The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1907-01-04

was one of the citizens of the semi
world against whom the very strong
est anathema of the better classes
were directed.
Nor was Mapes on cordial terms
with the police In fact he would go
to some considerable pains to avoid
social intercourse with the guardians
OF the law. Anu by the same token
the blue-coats would move rather
faster than usual to enjoy the pleasure
Of Mapes' society. But then Bill had
an innate prejudice against blue
coats and brass-buttons and stars and
clubs and all that sort of thing. Per-
haps he was not wholly responsible
because che prejudice may have been
inherited
It Is to be recalled that his father
plug" Mapes was constitutionally
opposed to the police before his un-
happy taking-off at the end of rope
In quiet jail-yard on one memorable
day after the society of the blue-coats
had been thrust upon him in a most
shameless manner.
1t is also a matter of history that
gave great sigh of relief upon this
occasion and congratulated themselves
openly and often until some months
later when 1t was borne to their in
telligence that young Bill Mapes had
succeeded to his respected sire's es-
tate and was following, in no unwor-
thy manner. in the paternal footsteps.
oil Of xv1, oh, hn
duced that Bill Mapes lived and
breathed and had his being without
the law of the land and that he would
not have been a welcome visitor at
your home at the witching hour of
midnight.
Yes, gentle reader you have guessed
right; Bill Mapes was a burglar,
thief, crook and earned his bread by
appropriating the product of the sweat
of the other fellows brow.
And yet Mapes was not bad sight
to look upon. He was a well-built,
sturdy, young fellow handling his
splendid strength with marked grace
of action. His features were rather
well-formed and his eyes clear and
blue and laughing. He was not fear
some object to look upon-excepting
when desperate or angry, and then
he was a thunderbolt of action and
Of passion.
1t was inevitable, of course, that
Mapes should occasionally be the
guest of the police but despite all
their most energetic invitations he
had successfully maintained his mod
esty and evaded any considerable
strain upon their hospitality.
Upon his every appearance In the
police court, however, there had ap-
peared also most charming feminine
vision-a delicate, modest, brown-eyed
Girl whose beauty won all hearts and
whose tears moved the sternest police
justice to sympathy. She was mys-
terry to the police court and inspired
more interest than the prisoner in
whom she seemed to have such deep
interest, so to concern. After full
and free discussion 1t was duly de-
cided that she was settlement work
er or something or other of that sort
who was grieved over Bill Mapes' soul
and was trying to save him.
And while they berated him as a
dog they all bowed before the dainty
brown-eyed divinity.
Now it must be evident to the read
er at this point that Bill Mapes was
not an idealist nor a leading citi-
zen, nor pillar of society, nor any
thing of that sort, but this simple tale
Is written to show that every fellow
has his own standards and his own
ideals.
One soft summer evening Mapes ap-
peared at Browns Triangle" a rath-