The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-11-18
7HE EVENING STORY
The Third Man.
BY Annie Hinrichsen.)

vigorously washing his hands, turned
at sound behind him.
A woman stood few feet from him
In the dim light he could see that she
was young and that her eyes were
large and dark and full of wonder.
what are you doing?" she asked
Washing my hands" 90.
ITO remove evidences or a CRIME
The man started. How did you
know"
The girl sat down on log near
him. "a man does not wash MS hands
in the river at night unless ne desires
to remove from them proofs OF
wicked deed. Was it a very great
The man raised his hands to his
face. examined them carefully snlfIeu
az them and plunged them again INTO
the water 1T was a dastardly deed
he averred.
"Ten me about it. You can trust
me-"
He dried his hands on his handker-
chief turned the collar OF his long
coat up around his ears, drew ms solI
hat over his eyes and sat down on IN. tle
sand near her. Lady" he said, the
details of my crime are unfit for gen
tie ears
Are you an habitual criminal ?"
The man pondered. If tonight
work may be called the result OF my
1 am an habitual criminal
II have always wished to know a
social outlaw"
Why"
Because 1 am an adventurer, per
son who seeks new experiences 1
came to the city a few months ago
from a provincial little town. L can
not afford to travel and see foreign
lands. 1 must find my adventures III
the city among new types OF people
4-fxr
ing to find something interesting, a
despairing girl or starving Wolf- L
found the character most desire to
study, a criminal.
Little country girl" said the man
slowly, you wish to see LIES thou
sands of types and the environs of
these types. How far would your ad-
venturing spirit carry you?'
Into every crack and corner of the
world"
Would you like to visit the haunts
of criminalS?"
yes. / should" she began impetu-
He stopped her Would you really
like to travel the paths that Lead
through habitations of lawbreake-s
through the minds of these malefac-
tors? Do you wish to study a people
who have no regard for human life or
the rights of others, to whom ideals
and honor of any sort are unknown -
q thought I did, said the girl I'M
certainly But was mistaken.
When you speak as you do, you make
that sort of adventuring seem very
dreadful"
The man laughed. Good for you.
didn't think you would care to asso-
ciate with thieves and sluggers." He
threw open his coat, pushed back his
hat and stood before her tall broad
shouIdered, with wide forehead, steady
laughing eyes, and a mouth and chin
which held no lines of weakness or
cruelty.
you are not a criminal. But you
said"
u said I had committed a dastardly
deed. ! had. Out there in the river
is the yacht of stubborn man. one
of my best friends He intended to
sail to the West Indies in the morn
ing. although three of US desire him to
remain in New York for a bachelors
dinner tomorrow. We three made his
yacht temporarily unhabitable. We
carried on it tonight while he was
away several bushels of sliced onions
and carefully strewed them where they
would be most inconveniently OdOrous.
He will not sail tomorrow. My house
is UP there on the river. The others
left me here. The perfume on my
hands was so strong that 1 decided
to remove it at once. You discovered
me-"
she rose from the log and without
word walked up the path which led
to the street He hurried after her.
Don't be angry with me- he
pleaded. Il am awfully sorry / have
offended you. For both of us it was
an adventure"
IAN adventure!" she blazed. 1T
was a cruel joke. All the time you
were laughing at my ignorance and
Stiffness. You are worse than a Grim
inal A criminal would not have
laughed at me-"
4 have not laughed at you Even
if you do regard me as malefactor
I shall take you to your home. 1t is
too late for you to be out alone"
In silence they walked the few
blocks to her boarding house. At the
steps she vouchsafed him a nod and
closed the door before he could detain
her.
A few days later she saw him in the
subway. The next day he sat near her
in the elevated. Several times he over
took her in the park
ct have watched for you and fol-
lowed you" he told her frankly one
day. cant we be friends? Can't you
be just a little kind to me?"
Il liked my criminal You are an
other person. You are a young man
with great wealth and nothing to do
except to ridicule ignorant country /
girls. For the man who humiliates a |
woman there can be no forgiveness. |
II you could appear 10 me In a new
light as a different man, perhaps I /
could like you. But now you are to /
me only the man who ridiculed me-"
In the Children's court Florence I
Gately listened to the questions the I
judge was asking a small boy. The
Judge finished his examination and /
turned to a young man sitting near /
him. A few words passed between /
them, and the little prisoner left his
chair and sat down beside the young /
man.
Gordon Amhurst has added another
kid to his collection" said a lawyer
sitting near Florence. when he