The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-06
EVENING STORY
A Kidnaper Wanted.
tBy John Berry,


If you hadn't yet seen or known
Miss May Grafton, and heard some of
her girl chums speak of her as a
daredevil, you'd have drawn a mental
picture and got an impression that
would have done her injustice. Miss
May Grafton didn't look bit dare
devilish at a social function. She
looked and dressed and carried herself
like any young lady of good family
who had had many advantages.
No sombrero-no yuns-no wild ca
vorts and Comanohe yells. Devil?
simple enough. Ii had happened to
come her way between the ages of six
teen and nineteen to shoot and wound
| a burglar in her fathers house She
had Jumped into the millpond and
saved the lie of child; she had
| rescued old Granny Davis when the
hghtnlng struck her cottage: she had
run a horsethief out of the county;
she had prevented a desperate robber
from breaking out of jail and when
| a get-rick- quick man had thought to
40 her out of a thousand dollars she
had beaten his game by twice the
amount
1t was entirely wrong to call Miss
May Grafton a daredevil 1t would
nave been just as wrong to call her a
heroine. 1t was just that things hap
was praised she wasn't fiattered a bit
II is given to some men to husk corn
ana dig potatoes, and to others to
| ieao armies and write stanzas that will
enuufe. 50 with the other sex One
woman may cut out and sew carpet
rags and get up boiled dinners while
another may be fishing children out
OF mill ponds md knocking the horn.
OH the head5 of savage bulls Both
can be modest while they are great.
Inere We. :4.;tl ming stories afloat
at Milton. They were that a new kind
or Raffles Lad appeared. He didn't
Iop houses, but he spooked around
nights, and Whenever he found fair
maid wandering about by herself h 2
grabbed her up md bore her off TO
MS lair. He hadn't played his little
game on any of the air maidens of
Milton yet, but he haG found victims,
At chester AMI at DaleN:lle and at
Ferncliff. Not one of his victims had
returned. All attempts to trap the
kidnaper had "a -leu. Even the names
OF the victims were given.
The coming of this new sort of Raj
fles was discussed everywhere. and
While Ill other maidens trembled IN
thei shoes, the reply of Miss May
Grafton was contemptuous:
+ Judge and nonsense
~ men you don't believe it?''
| "t course .lot."
Tut they say it's every word true
: He has abducEed seven girls up to
, date
Then it's time that something was
, done"
But the consta bles-'
They are not worth their salt"
But who is there to do anything?
Il am going u do something, If he
will kidnap me l will bring him in d
prisoner"
May Gratton!" was exclaimed il
chorus: and within two hours il was
known all over Milton that Miss May
was to attempt what they termed one
| of her daredevil feats. She was going
to permit herself to be kidnapped for
the purpose of arresting the kid
naper. The talk reached the mother
ears and she said:
"Of course, you don't think of doirg
any such foolish thing as that
M other haven't you lived in Milton
long enough to know what such talk
amounts to-" was the evasive reply.
The talk came to the fathers ears
and he said:
Better cut that out, May"
Don't be silly. dad was the reply
II thought until today that it was
all bosh, but the sheriff assured me
that there was such fellow touring
around nights"
And that he has kidnapped sever
maidens?"
II don't think he has kidnapped
even one. but there's no telling wher
he will begin some deviltry.'
about that kidnaper, and she could
not rest content until she had tested
| him. Like all other things, this had
just happened to come her way with
out seeking. and she would solve il
without boaSting.
Behold a young lady going some
, where at a late hour of night The
r street is deserted but for her She
walks slowly. She is not a bit afraid
She huns to herself. Now and then
oh toll
she carries on her arm and briefly
inspects it,
The promenader has walked three
blocks twice over when her keen ears
detect the low chuffl chuff, of an auto
1t soon creeps into sight. 1t is a
small machine, built for two. There is
only one person in 1t now-the driver
Chuff! Chuffi Chuff!
The machine creeps along at a
snairs pace. The young lady saunters
along and gives 1t no attention, though
she knows the instant the power is
shut off and the driver has descended
He advances upon her on tiptoe Ar
arm goes around upon her and he
whispers:
IF you utter one scream I'll choke
you"
; Then there was kidnaper. after all
and he had arrived!
He had her in the spare seat in q
jiffy. No screamS-not a choke.
5 Away went the auto out on the cou-l-
try road, and If the kidnaper grinned
he wasn't the only one to indulge in
that harmless amusement.
The auto had zone about three mile
, when the man at the wheel woke ur
TO the fact that there was somethin2
rather queer about this adventure The
girl hadn't struggled or screamed or
| protested. He couldn't make II out
By all the laws On the statutes of the
. state his victim should be weeping and
entreating and biting and scratching.
Are you dumb" he finally asked
Nor deaf?"
NO. sir" came the prompt reply.
MY hearing is excellent"
But you haven't raised a row.
And l don't intend to-