The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-06-29
The Euening Story
His Pal.
(By Vane ThompSon.)


| springy turf underfoot.
The path through the field entered
| the dim GOODNESS of the woods and
when Westerly was in the shade of
| the trees, he sank down on the leafy
| carpet and closed his burning eyes.
Birds sang plaintively in the trees,
| a squirrel tossed twigs from his lofty
perch, a timid rabbit scuttled among
the rustling leaves.
! Westerly slept.
A step sounded on the path and a
| girl 1.-the and brown and gypsy look
ing, paused to gaze down at him.
She was still regarding the sleeper
with speculative interest when two
men stepped quickly out of the
| thicket
One of them caught the girls Shout
der in a rough grasp. The other COW
| cred Westerly with gun and kicked
him into wakefulness.
Caught you, haven't we?" jeered
one of the men.
| Westerly scrambled to his feet.
brushed off his dusty clothes and
glared at the men.
| you've caught me, all right" he
| said grimly. But what's it all about,
anyway"
| There was a flash of silver stars
| beneath coat 1apels and one of the de-
tectives condescended to explain the
ITO begin with, Wickes," he said
coolly, ''of course you know what
we're after
"My name isn't wickes," returned
the other calmly.
"Oh, well, of course you'll deny it!
Call yourself John Doe if you want to
and your pal here, can call herself
Jane Doe, if she likes it better"
| unison. ''Why, we are strangers!"
Can it.'' said the detective with a
rude laugh. I've got your descrip-
tons here somewhere. Well, never
mind. No use telling you what you
know wanted
Redman jewel robbery"
The girl uttered sharp cry and
then was silent. --t- ----
Westerly laughed outright, but he
watched the girl with curious eyes.
you must think I'm a greenland
at the job to lie down beside the path
and go to Sleep" he said
'Oh, you come along. You can talk
that over at headquarters And
Westerly and the girl were hurried
to a waiting motor car and whirled
cityward.
Westerly watched the girl with
growing curiosity.
She did not look like a criminal, al
though the detectives insisted upon
calling her French Mary. She sat
close Tipped, with an air of a1oofness
that puzzled her companions.
AS Westerly studied her profile, he
noted that underneath the golden tan
was clear white skin, her features
were regular, the contour of her face
misty black cloud beneath an ancient
panama hat. Her skirt and blouse of
tan linen were muddy and stained and
her little brown hands were scratched
and Soiled. On one finger blazed a
superb emerald.
Westerly's eyes widened. The story
of the Redman emerald had appeared
in every newspaper, together with the
list of missing jewe1s. And this girl
was wearing it openly, brazenly.
One of the detectives laughed
harshly and touched the ring.
The girl drew her hand away with
a naughty gesture.
please do not touch me again."
she requested.
What fine airs!' sneered the dis
comfited official. And what jewels
might you be wearing, Mister John
Doe?" He turned to westerly.
TIL show you when we face the
chief said Westerly grimly.
The girl turned and looked at him
curiously. Perhaps she studied his
clean-cut face with it's close-lipped
for when Westerly encountered her
gaze she blushed hotly and turned
away.
soon faced the chiefs keen crutiny.
What the dickens, men," he began,
and then became watchfully silent
slippery Wickes and his pal,
French Mary-wanred for the Red
slippery wickes. eh?" exploded
the chief. And French Mary?"
His pal
His pal" echoed the chief alb
stractedly.
"Yep.caught with the goods on.
Show the chief your emerald, my
LADY,"
The girl laid her little soiled hand
on the chiefs big one.
This is the Redman emerald" she
1t belongs to me!'
shes off, chiefi'' cried the ac-
cusers.
The chief stil1ed them with a ges-
ture.
Go on he said TO her. tell me
who you are and how you happened
to be caught
81 was in the Redman woods she
said in her low, refined voice, gath
am fond of botany and get rather
grubby messing around in the woods.
AS was going home, 1 saw this man."
indicating Westerly, lying asleep un-
der a tree-and II sketched him.
Just then these men came out and ar
rested US both. 1 came along
thought I might be of some use to
this man.
The chief nodded
And who are you, miss?" he blunt
ly asked.
The girl laughed musically. why.
/ am Cynthia Redman," she said. 81
knew this man must be innocent of
the robbery. for this afternoon my
fathers coachman made a full con-