The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-10-05
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Copyright. 1917, BY the Mcclure Newspaper


1, kindly eyes framed in his gold
~ trimmed spectacles. sat IN MS
rockingham in his room In MIS-
Winners boarding house in the city OF
New York. reading the newspaper IN
the arm of his chair lay the small yellow
paper-bound booklet he found more inter
esting than the most exciting mover: Inc
Complete Confessions of the KING OF
Grafters A Full Exposition OF All the
Methods of All the Most Celebrated Con-
adence Men. Price Twenty-Five Cents
Not a day passed since the dear Old man.
who was as honest as the day is long and
as kind of heart as man can De- nao
come to New York, that he had not spent
an hour studying this admirable little
work He had come to New YORK. from
Oroduna. Iowa, some months Garner 10
enter the respectable business OF conn.,
dence man and bunco-steerer. As Grand
ma Bunker often remarked: "Sunsin
New Workers is a nice. clean. respectable
business Pa. and as long as these New
Workers. is bound to get stang anyway
they'd ought to be thankful to be STANG
by somebody honest and good-hearted-
II was now about eleven in the morn
Ing; Mrs. WINNER had returned from
her daily marketing trip and was at ieis-
ure. and Grandma Bunker had taken ner
knitting and had gone down one flight
of stairs to sit awhile with Mrs VIM
rner in Mrs. Winners own rooms and
to discuss the remarkable case OF Miss
Druse and Mr. PreIlick that Mr.. Bunker
was reading in the morning paper. for
Grandma Bunker's reading OF the article
had been somewhat unsatisfactory. being
broken by her interjected EXPLANATIONS
and remarks.
my lands saker' she had exclaimed.
'Jabez Bunker. what Is the world comm
tot If it don't sly right here in this
newspaper declare, a person don't
know what to think Of folks. no more!
Just you listen to what they've got
printed into this paper about Mr.. Prel-
uckv'
''Our Mr.. Prelhck?'' asked Jabez.
sour Mr.. Prelnck. and our Miss Druse,"
said Grandma with that sort of semi-joy
we all feel when our good friends go
wrong and get into print over it 1.-The
paper says right here: for many years
usher at DR.. Holyer's church. and hereto
fore one of the most respected members
of the congregation
1T swami exclaimed Jabex. What
has he gone and done. Mar
my, my!" exclaimed Grandma Bunker.
And our Miss Druse, tool And her suing
him for breach of promise and all!
Jabez, I'm goin' right down and see Mrs.
WINNER
It will be seen from this that Mr..
Bunker had gained from Grandma's read
ing no very exact idea of what had be-
fallen Mr.. Prellick, and now he read the
entire article. headlines and all From
it he easily gathered that Mr.. Prellick
was in very considerable trouble
Mr.. Prellick Gas some who read how
Mr.. Bunker buncoed him in the Ger
man-spy wheat-deal may remember) was
a tall. slender gentleman who, in a
black frock coat, seated those who at
tended services at DR.. Holyer's fashion
able church. He was an elderly bache-
lor and inclined to difridence In the pres
ence of ladies. He held a good position
in the Stupendous Trust Company and
drew an income sufficient to permit him
to occupy a handsome bachelor suite in
q fine apartment hotel on Riverside
Drive. and even the 5000 Mr.. Bunker had
taken from him in the wheat-deal caused
no serious havoc in his admirable bank
account Mr.. Pre1lick's bank balance at
the Stupendous Trust Company was now
larger than 1t had ever been, and his
friendship for Mr.. Bunker was quite as
strong as ever He understood that Mr..
Bunker had suffered In the German SPY
wheat plot equally with himself.
Mr.. Bunker found the newspaper arti-
Gle doubly interesting. because he was
also well acquainted with Miss Druse,
who had been for some time a boarder
with Mrs. WINNER although she was
now living elsewhere. When Grandma
and Grandpa Bunker had come to Mrs
Winners boardins-house, Mrs. Winner
and Miss Druse were in the throes Of one
Of those Intimately chummy friendships
that spring up between a middIe-aged
boarding house keeper and some guest,
burn derceiy for a while and then die
suddenly-and often violently. The very
first time Mrs. WINNER had carried Mr..
and MIRA Bunker to DR.. TIolyer's church
Miss Druse had accompanied them. Like
Mrs WINNER, she was already acquaint-
ed with Mr.. Preilick (who tried to be
friendly to all who attended DR.. Holyer's
church). and that day Mr.. Prellick had
walked home with the four. as he often
walked homo with Mrs. WINNER and
Miss Druse-
house rather suddenly. and all Mrs. VIM
mer would ever say was that It was a
good riddance and that she had found
her out" It would have been hard even
for the most nearsighted person to say
Miss Druse was one to excite Violently
Passionate love. and yet that was what