The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-03-02

matches between couples, and that's
why they call me Cupid
| ..Are you out in the woods to hunt
up match for some one?"
| mo. I came out here to sleep and
dream and listen to the whispers, but
as soon as I saw you 1 knew who 1
should marry you to-"
well, who is it?'
It's Will Irwin. incest man in this
| state. He comes to my son David's,
where 1 live, and he brings me candy.
I told him I'd find him wife, and
| have
1t looked as if the old man was go
ing to be easy to get away from, and
Miss katherine also lost her fear of
| him. She saw that flattery was the
thing to use, and she said:
Mr.. Cupid, think you have good
voice for singing"
Il know I have" ne replied. st
came. 1t is called the Seven Black
| Crows. 1t goes like this
And in a voice that was cracked
and bent and twisted and full of shin
gle nails he sang two lines of verse
over and over again about seven
crows, each with a nose. Then his
drawl was stopped by a fit of cough
ing;
THAT was surely a beautiful song
and as a reward if you will come down
| to the house with me, will hunt you
a better suit of clothes than that
said the girl.
II knew you'd like the song, and
| They headed for the highway, chat
tering they went, but were not yet
halfway there when the old man
clutched her arm with grip of iron
and dragged her back.
You can't fool Cupid, You are
| trying to run away from Mr.. Irwin.
Don't you screami Don't you dare
do it!'
| AS he pulled her back to the hut
! seized a long r he ha
been using a rope and passed it
around under her arms, and then
| forced her to sit down and made her
fast to small tree. The girl neither
struggled nor protested. The old
mans mood had changed once and
might again.
Il don't mean to burn you at the
stake he said as he stood back and
| looked at her, but L mean to keep
you from running away. Suppose 1
tell Mr.. Irwin that 1 have a wife for
him here, and he comes here to see
and you are gone! oh, no, you
won't get away 1 shall be back in
about an hour
With that he started off at brisk
pace, and was soon lost to sight and
hearing. Miss Katherine waited ten
minutes and then set out to release
herself. She couldn't accomplish it.
The bark strip was as strong as a rope,
and being made fast behind her the
knot was too much for her. Would
Tic OiQ crazy man ever come pack.
1t was high noon before the cook
at BeloftS discovered that Miss Kath-
crime had changed her clothes and
gone away somewhere, but it was
O'Clock in the afternoon before any
real alarm was felt Then the cook
didn't know what should be done, and
the gardener replied that he didn't. 1t
was finally decided that she had walk
ed to the village and was taking her
time about getting home.
AT twilight both servants were
standing in the middle of the highway
in a nervous state when a young man
came along in an auto.
Are you in any sort of trouble?''
he asked.
Did you overtake a young lady in
coming from the village?" was asked.
NO"
Then she's been carried off by the
Black Handlers, walled the cook.
What story there was to tell was
told, and the young man said:
Il am Mr.. Will Irwin. 1 passed
along here this morning about 10
o'clock, going the other way Down
there by the woods 1 saw a young lady
turn up among the trees"
TT must have been her." walled the
cook
And she'd never stay there as long
as this if she wasn't hurt or dead"
added the gardener.
He was ordered to get two lanterns
and then assist in the search. The
woods were entered and beaten back
and forth. There vas shouting and
whistling, and just when they were
ready to abandon the search they ran
upon the captive. She looked up at
them in an anxious way.
II think you are Mr.. VIII Irwin, and
I think you have come for me-
He looked into her face for few