The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-01-12
The Euening Story

(By Clara Ines Deacon. }

Under the Willow.
(By Clara Ines Deacon.)
1t il said that no two members of
the average club can sit vis-a-vis in
the smoking room for Ave minutes
without making wager. This state
ment is probably exaggerated, but
when a clubman refuses to make q
little wager that . camel with one
hump has more sentiment in his soul
than a camel with two he il spoken
of as q back number.
In the Jefferson club it was ac-
knowledged that Victor Winters was
the most reckless among the bettors.
He bet $1,000 even that he could
climb a certain church steeple, and
he climbed 1t. He was arrested for
breaking the peace of about five
thousand people who gathered to see
him fall. but didn't see it. and the
judge called him q fool and fined him
$50.
He got odds of three to one that he
couldn't blum q we'll known prize
fighter. and he not only worked the
BLUM successfully. but gave the fighter
a black eye.
He laid a wager of $1,000 that he
would kill a wild tiger within a year,
and he posted or to the junghes of
India and killed an extra one for good
measure.
A score of other incidents could be
related of what was termed Wintexs'
mania, but these will suflce to show
that a good fellow may be a very reck-
less fellow. Everybody liked him.
harm in him.
There was just one thing that the
young man refused to bet on, and that
was matrfmODy as personally applied.
He would bet that So-and-So would be
married within specified time, but
when challenged on his own account
he shook his head. No one could un-
derstand him in that regard.
See here, Winters" said Captain
Frayne to him as they met at the
club. that man whom they call the
country Raffles Is cutting a very, very
wide swath.''
"Yes?"
Il am told that at least thirty off,
GERS of the law are or his TRAIL
'.Well?''
How do you want to bet-win they
get him or not ?'
Captain. 1 have been reading about
him. and what they say of him makes
me tired. They haven't caught him
and yet he is a bungler!"
rs a burglar who can rob twelve
houses and not create a single alarm
a bungler?"
Il could do as well, and have had
no experience"
The captain did not want to encour-
age such talk and the results that
might come from 1t. and sought to
change the conversation, Young Win
tiers carelessly replied to two or three
of his questions and then said: This
| Ranles gets into a house and takes
whatever he comes to and get out. He
even carries of plaster of Paris orna-
ments, and he is shy of searching
rooms where any one is sleeping"
But he's got rich jewelry among his
plumber"
Yes. it was left for him on the
dresser. He didn't have to pull out a
drawer to get it, and can't find that
was kept. He's 'longshoreman try
ing his hand at a new job. Captain
But the captain feared what wa.
coming, and said he had an engage
ment-
Let it watt. was the reply. Cap
tain, I'll wager you a thousand dollar!
even up that"
Il won't do it," was the interruption
Hold on! I'm going to out-Rafn'
Raffles."
You viii do nothing SO foolish as tt
lattempt it,
Not with criminal intent. Of course
but just to prove to you that burglar,
is a fine art, or should be made so, ant
that our country Raffles ought to b,
ldriving truck. Name a country resi-
O0HC0 CUdV you q ike TO my uaN(
on
And get shot?'
MOT even fired at
But If arrested?'
That's one OF the arts-to escape ar
rest"
winters" said the captain after
long look at him. give up any foolis
idea you may have in that direction
We will all agree that you could bea
Rafles's work. but don't try it,
There are plenty of men. young an
old. who will get an idea into thei
:. heads that they know il foolish, an
yet they will cling to 1t as IL it ver
full Of sense and wisdom. Youn
Winterss common sense warned hfK
of the risks of burglary. but the ad
venture of it appealed to him just a
strongly. He did not talk with any q
the other members Of the club. bu
there were those who said:
WINTERS IL plotting some ne
deviltry and will soon be bluffing I
for a wager. Wonder what it will b
this time 20
, Ex-Judge Purdy was a member {
! the jefferson club, but, as he lived
q manor house some twenty mile
I from the city, and az he did not dro
in to the club except at long interval
he and young Winters had never me
D The latter had simply heard it sal
a one day that the former lived in tt
r country.
' One June day the man who was Ell
E vious OF Raff1es took q trip into I'll
country. driving himself in his ruI
n about. He passed grounds aft
. grounds, and house after house.
: q furtive way he surveyed the Latte
4 and made mental notes. When
q slowly passed q fine colonial mansic
4 with an oldish man and q young lao
: sitting on the veranda, q man ru1
0 ming Z lawn mower and two dol
e lying on the grass he smiled and sal
: to himself:
VI '.rn bet that is one Of the nous,
4 that that bungler. Raffles, has had
/. pass by as too hard q nut for him
i crack"
o Half q mile further ON he turns