The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-01-29
EVENING STORY
HeIen's Criminal.
(By Martin O'Neill. }

whole world ought to be rich if people
get the money offered for criminals,
| lost persons and stolen jewelry. One
can't pick up a paper that isn't full of
it. Here's a man wanted out in Ohio
for killing two men and robbing
bank. There's thousand dollars re-
ward for him. l wish we could get
it, don't you?"
Wish it," sighed Aimee, crumbing
the little table and setting down three
saucers of pudding. Yes, l do The
sisters looked at each other and then
at Bob, who was too busy hunting for
| fat raisins to bother with the notions
| of big girls. His recent illness had
left him with an appetite even more
remarkable than before, and ne was
the strongest, healthiest looking boy
in the world-only against the rocker
leaned a crutch. That was why the
| girls had the same thought thou-
sand dollars would do so much!
| Il wonder" Helen went back to the
paper ''how people catch criminals.
Here's his picture and description,
feet II inches high, dark brown halr.
gray eyes, weight 113 pounds. They
think he is in this city.
But that might be anybody put
| in Aimee. It's common enough
type"
| Just wait a minute" went on Hell
| en- .'Triangular scar on left side OF
chin, square jaws. mole on back OF
right hand
'I'u put on my hat when the dishes
are done He'd be hard to miss now,
laughed her sister. What snail 90
when 1 find him %
"Handcuff him and lead him gently
| off to jail
They both laughed again. well.
somebody will get him. sighed Helen
wistfully.
yes, some big, fat police official
will rake in the reward and go and buy
his wife another ring, l suppose
There. What's the use of worrying.
You go and play dominoes with Bob
bic while 1 clear up these things
The train was full the next evening
when Helen got on. However, she
managed to squeeze into small space
in the frontmost seat, that faced the
other passengers. 1t had been busy
day in the office, so busy indeed that
all thought of catching criminals was
as far away as the moon, in spite of
the fact that she had dreamed all
night of following muddy footprints
and of peering into rock caves on ha-
zardous hillsides.
Down the aisle rows of commuters
were buried in the evening papers and
Helen studied the passengers with in
terest, finding diversion in the fact
that most of them looked as tired as
| she felt Then suddenly she gave
gasp of amaZement, for her eyes had
discovered a face that somehow looked
familiar. On a firm chin. btween two
| square set jaws. was triangular scar
| that showed an angry red against an
otherwise rather pale complexion Hell
ems eyes leaped from one feature to
the other-gray eyes, brown hair.
rather tall, she judged. She slipped
| the newspaper clipping out of her bag
| and compared it to the man. There
was no mistake about it; she had
| found him.
.Oh, Bobby her thoughts flew to
| h he prfI II
we get the reward and take you out to
| DR.. Taylor, where you can have proper
| treatment"
The man looked up and their eyes
met. Helen flushed and glanced away
| quickly, but not before he had caught
| her look of appraisal and unusual in
| terest Helen helrself realized that
he had been conscious of her scru-
tiny I've spoiled the whole thing
now" she thought with dismay, for
| of course he's seen the advertisement
and will be on the lookout for possible
captors. He must not think I've the
slightest interest in him from now on"
She glanced back quite casually
with a PARKWAY look that was bound
to deceive. And at that minute the
man gave the conductor his ticket
with hand that was marked the
| back by mole visible even at that
distance.
Helens heart beat fast. 1t was, in
| deed ner criminal. NOW LOT d way TO
capture him. She must corral him
| herself Then there could be no dis
pute as to the recipient of the money.
But how was she going to do it?
| She weighed only 12O pounds and the
| desperate tipped the scales at 173.
| Force therefore, was out of the ques
ton. She must use strategy She
| could follow him to his destination
and lock him in a room, or if fates
| were kind and he got off at her own
station she might use subterfuge and
get him as far as her own little home.
The rest would be easy. Her eyes fell
| on black bag at his feet The money
he had stolen from the Ohio bank!
| Her heart was hammering hard and
| her face wore an excited flush, her
at the bag lost the naughty far-away
indifference they had adopted few
minutes before.
Suddenly Helen realized that her
prey was looking at her. She darted
| a quick glance at him then away,
burning furious red at her folly, for
the man, discovering further interest
on her part in himself and his belong
ings, smiled amusedly.
| And then fate, upon whom she had
| called, came to her aid most glorious
| ly. albeit a bit roughly. There was a
grinding and splintering of glass and
! something hit Helen on the back of
the head. Things went out for awhile,
and when her senses came back she
was outside somewhere in the snow.
She had a vague idea of light moving
here and there and voices. Then she
| realized that a man was trying to
make her swallow something. After
that her head cleared rapidly and she
tried to sit up.
That's splendid" said the man.
do you think you can stand? If you
tell me where you live we can get you
4 home. They have automobiles here at
our service. No one was badly hurt
altho it was narrow escape"
Helen, now keenly alive to every
thing realized that her benefactor
was the criminal. Criminals were
often kind hearted as babies and they