The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1879-11-01

cloak. "Now that woman mist hara a
capaclous pockets" soliloquized the as.
tomshed Mr.. Pottridge. "She's q cun.
mng thief, anyhow, and I'll Just stem in
and warn the firm n -
he hesitated moment. and whilst he
novered about the doorway the lady
came out escorted by an obsequious com.
mlssionaire with medals on his breast
A hoffman, eof row baskine on i
pench like oysters, rose and signaled 10
the coachman of "a handsomely appoint.
ed brougham, who at once drove for.
ward. Evidently this lady was not an
ordinary thief. She was a tall. dark
person OF about thirty, superbly dressed
and very handsome. ,Perceiying Mr..
Pottridge and seeing his glance fixed on
her as she waited for her carriage. she
eyed him with aristocratic supercilious-
ness and thereby settled her fate. for
SmallborOugh's alderman, who could
not brook the disdain of a shop-l;fter
hurried into the MERGERS and explained
what had happened, speaking in so ex-.
cited voice that number of CUSTOM
ers heard him. e.,5, 49,
Great cOmm0tiOn was caused by this an
lnouncement, and the shopman who had
served her was quickly fred by the idea
that he had let himself be outwitted.
Darling out of the shop he accosted the
thief as she was stepping into her car
rage, and said: ssWill you come back.
if you pleased There is some mistake 81
"What nistakep'' asked she, turning
round with flash in her eyes. But she
grew ashy pale.
"Come back, please" repeated the
shopman. pushing young man, whose
voice broke from emotion.
A small crowd had already collected.
and the lady was obliged to retrace her
steps; but as she was about to enter the
shop she slipped hen, hand into her
pocket and let a piece of lace fall on to
the pavement. No, ma am, that won't
do" cried Mr.. Pottridge, Selling the
thief's wrist. 50 You're going to fpre-
tend those things fell by accident into
the folds of your dress: we know that
trick" And officiously acting as search
er he plunged his hand into the pocket
despite the lady's struggles and drew
out a second piece of lace, three cam
brio handkerchiefs, two pairs of new
gloves, one pair of silk stockings and
lady's silk cravat. .sWell, / never, ~
exclaimed the pushing shopman, and
there was murmur among the by
ISLANDERS, including the lady's own foot
man, who looked like powdered figure
of CONSERVATION.
elbow dare yout - screamed the lady,
purple with rage and modification as
she glared at Mr.. Pottridge; "I'nI
prosecute You for assault. I told the
shopman here that / meant to buy these
things. Let the bill be sent to my adj
dress: I'm Mrs. Pounceforth-K eane.'
"Ah, / dessay," responded the shop
man, "but I'm just going to give you
into custody" and running to the door,
he beckoned to a bIue-coated member of
the force.
One of the partners of the firm, a
gray, civil-spoken man, who had been
summoned from his study, now came
forward and he was at first disposed
to rebuke the haste of his shopman, but
it was too late. The policeman had al
ready entered, and all the shopmen and
shop-girls, the customers and the des-
ultory people crowding around the door,
were instant in chorusing that the thief
should be made an example of. Mrs.
Pounceforth-Keane, seeing public opin
ion so dead against her, uttered howl,
and fell swooning to the floor.
"Never mind that, wen soon rouse
her," said the policeman facetiously, for
he did not yet know that he had to deal
with a lady who kept a sbrougham.
+" The magistrate is sitting now at MARI
Street; Wen just go there at
once and have her charged
This arrangement was acceeded to,
and in few minutes the lady and the
policeman (who had got abashed by this
time from finding himself seated on the
silk cushions of carriage) were riding
to the police court in Mrs. .Pounceforth-.
Keane's own vehicle, while Mr.. Pot
fridge, the shopman, and the mercer fol-
lowed on foot to give evidence.
One would think that in a case where
the offense was fragrant and the testi-
mony so clear, the magistrate might
have sentenced the defendant straight off
10 six months imprisonment, and, in
deed, had the thief been a person of the
lower orders, itwould probably have been
her fate to be convicted summarily.
But it turned out that Pounceforth-
Keane was the real name of the elegant
whose husband was a person
as reporters say, :" in the best
ranks of society" Mr.. PouncefOrth- |
Keane was sent for, and arrived breath
less in hanson from one of the best
clubs in Pail Mall. At the sight of him |
his wife, who had been locked up for an
hour in police cell, wept profusely and !
Mr.. PIX. was himself much agitated.
He asked for remand, and rendered
bail, saying he should produce medical
evidence to the effect that his wife had |
ately suffered severely in health. The |
timid man, who had
daughters to marry, and was