The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1913-05-09
SILLY SIDE OF IT
How an Aspiring Society Girl
Was Taught a Lesson in
Summing.
hY cLAupINE LIssoN.

II was strange that Jack Ashton
should be bored. He was a young
man OF wealth and social privileges,
college educated, member of four
or five clubs, rather a favorite with
the fair sex, always invited every
where-baseball, football, regattas and
the races, with trip here or there
every few months. 1t seemed like a
crime TO be bored
And what does a young man do
when he is bored?
There is Africa with its big game
and mosquitoes.
There is Mt Mckinley to be
climbed.
There are theatrical companies to
be "angeled."
There is the chorus girl to be won
and divorced again
: Young Mr.. Ashton thought Of all
these things and rejected them. He
went to a Sunday newspaper editor
and had talk with him, and the re-
suit was that he did just what no
friend OF his would have looked for
MIN to do. On the next Sunday. and
on every succeeding Sunday for many
weeks, there was an article signed
"Toh." 1t was descriptive of life In
the underworld. The underworld said
of them:
Believe me. dat guy is surely one
OF usl"
Tnere was no remarks made about
the sudden appearance of a strange
guy In the hang outs Of the under
world. He might be a yeggman, pick
POCKET. burglar or what, so long as he
was not detective He didn't talk
too much. He didn't listen too closely.
he made few inquiries. He played
poker with murderers and pool with
burglars He spent his money just as
the others did-not too freely. He
limited at a prison term or two. but
did not go into particulars. After be-
ing watched for spell to make sure
tnat ne was not stoolpigeon for the
police, he was In way admitted to
the underworld. That is, he was not
Dlack1acked or robbed as a Summer,
and now and then he was offered a
partnership in "job" to be done.
The articles of "Toff' made a SEN
sation. They were were read and COM
Lented on by the under as well as the
upper world. To get the local color
they said the writer ldust speak from
personal observation and experience.
Was he a Raffies taking a vacation
from crime? Was he some young
man not yet SO hardened in crime that
ne could not be saved II he could only
De Identified and wrestled with?
Among those who hoped SO was
Miss Clara Converse. She had long
been interested In and had taken some
part In mission work. Indeed. she
had, as she fondly supposed, been the
direct means of reforming several
hard cases. She had furnished them
money to go west and make a new
start and grow up with the country.
and the police, not wishing to hurt
her feelings. had concealed the fact
that they had gone to Sing Sing in
stead
1t was on account OF her mission in.
terest. and In the hope of interesting
others that Miss Converse made one
OF a Summing party one evening.
They saw just what they were in
tended to see and no more. The un-
derworld doesn't do any safe-cracking
or blackjacking before the eyes Of
summers. Miss Converse had a
mental photograph of "Ton," and she
looked for him.
At length. in den frequented alto
gether by men who had shed human
blood, as the guide solemnly assured
the party, the man was discovered.
He looked intelligent and almost re-
spectacle. Net in a walk along Fifth
avenue. he might have been taken
for rising young lawyer. hoping that
some workman might be killed and
his widow bring suit for damages.
The only crime "Toff' was commit