The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-07-31
EUening Story
His mysterious Helper.
BY FRANK H WILLIAMS.

moon, a WlStfui, far-aWay look in his
eyes. Then his Jaw suddenly shot out.
his hands clenched and rather fierce
look came into his deep blue eyes.
Pm going to win her or lose her
tonight" Harry said to himself. shes
been playing with me and all her
other beaus long enough. It's going
to be now or never with me-"
Having come TO this sudden deter
mination, Harry ran out to the curb,
where bis last years roadster was
parked and jumping into it sent it
humming down the street.
1t was just IL O'Clock. Just about
this time of the night Alice would be
suggesting toNthe particular beau who
was time for leaving. Harry smiled a
bit to himself as he thought of the
scene Alice, lovely in a summer
gown and with the natural roses in
brown eyes making the man of the
evening feel like gathering her in his
arms and making away with her,
would be saying something like this:
You know my father doesn't like to
have, my friends stay later than IL
o'clock. Silly. isn't it? But you know
father-he's pretty stern at times"
And the young man, knowing Mr..
son, would hesitate a moment and
then reluctantly take his departure.
All the spring and summer this sort
of thing mad been going on and now it
was going to stop, SO rar as Harry
was concerned. His participation i'll
the comedy was going to come to its
climax tonight.
He fairly trembling with ex-
element when he drew up a short
distance from the Richards home and
knew to be Alice's.
Harry whistled-the call which.
Alice knew from oid-tine school days
together. After a moment Alice came
to the window.
Some down; want to talk to
YOU" whispered Harry.
For a moment Alice hesitated, then
she nodded. Apparently she, too, was
enamored of the plight and felt more
like excitena ent than retiring to sluIn--
Der.
Harry felt like rushing to Alice and
catching her tightly in his arms when
she came out upon the porch. But he
restrained himself.
'Alice"-he said, rather hating, now
that it had come to the point to cut
himself off, perhaps, from all further
friendship with her, you know I'm
crazy about you. I suppose your
and home and cut you Off without u
cent If you married me, but-won't
you? I simply can't stand it to have
things keep on the way the've been
one of the crowd. Tonight is going
to settle things for me. Will your
1t seemed to Harry that an answer
ing glow lighted Alice's eyes at this.
But he had no opportunity to find out
just then what the glow in A1ice's eyes
meant, for there came sudden inter-
ruption.
- From the shrubbery near the point
where Alice and Harry were standing
there came a sudden rush of three
young men. Harry recognized them
at once. There were three of Alice's
most vigorous suitors. They arranged
themselves around Harry belliger-
emily.
feIIoWs2o demanded one or the three.
Here we come to serenade the pref
test girl in town and we find this
fellow hutting in. What'll we do with
AT this Harry noticed that the
three young men carried mandolins
and guitars.
Throw him under a freight train,''
suggested one of the number.
OF course there was laughter dur
ing all of this, but Harry knew that
under the kidding" there was q tone
of-seriousness. He wasn't. therefore,
surprised when a moment later the
three made a concerted rush at him.
Harry knew how to handle himself,
but three were too much for him. He
struck out valiantly and had the sat
isfaction of knowing that at least one
of the number would carry a black
eye for a while in rem enbrance of the
evening, but he realized that it would
be only a moment or SO until the three
bore him down. N
Then, surprisingly, there came an
interruption. A husky figure, wearing
a black mask over the upper part of
his face, hurled himself upon -tke
three. With the help of this stranger
the tide of battle was turned. In
few moments the three turned tail
and ran.
pected help and by the sudden turn
in affairs, Harry turned, breathing
heavily, to the point where-his nys-
FERROUS helper had last been. But the
stranger was gone! Only Alice was
there, her eyes shining like stars, her
hands clasped excitedly in front of
her.
'Oh, it was wonderful-wonder-
full" she cried. II never knew you
could fight like that!''
At tho light in Alice's eyes all
thought of the three assailants and of
his mysterious helper left him. The
light in Alice's eyes fascinated him,
drew him nearer to her, brought his
arm around her waist, MS face close
to hers.
why sweetheart he cried. his
was feeling. f'Why-'
Suddenly he leaned toward her and
kissed her.
Now. now's the time to do it," he
whispered to ther a moment later.
I'VE must be- married tonight Those
three fellows might kidnap you, or
that masked man who helped me may
be another beau of yours and he
may be contemplating kidnapping
you. Wen be married Nonight!"
But what will father say?" cried
Alice.
He'll probably-never forgive me-
said Harry, but I can't help it. 1
want you-you want me. Well tear
around to the county cIerk-he's a
a friend of mine" said Harry. land
see If we can't make him get US 4
license tonight. Then Wen dig up u
minister, and-and-N
While Harry was talking he was