The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-05-08
THE EVENING STORY
Her Cry for Help.
(By NJ. J. PhillipS.)
Snail

(By M j. Ph1IHpS.)
| Spati
A rough March wind. which had
somehow strayed over into April. hurl-
| ed piece of paper squarely into
George Herrick's face. At the same
moment his car changed Just below the
corner, and he started to sprint.
But one cannot run when his eyes
are effectually blindfolded. So he
c1awed the paper away crumpled it
absentHindedly, and thrust it into his
pocket. In the diversion of boarding
the trolley and reading the morning
papers he forgot all about it until he
reached the office.
There he smothered it on his desk.
and read, with glowing excitement and
indignation:
don't dare leave the house, for
feel he is always lying in wait for
me. Last night 1 went to the front
gate, for the first time in four weeks,
and was enjoying the sweet spring air.
I never saw or heard him till he leap
ed at me. L screamed at the top or
my voice. Mother came out and he
ran away with a sort of snarl. don
take step outside the door
| 1t was part of letter, in feminine
hand, on thick, creamy paper. The
ruffian wind had snatched it away
even as 1t was being written, for the
last few words were blotted, and there
was a little splotch of ink on Herrick's
cheek where they had struck.
Whatever business the real estate
firm of Herrick & Holman did that
particular morning was transacted by
the junior partner. The senior MEM
Der opened the mail and dictated
few replies, but most of the time he
spent pouring over that square OF
note paper and the UNCONSCIOUS cry LOT
help which it voiced.
f'Here is a girl" unused Herrick, at
lunch, whittier he had gone alone on
purpose to ponder on the message the
wind had brought him, "who is being
prosecuted by an Internal scounoIe Ell
First, how do I know it's girl? Wen,
the note is in a woman's handwriting;
and that's modern penna nship. They
began teaching that particular slant
after 1 left the high school. She must
be younger than I, considerably-an
she was young when they taught II,
or she wouldn't have learned SO per
fectly. I'm twenty-six; she can't be
more than nineteen or twenty.
"She must be pretty or she wouldn't
be prosecuted. She is in great terror
of him-why, she hasn't left the
house for four weeksl And she has
no male protector, or she wouldn't
be forced to stand such treatment. She
speaks of her mother. Probably her
father is dead, and she has no broth
err
Here Herrick was interrupted by
put salt in his coffee and sugar on
his omelet. With rebuking dignity ne
ordered another cup of coffee and TOOK
I'D his reflections again.
Her prosecutor is not an ordinary,
normal man. If he were IA rejected
lover saw and had any pride, he
wouldn't be prowling around so. Per-
hans it's a crazy man. No, he can't
be crazy. They would complain and
have him locked up. 1t must be
foreigner whom she doesn't know at
ALL
s.But why doesn't she report this af-
fair to the police?"
He Wondered on that during the
rest of the meal. and finally built up
this theory: "She is refined and SEN
sitive and hates notoriety-1n snort
she's a lady The police would peddle
the story to the newspapers, ana
there would be snapshots of her and
her mother and her home In every
sheet in the city"
Herrick by this time was quite as
indignant against the newspapers as
against the prowler. Back at his
desk. after locking the door to in
sure uninterrupted thought, he took
I'D the next phase. The question is,
what am going to do about II? Here
is a woman-a girl-in distress III
actual danger. Shan Turn ~, TINS nuSe
over to the police? NO. she ooesn
trust the police. If she did she'd nave
called on them four weeks ago. George
Herrick, it's up to you!
AS a result of his decision, young
Mr.. Herrick spent $3.50 IL inserting
the following in the The, Io onsr ana iouho
"Found-Near the corner or L ana
Fiftv-ffth streets, a letter. owner
can be assured of its return ana the
finders help by writing e. H. TINS
Office
ing around the blocks cdjoining the
corner of l. and Fifty-fifth streets 1t
was a suburban neighborhood of pref
tv thoroughfares. shade trees, houses
set in comfortable yards and neat
wooden fences and gates. The day was
warm for April, and he perspired pro-
fuseIv But he saw no signs or i'm
pending tragedy and met no young
woman who looked charming enough
or mysterious enough to be the writer
of the letter.
whichirr...u mfwy hrdl hrdl mfwy hr
The second day the answer for
which he had been beating a path be-
tween the newspaper ofnces came.
IT was written on thick. creamy note
paper. in a hand identical with the
fragment of letter he had round he
devoured it eagerly
DC n % II read. eff you have
found a sheet of paper like this with
writing like this, please return to sos
Fifty-ffth street" There was no sig
nature.
&C. H" went home ut O'Clock
that afternoon. ignoring the vulgarly
facetious remark of his partner that
the real estate firm of Herrick &
Holman now consisted of zone work
ing man and one gent. and 1 know
who the workingman is.
George had an early and fragment
ary and tasteless dinner Then he
spent two hours in oiling and loading