The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-03-02
The Euening Story
BY Lantern Light.


| 1t was on a spring morning lHdt
Miss Katherine BeIoit went suddenly
crazy.
She had reached the age of nine
teen without anybody having sus-
pected her of a weak brain. On the
contrary, those who knew her best
said she would make her mark in
the world girl though she was.
| Her parents had planned to go
away for a week and Miss Rather
inc was to boss the manor house dur
ing their absence. goodby and
then the folks were gone. The girl
cast an eye around to see II any
tramps were in sight, and then
dumped down into the hammock and
did some thinking and musing pre-
paratory to going crazy.
They get ready and go right off
as if I didn't count for shucks!" she
| pouted.
"Then go and be hanged, but I
shan't always be here to be snubbed.
Everybody had a good time but me.
Does anyone call except on
mother?
past in an auto stopped and asked
what time it was?
when those college boys had
their dinner at the clubhouse L sat
right on this veranda, and did a sin
gle one try to flirt with me? of
pumpkins, 1 don't!'
1t is generally believed that people
go crazy with whoopee, and make
bee line for the kitchen and the
to the rule. Miss Katherine raised
up on her elbow and gave the ham,
mock pillow a swat with her fist.
"Iu run away-that's what I will
doi'-
And she didn't put the matter off
CT h11f
upstairs and looked for the oldest
thing in her wardrobe. She hadn't
planned where she was to go nor
what she should do, but a sort of in
Stinct told her that she should have
old clothes on when she did it.
The cook was singing in the kitch-
en- and the gardener loaflng, ana
neither one of them saw the crazy
girl as she passed out of the gate
into the road and down the highway
forty rods until she got the shelter of
bit of woods. There was an auto
coming, but it was yet quarter OF a
mile away when she was sheltered.
So far so good. She had gone crazy
and had made a fair start toward
running away and having adventures
galore. Where should she run to?
With no money in her purse and her
old clothes on, she must play a very
simple role. Suppose it was that of
a hired girl? She'd hire for week
and then skip back home and there
would be incidents enough to keep her
relating for a month.
Miss Katherine was about to ap-
proach the highway and sit down.
This cut her off from the road, and
she went further into the woods. She
thought there was another highway
back of the woodland, but she did not
come across it in half a miles walk.
She was wondering If she should not
suddenly regain her senses and re-
turn to the house when a man step
ped from behind a tree and gave her
an awful fright.
man, with hands more like claws
and he eyed her in a malevolent way
as they stood for a moment.
I'm looking for the road over
here" she almost whispered.
You are a Hari'' he croaked.
But therefore is a road?"
You have come to spy on old
joint he shouted.
Il didn't know you were here"
you are lying to me! There's a
reward of a hundred dollars for me.
dead or alive
But 1 don't want it, said the girl
in voice she tried to make wheedl-
ing. "A1I I want is to find the road
and go home
You can't goi'
She sprang away from him and ran
at her best pace, but he had her be-
fore she had gone 100 feet. She
SCTedIHed once, Oul lie IdlSeu Ills 1lSt
to strike her, and she was silent.
When he took her by the arm to lead
her along she realized that he had
fierce grip, and though she tried her
hardest to break away he could easily
handle her. A few rods from where
she encountered him was a brush
shanty with a small fire smouldering
near by. sit DOWN." exclaimed the
old man.
Miss Katherine drew in her breath
to scream.
IF you do, I'll hit you." warned
the old man.
The girl had always heard that in
sane people must be humored, and
finding herself in his power and in
danger of violence if she provoked
him, she forced a smile and a half
laugh and said:
"Oh, well, I don't want to go home
yet anyway, SO we won't care about
the road"
isn't that a pretty good house for
an old man to build ?" he asked after
a grumpy silence.
Indeed, but it is real cute" was
answered.
And I built it in a day"
Then you are smarter than most
men half your age
DO you know my name?''
mo, 1 never heard it,
Its Cupid"
The words came out so pat. and the
situation was SO incongruous, that
Miss Katherine burst into a laugh.
I've brung about over q hundred