The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-02-18
THE EVENING STORY
Miss joys Mistake.
(By Michael ]. Porter.)

days shopping in the department
store at the necktie counter. She had
promised brother Will couple of ties,
and she had selected and paid for
woman with dollar left in her
purse, she gazed around to wonder
what else she could possibly buy.
Yes, she left her purse on the
the hosiery counter. That's privi-
lege of the sex.
1t was mems hosiery. There were
socks of all colors and makes, and all
were hole-proof, moth-proof, wealth
er-proof, bomb-proof and other kinds
of proof.
Miss Joy didn't wear mems socks as
usual thing, but there was no harm
in looking at them and wondering if
the heather of Africa were supplied.
There were any number of people
about, but the girl noticed only two
that she could recall later on. One
was a tallish, good-looking young
man with dark eyes and curly hair,
who was also looking at socks. and
younger man with ferret-like face.
Twenty different people had a chance
to gobble that purse, and there was
no telling who had it, but Miss Joy
settled on the good-Iooking young
man as the gobbIer.
There was SO in the purse and her
return ticket, but the girl made no
L
was her own carelessness. She was
personally acquainted with a book
keeper, and she went to him and Dor
rowed the money to take her home.
AS she bought her ticket at the win
dow in the depot she might have seen
both the good-looking young man and
the ferret-faced one had she not been
thinking of her lost purse. In fact,
the former bumped against her as she
left the window. He had also bought
turned out to be Heatherville, two sta
lions above her own station.
The young man did not get out of
the depot without another bump.
This was when the ferret-faced one
ran against him, and they were tan
gled up for half a minute-just long
enough for a watch and a diamond
pin to change hands. Nothing was
known of the change, however, I'M
til the plundered one had taken seat
in the car. He had recognized Miss
Joy as having seen her in the depart
ment store. The face of a good
looking girl doesn't slip away from a
young mans memory in an hour. He
started to take out his watch, but it
wasn't there. His hand was lifted to
where his pin ought to be. It wasn't
there.
by George! Robbed"
If it was strange that the girl had
laid the loss of her purse to the young
man, it was not so strange that after
half an hours figuring he said to
himself:
Yes, that's it. When we bumped
in the depot she got the watch and
pin. Lord, she must be daisy! Yes,
sir, that must be the way of it"
He had also bumped with the fer
ret-face, but he was not to recall that
until later on.
Miss Joy Bennett sat and looked
out of the window for long time. 1t
wasn't the pecuniary loss so much as
her own carelessness that made her
indignant with herself. Aside from
the money there were two diamond
rings that had been to the jewelers.,
and she must confess when she got
home and be joked and scolded for
her carelessness. And yet was she so
much to blame? She had trusted and
confided in the public, and yet a
young and well-dressed man who
looked to be a gentleman had played
the sneak thief. 1t was contemplate
Could anything be done? Could he be
scription? Would they give him one
year or three in prison?
Miss Joy gritted her teeth and
looked around for the first time.
Three seats back, on the other side
of the aisle, sat the young mantle
eyes as bold as brass, though he did
change color at her start of surprise.
The thief, and here." she whis-
pered to herself.
isn't she a bold one, thought" he |
whispered to himself.
Dare l make a charge against |
him?" she wondered.
II can't make a row here" he de-
cided after moment.
What was to be done?
For a quarter of an hour both
thought the matter over and then came
to the same conclusion. Nothing could |
be done. He would have passed the
purse to a confederate, and she like
wise her plumber, and what did either
have in the way of proof. Denouncing
a man or woman is not proof Both
had the intelligence to see that and |
so when her station was reached Miss
Joy had to content herself with giving |
Mr.. Frayne Harper a long, lingering /
look intended to shrivel his wicked soul
like cabbage leaf on a hot stove and
then drop off.
Mr. Harper could have gotten off
also, and probably ascertained the
girls identity but that would do him
little good Tt was the first time he
was ever p1ucked, and he felt humfli-
ated over it.
period of three weeks elapsed, dur
ing which time they uncovered more
police graft in New York city, and |
the suffrage movement continued
steadily on Then came a letter con-
veying a kind invitation for Mr. Har-
per to come down to The Willows for
a couple of weeks vacation. It was
from his old college chum Ryder, who
had become a Benedict and set up as
a gentleman farmer.
Another fellow and two girls will be
here, wrote Ryder. You'll. marry one
Of the girls within a year, and bless
me forever for giving you the chance.
She's a hummer"
Young Mr. Harper accepted. and in
due time arrived
The girls were out wandering, and
during the hour of waiting Mr.. Harper
heard nothing but praises for Miss Joy
Bennett. She was this. that and the