Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-03-07
LADYFZNGERS
Bv JACKSON GREGORY
<,,,,r,oht. 1891, BY Charles scribner's Sons

know"
II PROMISE" he said lightly. The,
went down the steps.
whether l know anything about the
subject or not; whether I'm to SPEAK
upon Eskimo morals or the mechanism
of an airplane."
"Oh, but this Is something you know
all about" They turned down an in
viting graveled walk bordered with rose
bushes. 1T is the psychology of O
thief"
In spite Of him, Ashe was startled.
For n moment he did not speak. Sea =
soncd in dangers. trained to accept the
unexpected without trcmor, he none
the less felt now shock of surprise.
To have Evelyn DAILY say to him, quito
as though she were mentioning some
such thing as a rose bush casually passed,
| Tel me about the psychology of a
thief set his mind leaping through the
darkness encompassing it for elusive ex-
plantations.
He kept his eyes keenly speculative
upon the girls face.
The psychology Of theft" he
asked in moment. Shall l seek to
entertain with theory and speculation :?
Or Will you insist upon definite infor-
'"The real truth" she exclaimed. 81
can theorize myself"
| And no doubt l am expected to know
all about this very interesting matter 2"
OF course!" she told him. "Why
not? IL you were just common po-
liccman I'd expect you to be stupid
about it. But being a man who is suf-
ficiently interested in crime to become
an amateur detective, ~
Ashes vastly amused laugh, in which
there was note of relief all unhidden,
drew her eyes wondcringly to him. For
the instant he had actually forgotten
that as Mr.. Steele he had a legitimate
right to lecture upon such as Robert
Ashe.
49," he said, "you would know
about crime and criminals? Do
you know, in a land like this, on a
night like this, with lady like you,
MISS DAILY, this seems a strange thing to
talk about?"
Unconsciously he grouped her with
this rarely beautiful country garden
through which they loitcred with this
perfect night Of spring. Evelyn smiled
"Why?" she asked. And then. "Tell
me, " she insisted Il have read books
in all of them are men or women who
commit crimes. / knew a servant once
who stole some spoons. | have never
known any one who made n profession
OF wrongdoing. / have never, until |
saw you, known man who knew other
men making profession of wrong
doing. A girl raised as | have been,
living as l have lived, sees only the
surface of things, gets no glimpse of
what lies under that surface. You
have come in touch with real life, with
powerful motives, with crises. And l
am on fire with curiosity"
You give me big field" smiled
Ashe. and rather vague instruc-
TONS
Tell me-" she said eagerly, "about
this man they call Ladytingers! Oh, l
that he is young and as handsome as II
Greek god? That he is fearless and
wonderfully capable? That he has de-
fed the police for years. being clevercr
than they? That he is hardly more
than boy and is already stepped in
crime! Have you ever seen him, talked
with him?"
Dear lady," answered Ashe quite
gaily, Il have seen the monster, talked
with him. AS for the Greek god part
of 1t, dare say the papers are right.
Let us say even handsomer than Nul-
can Though perhaps trihc less god
like than Apollo. AS for all of the other
superlatiyes, I'd hazard the guess that
he 's'entirely human"
rs he a monster? Is he human?
which,"
HE is what you term professional
criminal replied Ashc, looking at her
curiously. Doesn't that settle t?"
At first he had wondered how he
might lead the talk into another chan
NJ In 10 A.,
on with it as was Evelyn. She wanted
to look through his eyes upon the
underworld Of crime; he wanted sud
denly to know how she felt toward such
as Ladyfngers.
Tell me-" she commanded.
'Well, them" he began, ''he strikes
Inc as being utterly human. I'd say
that he enjoys life much as you and
do. That he has n taste for good music,
no less than for good things to eat and
drink. That he'd enjoy night like to-
night, in such company as yours, even
as | am enjoying it. That he has the
soul to enjoy swimming in the surf,
playing chess, reading Keats and Burns.
and even the Faerie Queen. | have
known him to read it. I'd say that he
gets as much joy out of a rather hard
nut safely cracked, as does your Aunt
Rachel out of one of her big business
deals properly driven to the, satisfactory
ending. That he has his moments of
clation, his times of dependency al
though they are rare, his ambitions
and his own sort of ideals, In short
that he is quite human Even
as you and l !" he ended with secret |
relish in the words.
go on" cried the girl, all eager
interest.
'I'd say" continued Ashe thought.
fully, that this man Ladyiingcrs would |
have little Compunction in breaking any
law that wise body of legal minded |
men ever made; that he'd rob safe or |
pick pocket right merrily. That he
wouldn't hurt Il little child or an ami |
nal willfully; that he'd give as gladly |
as he'd take; that he'd find sort of |
pleasure in rObbing man or woman 50 |
terribly rich as your aunt; that his |
lifetime of wrong doing has had in it |
some few, stray kind acts; that he has
good impulses and bad; that, in short,
he is quite human beng"
Evelyn's eyes were sparkling with
interest.
why" she broke out impulsiveIy,
'you make hero out of him He
must be splendid think of robbing
u safe with volume of poetry in his
pocket"
Ashc bushed. Strive as he might he
could not keep flood Of blood from
rushing into his face, He had been
speaking of himself and of himself he
had made Evelyn think as of splcn-
lid hero! He felt suddenly rs though
she must know that he was speaking
If himself, that she must look upon him
as II man shamclessly boasting. lie had
wanted her to think of him
% think of Ladyfingers as he