Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1916-04-01

steadied and grew stronger. but ever
leaped and danced, so that he, lost in
wonder of it and forgetful of himself.
thought of it as the ardent face of a
happy child dancing in the depths of
some brown autumnal woodland.
YOU she breathed incredulously-
you mean you're going to stop"
81 have stopped, Miss Shannon. The
Lone Wolf has prowled for the last
time. 1 didn't know it till just now
when I woke up an hour or so ago
but I've turned my last job"
But why?" she demanded in bewil-
derment. But why do you say that?
What can have happened to make
you
IF it won't bore you, I'll try to ex-
plain" He drew up his chair and sat
down again, facing her across the lit
tered table. Il don't suppose you've
ever stopped to consider what an es-
sentially stupid animal a crook must
be. Most of them are stupid because
they practice clumsily one of the most
difficult professions imaginable. and in
evitab1y fail at it. yet persist.
There's another class, men whose
imaginations forewarn them of dan
gers and whose mental training. tech
meal equipment, and sheer manual
| dexterity enable them. to attack a
formidable proposition like a modern
safely way of illustration-and force
it's secret. They're the successful
criminals, like myself-but they're no
less stupid. no less failures than the
other ninety-nine in our every, hun
| dred, because they never stop to think.
| 1t never occurs to them that the same
| intelligence, applied to any one of the
| trades they must be masters Of would
| not only pay them better, but leave
| them their self-respect and rid them
| forever of the haunting dread of arrest
| that dogs US all like the memory of
some shameful act. All of which is
much more of lecture than / meant
to inf1ict upon you, Miss Shannon, and
sums up to just this: I've stopped to
| think
| With this he stopped for breath as
well and momentari1y was silent, his
| faint, twisted SIN testifying to self
consciousness; but presently, seeing
| that she didn't offer to interrupt, but
continued to give him her attention
so exclusively that it had the effect
| of fascination he stumbled on, at first
less confidently.
| when 1 woke up just now it was as
if, without my will, 1 had been think
| ing all this out in my sleep. saw
myself for the first time clearly, as
have been ever since / can remember
"a crook, thoughtless, vain. rapacious.
ruthless, skulking in shadows and
thinking myself an amazingly fine fell
low because, between coups. 1 would
play the gentleman a bit, venture into
the light, and swagger in the haunts OF
! the respectable. In my poor. perverted
brain l believed there was something
fine and thrilling and romantic in the
career of a great criminal and myself
a wonderful figure-an enemy of so
ciety-potentially as deadly as rattle
snake, always ready to kill-if 1 never
did,"
why do you say this to me?" she
demanded abruptly out of a phase OF
profound thoughtfulness.
He lifted an Apologize shoulder and
laughed with a .sheepish air.
Because, 1 presume. I'm no longer
self-sufficient. was all of that twenty
four hours ago, but now I'm as lone
some as lost child in a dark forest
1 haven't a friend in the world I'm
like a stray pup, groveling for sym
pathy. And you-are unfortunate
| enough TO De the only person can de
| clare myself to. It's going to be g
fight know that too well-and with
out something outside myself to strug
gle toward I'll be heavily handicapped
But if''-he faltered, with a look OF
wistful earnestness-'ff 1 thought that
you, perhaps, were little interested
that had won your faith and had thai
to respect and cherish-if dared hope
that you'd be glad to know 1 had wor
out against odds-it would mean :
great deal to me; it might mean my
salvation!"
Watching her narrowly, hanging up
on her decision with the anxiety of
man prescribed and hoping agains
hope for pardon, he saw her eyes CLOUD
and shift. from his, her lips parted bu
hesitant, and before she could speal
he hastily interposed:
Please don't say anything yet. FRS
let me demonstrate my sincerity 81
far I've done nothing to persuade YOU
but-talk and talk and talk But Civ.
me half a chance to prove 1 meal
what / say
, "How"-she enunciated only will
! visible effort and no longer met his ap
peal with an open countenance-.'hov
can you do that?"
In the long run, by establishing my
: self in some honest way of life, how
ever modest; but now. and principally