me I am only an elevator poys
but my experiences in lie nave Deeil
many and terrible Tell me the name
of the villain and he shall answer to
me within the hour
TT was my brother jim"
.'Perjurer, it was not. You have no
= ssThen YOU nnd out if you cani"
When she said that knew that
was a wrecked elevator boy, and after
waiting moment to sim ny 2esstllls
in my throat, I pointed my finger 1uil
| at her and Kissed.
/ ssF,afse Jade. I have found you outt
I know the man. It is-old Jason q the ne
strawberry jam. I go to Jarn~flls ln-
fernal head"
called upon me to return, but. I would
not There may be some elevator
boys who don't know when they are
thrown down, but I am not one OF
{ them. AS soon as I got down to- the
first floor / met a kid who had been
! up after strawberry jam almost every
day for a week past / got or the
elevator for half an hour and took
him down cellar to see the rats.
} When I got him down there 1 took
him by the neck and threatened 10
have his life if he did not tell me the
2 truth. He gave me q fight first, bui
2 when I had him down on the cement
humping the back OF his head ne
eaVed in. He told me that Mr. Jason
, was running pool room ana aoiHs
a staving business. and that instead
OF being a retired minister he was
an old rip OF a man who swore like
a pirate and WEIGHED everybody he
could.
The setting sun might have seen me
in conference with police captain
: A police captain is the biggest thing
! On earth, but once in a while they
condescend to notice q hey with large
ears and an intelligent demeanor
[ That night slept the sleep OF the just
and the giganticness of that gigantic
mortgage didn't sit on my stomach in
) my dreams. During the next forenoon
{ I was calm-very calm. At noon J
: was calm. At 3 o'clock seemed