The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-18
THE EVENING STORY
Cupid and Cupidity.
(By Clarissa Mackie.

way and caught the uptown express
without an instant to spare before the
gates changed after him.
A local train on the next track was
pulling out at the same time and for
awhile the two trains kept apace.
From his sat in the express Carl
was facing-a row of people in the local
train. Two faces, side by side. stood
out from the others clearly.
One was that of thinfaced, weasel
eyed man, well dressed, who sat with
arms folded and a shifting glance
darling hither and thither from under
sandy brows
Beside him sat a girl, a girl with
clear brown eyes and charming face.
She was dressed in brown velvet that
hat was the same sober hue. On her
left arm there carelessly dangled
golden mesh bag, while her hands
were thrust into a brown fur muff.
AS Carl looked at the girl with eager
admiring eyes he was conscious that
his train was pulling ahead of the
slower one-as is the custom with ex-
press trains. In another moment he
would lose sight of the Brown Girl, as
he called her in his mind perhaps for
ever, and he felt a vague attraction to-
ward her.
Then something happened in the
next train. He witnessed it with an
CRY eyes, knowing that he was helpless
to interfere.
The man who was sitting beside the
Brown Girl slipped hand down to-
ward the golden purse hanging on
her arm. Som ething flashed and the
bag dropped. The mans hand was
withdrawn and without apparent
movement he was still sitting there
with folded arms. The girl was look
ing the other way.
At that moment the express forged
head and left the other train behind
the pickpocket the richer by a golden
purse and the Brown Girl all uncon-
scious of her loss.
Carl wondered what he could do.
The local was probably stopping now
at Twenty eighth street. while the first
stop of his train would be at Thirty
third street. OF course, the pickpocket
would leave the local at Twenty eighth
street, and disappear.
AS he sat there Tuning over the
fates that had decreed he should see
the Brown Girl for the first time and
then lose sight of her so quickly when
she needed help. he became aware
that his train was slowing down and
presently it stopped entirely in the
tunnel.
A few minutes later the same local
came up alongside and that, too, be-
came stalled from some unknown
reason.
Carl was e1ated to dover that the
pickpocket had had no opportunity to
leave his train. He still sat there be-
side the Brown Girl, who, quite uncon-
scious of her loss was looking into
Carts keen blue eyes.
'TBy Jove, I wish I could make her
understand without appearing to f1irt
with her! OF course, 1t wouldn't do
the least bit of good, anyway. The
fellow probably has already passed the
bag along to a confederate" muttered
Carl to himself.
Just then he observed that the Brown
Girl was staring at him with alarmed
eyes. She suddenly lifted a white
gloved hand and gestured frantically
toward him and made motion with her
lips.
Carl uncomprehending her meaning
yet feeling a vague disappointment at
this evidence of boldness on her part
turned his eyes from her to the pick
pocket who sat beside her.
The pickpocket was glazing savagely
at the girl he had just robbed, and then
he darted a lightning glance at Carl
and withdrew into his sullen reverie.
The girl still gesticulated at Carl and
he glanced down just in time to inter
cept the sly hand of a thief who was
abstracting his watch by deliberately
simple method of a slit cut in the vic
TINS coat and neat pair of nippers
Carts hand closed like wise on the
wrist of the pickpocket and he twisted
with a moan of pain and thrust his
hands into his pockets.
The whole thing had been done so
quickly that it had been witnessed
only by one or two passengers in Carts
car besides the Brown Girl and the 9th
er pickpocket in the local.
The girl smiled with relief and a
little embarrassed flush came over her
face from brow to chin as Carl lifted
his hat in acknowledgment of the ser
vice she had rendered him.
Now he knew why the pickpoekct
beside her had been glazing so angrily
at her. He, too, had seen the abstrac-
ton of Carts watch from his pocket
and perhaps had recognized a friend
or a fellow criminal in the thief and
resented her warning. Carl wished that
he could do a like service for her but
he felt powerless.
He looked up and down his own car,
hoping to see the friendly blue coat
unrewarded. But on the opposite seat
a dark-eyed man intercepted his
glance, winlled meaningly at him and
slowly, and without apparent motive,
opened has coat to abstract some pa
pers from an inner pocket and display
ed the flash of a star on his breast.
That the man was a detective Carl
had no doubt. Then the tram began
to move slowly ahead, leaving the local |
standing on The tracks.
Suddenly it drew into a station and |
stopped short. Carl reached the door |
as soon as the detective who had beck |
oned to the pickpocket to follow him /
There was a brief conference with |
the guard, who explained that trains |
he let them eff at the station
1t was Twenty-eighth street.
The detective was grasping the pick |
pocket by one arm and the man was