The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-06-13

H.
Il will 60 with you at once" replied
the impClsive and enthusiastic young
lady.
But "Toff" suggested that she come
by herself, so as to escape observation
and remark. She must wear her old
est hat on her head and a raincoat to
cover her clothes, and she hadn't bet
ter mention her errand to any one. It
was Blank street and the number was
426. She was to go right up to the
fourth floor and knock on the door on
which he had chalked a cross. He
would be there to answer
1t was trap so simple that a girl
OF ten ought to have suspected it..
Through eight or nine blocks of dirty
and wicked streets to find Blank
street! Then two block down to reach
1926! 1t was an old tenement with brok-
en- windows and rickety stairs, and
there was not tenant on any floor.
A policeman would not have mounted
the stairs without first making sure
that his revolver was in order, but
Miss Converse scarcely noticed any
thing and certainly felt no fear.
Up the dirty stairs to the dirty
fourth floor, and there was the chalk
mark on the door. Her knuckles
had scracely touched the panel when
the door was opened by "Toff." 1t was
back room and the windows were
boarded up and the light came from
lamp on a table. AS for furniture,
there were only two chairs.
is this the placer" asked Miss Con-
verse as she peered about her.
1T is, Miss" was the reply Of the
young man as he locked the door and
pocketed the key.
But where's the dying burglar?"
Hes put off dying till after the
Panama canal has been flnished!"
Sir, want to leave this place in
stantly!" exclaimed the girl as she
realized that she had been lured into
trap
Take chair and make yourself at
home. l want to talk to you bit
Unlock that door or I'll scream!"
Go ahead"
OAN SAiIu AAu1 OCA dAO ACAQ
dozen times, and ''Tof' only grinned
at her and replied:
You'll crack your voice and do no
good
But what do you want with mel"
was demanded
That's more sensible. want to ask
you, first if you can't see the silly side
Of this thing? You and others come
down to the slums and pose as reform.
ers. Reform nothing! All of US re-
gard you as bug-house and easy-marks.
We live as we live and do as we do,
and thousand like you couldn't
change us in a hundred years. We
prefer this sort of life to any other.
The idea of reform makes us laugh.
Do you get that?"
II don't know" stammered Miss
Converse as she looked around and
shivered
Then take my word for it, It's
throwing time and money away. If
you pull anybody out of this sort of
life it's somebody that wants to make
a stake out of you. You'll simply
make liar and hypocrite of him."
But you will please let me out of
here!" appealed the girl.
"Oh, certainly Got any money With
you?"
Two or three dollars
No good. want your check for 9
thousand dollars!"
"But-but-"
Talk business. You've got an ac-
count at the Third National bank.
Here's blank check, and here's pen
and ink"
And then l may go?"
Yes, at II o'clock tomorrow fore
noon. I've got to draw the cash first.
We don't take any chances on you
swell people. You'd beat us as quick
as we'd beat YOU"
But l can't stay here all ni9ht!"
walled Miss Converse.
You'll just have to-"
but my parents!"
"Oh, the dunky will tell them that
you are out on the reforming bust
ness"
The girl stood up and screamed.
Then she went over and beat with her
fists on the door. Then she realized
her helplessness and sat down and
began to sob. "Toff" turned to ciga-
rettes and had nothing more to say.
The time drifted to close on mid.
night. Then a key was so softly in.
serted in the lock of the door that no
sound was heard till the door was
flung open. A young man appeared
and pointed revolver at the guardian
and quietly said:
Get out of this!"
Just as you say" replied the false
"Toff" as he went
"Oh, sir:-oh-' began the girl; but
the man Interrupted her with:
Lets get out of this!"
They were within a block of her
home when she asked
Wont you come in and help me to
explain?"
1t was in the explaining that he had
to give his true name and non de
plume, and to admit that he was no
longer bored young man. He was in
love-
Mr. Jack Ashton has now dropped
his "Toff' articles, and the late Miss
Clara Converse is no longer a slum.
mer or reformer.
copyright, 1918. by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate)
on our hands a sick mana yerv sicl