The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-21
THE EVENING STORY
a Mixup of Motors.



phone bell brought Porterfield out of
the chair where he had been 1oung-
ing, half asleep.
'Well?" he demanded, taking down
the receiver
The voice that came back was that
of his friend, Jack Crookston. sheriff
of the county. That you, Tom? This
is Crookston. Now listen: The bank
at Bellevue has been robbed. The
two burglars made getaway in
white touring car with top, wind
shield and four lights. We think they
went your way. Get out and stop
Them
That was so like Crookston. whose
pursuit of evildoers was single
minded and tireless, that Porterfield
could not help but grin. He answered
promptly:
do you think I'm crazy? Here it
is past IL O'Clock Of a January night.
The thermometer is down pretty
close to zero. and the snow is drifted
two feet over the walk. And you
and try to stop an automobile load
of bank robbers. Why, man, I haven't
the authority, even if I had the in
clination.'
came back Crookston's quick, decisive
voice. Get out there. now; better
take gun and lantern to flag them
with. A couple of my men will be
along in half an hour. You don't have
to try to capture the yeggs; just dis
able their car. Ring me up when you
do it. Good"
"For heavens sake, hold on"
commanded Porterfeld. "You aren't
in earnest. Jack. I'm not going out
there to face two desperate criminals,
with guns in every pocket. If they're
coming this way, call the sheriff at
Lebanon. He's paid for making a
target of himself"
-
snapped Crookston. storm has
played havoc all around. Of course,
if you're afraid, there's nothing more
to be said.'
''I'll go, confound youl" roared Por-
terf1eld- But if I do stop them, how
| am I going to hold them till your
deputies get here?"
That's up to you replied the
sheriff. and hung up the receiver.
Porterfield was alone in the house;
his parents, brother and sister We're
in the city, and the tlfeater train
would not be due for nearly an hour.
The servants were away at a neigh
borhood party. He had been hunting
all day, and his shotgun, cartridge
belt and heavy canvas coat were hud-
died in a corner of the room. 1t was
the work Of a minute to don coat and
belt, slip on cap and gloves, and catch
up the gun and a lighted lantern.
He hurried down the walk to the
road. There was a bitter wind. and
the flying snow stung his face like
gravel. There was pale moon over
all, whose beams lighted up the white
landscape surprisingly.
He had barely taken his position
by the front gate when the lights of
motor car topped the gentle slope
quarter of mile away to the east,
and Bellevue lay in that direction.
siona1 drifts; and the car was fleeing
like a wild thing. It had four lights;
the moonlight revealed that it had
top, and. yes, it was white!
Porterheld. his heart humping,
stepped out into the road and began
| waving his lantern.
The car rushed on, eating up space
with an eagerness that spoke well of
its horse power. Ah-they had seen
him. A long ''Ho-o-o- onk!" proved
| that.
! There was no slackening of speed;
the car came on faster than ever, in
| fact. Again the hoarse note of the
horn warned him out of the way.
vigorously.
| Porterfield believed that the signal
would hardly halt the occupants of
the car, if they were really the bur-
glars. And he believed they would
not go SO far as to fire on him. They
We're anxious to get as far as possible
from Bellevue before daylight, and
would do their best to avoid broil or
parley along the way.
It flashed through Porterfeld's
mind that if he could disable two of
| their tires, the delay was almost GER
/ tain to result in their capture. He
had double barreled gun, and was
quick of eye and trigger finger.
| The car was now almost upon him,
and the horn beloved frantically.
He dropped the lantern and flung the
gun to his shoulder. When the car
!. was barely five yards away he fired
at the tire nearest him and jumped
aside The car rushed by; he emp
tied the other barrel into the rear
tire, broke open the gun and reloaded
swiftly.
And then sound flung back to
him by the wind, struck him into
| immobility. The sound wa a scream
such as never issued from the lungs
| of man.
"Good Lord," he groaned; "the
wrong car! It's woman!"
AS he stared after the car with
staring eyeballs he saw that his
shots had taken effect Both tires
on the right side of the car were use
less. The rushing speed slackened.
The car p1owed along on the edge of
a deep ditch until Porterield's soul
died within him. Then it came back
into the track again, rushed through
a drift, and bounced over a smooth
space Another drift reduced it's
speed to a crawl; a third stopped it
around impotently.
AS Porterfield approached, the en-
CINE was stopped. A young woman
stepped out of the car She did not
seem frightened, despite that scream;
but the poise of her head, as re-
lveaIed by the moonlight, somehow
lcaused Porterfield a dim foreboding.
His uneasy feeling was promptly
Justified The wind was not more
cutting than the accents of the girl
| cI1 Greeted h i'm.
well Mr. Porterfield, you seem
to have added highway robbery and
automobile wrecking to your other ac-
comp1ishments."
"EIsiei" gasped the unhappy Por-
terheld.
| Miss Corning to you she cor
rected, with a manner coldly merci-
less "Have you any explanation to