The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1913-05-09


Summers. They looked for blood on
his hands, but they were cleaner than
a trolley car conductors. Miss Con-
verse spoke to him, and he talked in a
gentlemanly way. In fact, she boasted
afterward that he almost used aa
good grammar as a floor-walker in a
department store" She did not want
to preach to him before his wicked
companions. and so she quietly left
MIN her card. In return she received
look which she interpreted to mean:
For heavens sake. don't betray my
Identity here!" and she needed the
request. After she had passed out
"Slippy," the pickpocket lifted up the
card with a laugh and showed It
around and said:
Another of the sex gone buR-house
over saving us from ruinl Why didn't
some of you pinch her diamond breast
pin?"
A week later, one rainy afternoon.
Miss Converse received a caller. The
butler who brought In the written card
said that the owner appeared to be a
bill collector, but he was admitted. and
after moment was recognized as
"Toff." He hadn't come to pay a So
cial call. He had come at the request
of a dying burglar who wanted to
make confession to her and say how
sorry he was that he had not started
out In the ministry instead.
Il will go with you at once" replied
the impulsive and enthusiastic young
lady.
But "Tof" 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 a trap 80 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
426! 1t was an old tenement with brok-
en- windows and rickety stairs, and
there was not a 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
a back room and the windows were
boarded up. and the light came from a
lamp on table. AS for furniture.
there were only two chairs,
rs 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"
He's put off dying till after the
Panama canal has been flnishedl"
Sir. want to leave this place in
stantly!" exclaimed the girl as she
realized that she had been lured into
u trap.
Take a chair and make yourself at
home. want to talk to you bit"
Unlock that door or I'll scream!"
Go ahead"
She cried "murder!" and help" a
dozen times. and .Toff" 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. l 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! Ali OF US re;
gard you as bug-house and easy-mArks.
We live as we live and do as we do;
and a 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?"
IL don't knowl" stammered Miss
Converse as she looked around and
shivered