The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-30
THE EVENING STORY
The Result OF injured Innocence.
(By John Carmichael.)

(By John Carmichael.)
When Poindexter, on a sketching
tramp. came upon the spit that June
morning, he remarked to himself that
1t was the most perfect setting for a
highway robbery or a murder he had
ever seen east of the Mississippi. The
Iact that he knew that it was not a
not make it seem less SO. The path
peloW MIN ran through ravine,
whose rocky precipitous sides, over
grown with low scrub oak and pine,
would furnish hiding places for
score of highwaymen. From where
he lay. rs feet or more above the path.
there was not house, not a human
being in sight, although he knew that
over beyond the clump of pines there
was a respectable farm house, sur
rounded by prosa1c vegetable garden
and orchards, and that the railroad
station on the Shore View road was
only quarter of j mile away
Polndexter had not yet outgrown
MS boy1Sh love of adventure, and as
he lay there on the moss in the cool
SHADOW OF the pines, he amused him
sell imagining various tragic and ro-
mantle happenings, appropriate to
the spot. The whistle of a passing
freight train, sounding shrilly near,
at last dissipated his dreams, and he
rolled over, laughing happily and CALI
ing himself a fool.
He was lying on his back, his hands
clasped under his head watching the
1eathery pine branches swaying in the
sunshine against the blue sky, when a
slight sound broke the peaceful still
ness. He listened a moment, and then
raised his head, cautiously peering
around the corner of the bowlder,
which quite hid him from the view
of passerby below.
Down the path, walking straight
toward MIN, came a graceful girl in
a white gown. swinging broad hat
IN her hand. She made such a perfect
picture, coming as she did through
the sunshine, dappled with shadows,
the light falling on her bronze hair
ana bringing out every perfect line of
her beautiful figure, that Poindexter's
artistic soul was seized with a desire
to paint her She was walking in a
brown study at first, her eyes on the
ground, as if she were buried in
thought, but when she was so near to
Poindexter that he could have spoken
to her without raising his voice, she
stepped and lifted her face to the sky
with look of rapture, as if she We're
filled with the joy OF living, of being
our there all alone under those pines
and that infinite sky.
AS she stood thus. Poindexter leaned
forward. He could see every feature
distinctly, even the color of her eyes.
and he was puzzled by a maddeningly
vague resemblance to some one he had
met, or seen. before. Who was this
girl. and what could she be doing all
alone in this deserted spot?
Suddenly. as he watched her, her ewes
dropped to the path ahead of her. and
Poindexter saw a look of terror come
into her face. At the same moment he
heard a step approaching, although the
newcomer was hidden from him by a
turn in the path. The girl, however.
could see him distinctly, and as she
watched him coming. she began to back
away, step by step, one hand raised to
her breast, as if to still the beating of
her heart.
BY leaning far over, Poindexter could
see man, an exceedingly disagreeab BILE
looking person, coming toward her, with
a sinister look on his face. tt was, ex-
actfy the sort Of smile a spider might
wear as he bore down on the captured
n.y. He was not tramp, by any means.
He was dressed in the height of fash
ion. and Poindexter wondered what any
man, looking SO much like a tailor's
model, was doing on lonely path in
the woods at IL O'Clock in the morn
ing.
''Ha, ha,'' he said still smiling. "At
last I have found you. Perhaps now
you Will listen to me. my Lady Dis
dain.''
The girl gave low cry and looked
wildly about her, as the searching for
way to escape. but the man quickly
stepped up to her. Poindexter rose
quickly, silently, to a crouching atti-
tude, ready to spring in moment
1.-The plot thckens.' he said to him
self Talk about never the time and
the place It's positively theatrical in
its setting. this little DRAMA
The man seized the girl by the wrist.
marry me today, will you not? I
give you one more chance. If you will
not marry me, at least you will marry
no one else" A look of madness came
into his eyes and to Poindexters horror
he drew out revolver. He could hear
the click as the villain cooked it.
Without waiting for any more de-
velopments of the melodrama, Poindex-
ter bounded to his feet leaped down the
bank, stumbling over rocks. crashing
IT'S pounds of hard trained muscle on
the man, who taken unawares, fell like
a shot in the path. Then, with savage
thirst for blood. Poindexter proceeded
to pummel the villain vigorously, after
vrenching away the revolver and throw
ing it into the bushes. where it went off
harmlessly. He heard the girl Shrek
wildly, but oblivlous to everything but
the desire to punish the man he was
unconscious of the entrance of any 9TH
er actors on the scene until he was
suddenly. forcibly. but with great diff
Guilty, pulled from his victim.
When he staggered to his feet and
looked about him, he wondered If he
were IN nightmare. A stout tneatrl-
cal looking man was dancing up and
down with rage. the rescued lady was
wringing her hands and at the same
time laughing Historically, and a little
German supporting a largo camera on
a tripod with one hand was shaking
his fist in Poindexter's face, while two
men were holding his arms so tightly
behind his back that he could hardly
endure the pain.
The villain of the drama slowly rose
to his feet, disclosing CHASTITY bruised
and bleeding countenance.
There, you meddling fool.' the stout
rerson sputtered. you see what you've
done. You've ruined the film and
spoiled Judson's face, SO he won't be
able to go on again for weeks. I'll have
YOU arrested. I'll have you arrested at
once Sir'