The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-03-02
The Woman
He Married
BY JANE PHELPS
AN UNSUCCESSFUL SEARCH.
Chapter u.

Altho annoPed thr,t Junior had
gone into ona of tIae neighboring
houses, I was NOT frightened. No
thought that anything serious had
happened or mould happen in this
small town occurred to me. So I
went back into. the house for my
hat, then starved ou. again to look
for the little Hunawag.
I went to the reisthbors We knew,
those who ofutn htolIped to speak to
Junior when he p1ay2.i in the yard on
pleasant days, but Fss one had seen
nor heard of him.
Hes probably go1ft to meet Dick"
I said aloud recalling the time in
Holden when he staIted to find his
daddy.
But when IwaIkeSI in the direction
of the bank, choosing the same route
l had often taken u hen Junior and
I went to meet Dick, ] saw nothing
OF my boy, and became worried. But
even then 1 was not frightened. Yet
1 went on. 1t was nearly time for
the bank to close. L would run in
and see if he could possibly have gone
all the way there alone.
.What is it, Nan ?'' Dick asked when
I went in, Has anything happened %
Yes, no, don't know! Junior was
playing on the sand pile calling to me.
Then he didn't call any more and I
ran out to see if he was all right,
and he was gone. I looked all over
the neighborhood but couldn't find
trace OF him, and SO I came down
here. He might have tried to come to
meet you, 1 thought -
mo, but he's all right, The little
rascal has probably gone visiting.
He's natural runaway. Well have
to make him stay in the yard"
the people know him.
Just then Mr.. Peabody. the presi-
dent of the bank, came into the Of
flee. He spoke pleasantly to me then
turned to Dick:
Anything wrong, williaps?" Dick
mo. I think. I hope not! Mrs.
Williams allowed our little boy to
play in the sandpile outside the yard,
and he had wandered away
Its three o'clock. you go and help
locate the little man. I used to run
away when l was his age, 1 remem-
Der hearing my mother Say. every time
I got a chance. I am sufe nothing has
happened him."
Dick hurried out with me after
thanking Mr.. Peabody, but thoN we
separated and searched every place we
could think of we found no trace of
him.
asked everyone I met If they had
seen a little boy, and described the way
Junior was dressed. Finally a small
girl said she hal seen a man taking a
little boy to rida in his car.
He was-a nice man. he took him
for a ride" She said in her childish
way.
(Which way did they go?"
She pointed the way, and as Dick
had gone in that direction hurried to
overtake him.
"The little hoy took his pail and
shovel riding, too" the child called
after me, so removing all doubts as to
its being Juniof.
"a man took him riding in his car"
I called when I reached Dicks side,
breathleSs. I had run part of the way.
People shouldn't do such things.
They should know parents would be
anxious, especially about such a little
chap
Dick proposed we go back and ques-
ton the little girl who evidently was
the only person, who had seen Junior.
She added nothing to her story, save to
tell us that Juaior was laughing, and
that there was no back seat in the
car.
"A runabout. probably" Dick re-
marked. Then: IT shall go to the
likely have tho time of his life, but it
is over an houp since you came to the
bank, SO he must have been gone about
two hours. The fellow who took him
may have had tire trouble or some
thingg' / knew he meant, might have
had an accidsnt, but that he didn't
want brighten me.
1 insisted upon going to the police
station with Lick. A motorcycle Of
ficer soon started up the road the little
girl had said the man took, while Dick
and continued our search Of the town.
But after Bit, Dick said:
81 can't believe anything but an ac-
cident to the car would make that man
keepNa little child away from his home
like this. I'll get ear and q doctor.
and go after them, too; that motor
cycle policeman may have located
them. and can direct US"
I 1onged to go, tao, but when Dick
told me it was unwise, that Junior
might be brought back, said no more.
1.-The fellow might come back an
other way" Dick argued, when I
begged to be taken, "and Junior be
frightened noe to find either of u.s.