The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-14
THE EVENING STORY
Nan,oto's .Blacking."
by Lulu Johnson

phon in hand. to fill the glasses This
ceremony performed he retired noise
the name dining room.
nope there is no war with Jap
an, said Mosby. What would a
poor bachelor do if all the jap bows
country %
81 should hate to lose Namoto," re-
peated Ned Bowen. though I hope to
ne married long before there is a
chance of = war"
IT speak for Namoto." said Mosby
quickly. If the happy event comes to
pass, l want you to let me have him.
He is a paragon, even among Jap
boys
Don't count your chickens before
they are hatched." warned Bowen
darkly. Hank Sturgis is invited out
to Bayport too, and"
And it's nip and tuck between you
two for Bess Ricaby," completed Mos
by. Whats the matter with kidnap-
ing Hank? You might lock him up in
these rooms with Namoto to guard
That's a little too strenuous
laughed Bowen. but 1 tell you, old
man, wish I dared. If could get
Hank out of the way over Sunday
should stand a far better chance.
With the two of US always trying to
best the other man there is no chance
for either"
well, here's hoping that you win,"
toasted Mosby, draining his glass.
Lets go over to the club and have a
game of billiards"
The two men left the snug bachelor
apartment. and in the game forgot
took his suit case and made for. the
train. He looked all around, but
there was no trace of Sturgis. Until
the last moment Bowen hung about
the gate. but his rival did not put in
an appearance. and Bowen gritted his
teeth. Probably Sturgis had taken the |
morning train. If he had had the long
afternoon with Bess Ricaby, there !
was no telling what the outcome had |
been.
Bowen fretted over a magazine in |
the cafe car. chewing nervously on |
his cigar, and chatting at the slow |
ness of the train. They were on time
as they pulled into Bayport, but to i
Bowen it seemed hours late. His host, |
MI. Norton. was waiting for him with |
a trap. and as Bowen started toward |
the carriage. Norton laid a hand upon |
his arm.
Hold on. old man." he said " stur-
gis should be on this train.''
Bowen's spirits rose. Then Sturgis |
had not come down on the earlier
train after all. He was ahead of his
rival.
Bowen said. 81 know that he is not
on this train. because looked for him.
He said he was coming down.
Maybe he is coming in his motor"
L.
its fell again. There was no other
train until morning and with the whole
of the evening without interference
he might hope to gain Bess's answer.
But Sturgis did not turn up in his /
motor in time for dinner. nor did any
message come. The party broke up
in groups and pairs and Bowen, to his
great delight, found himself walking
toward the shore with Bess.
1t was a moonlight night, and IS
they watched the beams CLINT upon the
water Bowen poured out the story of
his love. The world seemed to stand
still as he heard the murmured Eyes"
and for the first time in the two years
that he had loved Bess Ricaby, he
felt certain of himself.
1t had been lively war between
himself and Sturgis, a constant stFug-
gle for the one to offset the other
and gain an individual advantage.
Now he had won. and. as they retraced
their steps toward the house. he
his absent rival.
Sunday was a long, delightful day,
but it came to an end. like all good
times. He must leave on an early
train in the morning and would not
see Bess before going. but she was TO
run up to town in the midweek and I
select the ring that should be the out
ward symbol of their love.
1t was with a light heart that he
seated himself in the train and spread
open the morning paper. Almost the
first thing that he saw was a bihck-
type head in which Sturgis's name was
mentioned He read it eagerly.
News had been dull the day before
and the editors had made the most of
the sensational abduction of the we'll
known clubman. The account was
padded to two columns. but the lead
ing facts were easily grasped. Stur-
gis had been waylaid on his way home
over his head had prevented his see
ing his captors and after he had been
hustled into a cab he remembered no
more until he came to his senses in a
police station forty-eight hours later. |
One of the park policemen had
found him sitting on a bench near a
secluded drive and had come to the
prompt conclusion that the man was
When the application of
the night stick to the soles of his feet
failed in it's usual effect an ambulance
had been called and the man was re-
moved to the police station, where
to consciousness, pronouncing the case
one of opium poisoning.
A suggestion was offered that per-
haps a visit to Chinatown had been
by overindulgence in opium
smoking, 2 but Sturgis declared that
he had never been to the Chinese
quarter. but was on his way to his
apartments after an evening at the
club. He had not had a very large
sum of money on his person, nor was
1t his custom to carry large amounts
at any Lille. So lildl the OBJECT was /
robbery the abductors had Jared but
badly
The afternoon papers advanced a.
new theory based upon Sturgis's slight
resemblance to the head of a large |
trust company. 1t was argued that
he might have been mistaken for the
banker and that it was the idea of the
q hductors TO hold the man for ram
som discovering their error, they
had taken the few dollars found In
his clothes and had turned HIM loose 1
in the park.
Sturgis was the center Of attrac-