The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-03-25

steadied and grew stronger, but ever
leaped and danced, so that he, lost in
wonder of it and forgetfuI Of himself,
thought of it as the ardent face OF a
happy child dancing in the depths OF
some brown autumnaI woodland
you" she breathed INTERNATIONALLY
you mean you're going to stop"
81 have stopped, Miss Shannon. The
Lone Wolf has prowled for the last
time. I didn't know it till just now
when woke up an hour or so ago
but I've turned my last job"
But why?" she demanded in bewiI-
derment. But why do you say that?
What can have happened to make
you
eff it won't bore you. III 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
evitably fail at it. yet persist.
There's another class, men whose
imaginations forewarn them Of dan
gers and whose mental training, tech
nical equipment, and sheer manual
dexterity enable them to attack a
formidable proposition like a modern
safely way of il1ustration-and force
its 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.
It 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 selfrespect 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 a lecture than 1 meant
to infict upon you. Miss Shannon. and
sums up to just this: I've stopped to
think"
With this he stopped for breath as
well and momentarily was silent. his
faint, twisted smile 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, I had been think
ing all this out in my sleep. I saw
myself for the first time clearly. as 1
have been ever since 1 can remember
"a crook, thoughtless, vain. rapacious.
-,
thinking myself an amazingly fine fell
low because. between coups, would
play the gentleman a bit, venture into
the light, and swagger in the haunts of
the respectable. In my poor, perverted
brain 1 believed there was something
fine and thrilling and romantic in the
career of a great criminal and myself
a wonderful f1gure-an enemy of so
ciety-potentially as deadly as a rattle
snake, always ready to kiIl-if never
didi'
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
four hours ago, but now I'm as lone
some as lost child in a dark forest
1 haven't friend in the world I'm
like stray pup, groveling for SYM
pathy. And you-are unfortunate
enough to be the only person can de-
clare myself to. It's going to be a
fight know that too well-and with
out something outside myself to strug-
gle toward III be heavily handicapped
But if''-he faltered, with a look of
wistful earnestness-"if thought that
you, perhaps, were a little interested.
that had won your faith and had that
to respect and cherish-if dared hope
that you'd be glad to know had won
out against odds-it would mean a
great deal to me; it might mean my
salvationi"
Watching her narrowly. hanging up
on her decision with the anxiety of a
man prescribed and hoping against
hope for pardon, he saw her eyes cloud
and shift from his. her lips parted but
hesitant. and before she could speak
he hastily interposed:
Please don't say anything yet First
let me demonstrate my sincerity So
far I've done nothing to persuade you
but-talk and talk and talk But give
me half a chance to prove 1 mean
what I say"
'How-she enunciated ONLY with
visible effort and no longer met his ap-
peal with an open cOuntenance-"how
can you do that?"
I'm the long run, by establishing my
self in some honest way OF life, how
ever modest; but now, and principally,
by making reparation for at least one
crime I've committed that's not ir-
reparable."
He caught her quick glance OF In
quiry and met it with confident nod
as he placed between them the morOc-
cO-bound jewel case.
I'm London, yesterday" he said
quietly, 81 brought OF two big coups
One was deliberate, the other the in
spiration of a moment. The one I'd
planned for months was the theft Of