The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-08
EVENING STORY
Poinsettia's Pickpocket.
BY INES MACDONALD.


pacity. but Dunton had not noticed |
his fellow refugees particularly until
he felt a hand on his arm and a /
strange low voice addressed him con-
fidentially.
Il hate publicity. So if you Will
just be kind enough to return my |
purse. I shall ignore the fact that you !
took it,
With hot feeling of surprised an
ger Dunton looked down into calm |
pair Of grey eyes. Instinctively he |
slipped both hands into the pockets of |
his light overcoat, and to his con- |
sternation the fingers Of his right |
hand closed over a strange folded |
purse.
"But-but," he protested, withdraw
ing the purse slowly from his pocket. |
Il didn't take your purse! Really, 1
don't know how it got there!"
Please don't try to explain" she /
said stiffly. Then impulsively. You
are too nice looking to be just a COM
mon crook! Here, If you need money,
take this. 1t will keep you going till
you get a nice, honest job" And she
| Tipped open the purse and drew
| This she thrust into his hand and
ducked out across the sidewalk thru
the pouring rain and into a taxi, with
out once looking back.
| For a moment Dunton stood there
stupidity gazing after the splashing car
and then looked around sheepishly,
but no one seemed to have noticed the
| incident. He puzzled over the thing
angrily on his way home but could
make nothing of it whatever. 1t was
possible that some one had taken her
purse and then. fearing detection, had
| slipped it into his pocket. That must
nave been 1t, yet why had she selected
| him as the likeliest looking pickpocket
in the crowd. Wilbert Dunton was
| much chagrined and decidedly sore,
NOT an hour after the episode on
Broadway. certain young woman
stood before her dressing table.
! aren't You ever going to be dressed
for dinner?' demanded her aunt. en-
| tering from the other room,
of course 1 am. But aunty, it is so
enhancing! The stuck-up thing didn't
remember ne. andI just slipped my
purse into his pocket and then ac-
cused him of taking it,
you?"
The idea. his not knowing me.
Why, when was sixteen, didn't he
win my young heart? Didn't he even
/ kiss my hand one night and tell me
l was beautiful And now after only
seven years he doesn't even know
"wen, you terrible child. What will
you be doing next? Please do try to
behave at the Morton's masque to-
night Your costumes here and it is
a dream. And Marcy, Wilbert Dun
ton is sure to be there! I only hope
he won't remember the pert young
woman who called him a pickpocket
and then rubbed it in by giving him
twenty dollars to start him on a new
! life" And the good lady sighed a
+ bit. for she had hoped. or at least
figured that Wilbert Dunton might be
a matrimonial possibility for the niece
whom she had ventured to pilot thru
the social season.
However. that young lady was, or
seemed to be, entirely mistress of her
own destiny, for after she was dressed
she slipped down to the phone and
called a certain number. Then
waited demurely.
Hello, this is Dunton," came his
well-bred voice.
Hello, pickpocket,'' she laughed in
to the phone.
"I beg your pardon -
Don't be digniffed. pickpocket
is never dignified."
Dunton grinned in spite of himself
And who might you beg"
"I? Oh, I might be almost anyone,
but I'm not I'm only Poinsettia."
Observation-Disclosures repeated
Dunton, vaguely. But he was speak
ing into dead telephone. for she had
hung up.
: When Dunton, dressed as a Portu-
guese pirate. arrived at the Morton's
masQue that night, the dancing had
been under way for some time.
THE Poinsettia must be some pro-
fessional dancer" Dunton heard some
enc behind him say. 1--WE never seen
anything like her in our set. She's
great!''
Dunton's glance swept the floor
where a crimson flash swirled on a
ping of hands, and the other dancers
fell back and left the floor to those
who were receiving the applause. The
: girl was gowned in a shower of
, poinsettias cut from scarlet silk and
flung over a yellow satin underslip,
and she danced with a poisefu1 per-
lection and supple surety that was
: startling.
, "Ah " murmured Dunton, "Poinset-
: tia." And he stepped thru the fringe
} of people on the edge of the ball room
, with his hand on his sword Crouch
ing ferociously and advanced slowly
l in step with the waltz threatening the
: dancers. There was an instants hush
and then sudden applause. Everyone
l thought it was arranged bit of en-
5 tertamment as it were. Even the
Spanish grandee who danced with
Poinsettia played his part, for he
: swung his fair partner behind him
| and drew his rapier.
| Dunton knew him in minute II
! was Ferris, with WHOM he'd crossed
foils at the club many times. Poin.
settfa lowered about them as they
, circled there, the ring of their blades
! swinging in time with the music. Their
, suddenly the grandee slipped on the
? polished floor. Dunton 1eaped over
his postrate form. swung the surprised
Poinsettia over his shoulder and sped
straight thru the applaudfng crowd
. into the conservatory and out to the
balcony beyond. Here he slid hel
. down from his shoulder and Struggled
\ her into his arms. sitting the while
. against the balcony rail. She never
! moved-and said not word, so he
stripped the mask up over her fore.
head and looked deep into her wide
" gray eyes.
"You-you wouldn't" she protested
struggling a bit when she saw his in.
ltention in his eyes,
L ..nh draif oh La