The news., 1884-08-12
THE poLncEaLAN,s ROMANCE.

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THE PoLICEaIAN's ROMANCE.
1T is four years ago that / was
doing patrol duty down on Eighth
avenue. The wind howIed round the
corners that night, catching up the
snow that had fallen during the day
and whirling it in drifts in the door
ways.
"There are lots of big stores down
there and the street is always crowded
at evenings, but this evening it was a
sight to me. There were hun
dreds yes, thousands of pretty girls
out doing their last shopping before
Christmas.
sIt was getting along toward nine
o'clock. when my attention was
attracted to a pretty little girl who
was tripping across the street.
.Just as she reached the curb she
slipped upon patch Of ice and fell
heavily.
1T took me about half second to
reach the little woman and pick her
up. She was dazed by the fall, though
not injured, and had to support her
for a moment.
Then she recovered herself all Of q
sudden, Strengthened up primly, and
saying, Thank you, Mr.. Officer, tripped
away, giving me a pretty look that
went clear through me.
4 had tramped up and down my
beat three or four-times, and had got
back to Twenty-third street when a
bare-headed cash-boy ran out one Of
the big stores and yelled at me:
: Come quick the manager has
caughlG shoplfftors'' =
81 was met at the door by a floor
walker, who piloted me to the book
keepers den at the back Of the store.
1.-TWO men were in there, and a wo-
man was standing in the corner with
her face covered with her handker-
chief, weeping as if her heart would
break.
/" sAh officer said the manager,
who was mere business machine, /
am glad you have come. One of our
clerks at the lace counter discovered
that valuable piece of lace had been
stolen, and gave the alarm. Thiswo-
man hurried away from the counter
She was detained and brought here
and searched. The lace was foundIin an
outside pocket of her saque. This is
the piece ON the desk here
Have you asked the woman for
an explanation p asked, hoping that
some explanation would fix the matter
up.
"'What can she say p cried the busi-
ness machine. She was caught red
handed in the act, She is the thief.
lnaL SettleS IL.
There was a sunden movement on
the part of the women. She snatched
her handkerchief from her face, ex-
tended her right arm and finger
which shook with rage, and turning
her blazing eyes upon the business
machine, she fairly screamed:
" "Tis false? ! am no thiefp Then
she fell in a heap upon the floor.
CAS- she turned her pallid face upon
the manager ! started as if some one
had struck me. 1t was the black
eyed little girl that picked up scarce
ly half an hour before.
Il lifted the girl up gently and
placed her in a chair, and called for
water with which I bathed her tenn.
Piles. s8
Pretty soon she came out of the
swoon. As her eyes met mine they
lit up with glad light, and she cried ]:
"'Oh I'm so glad. This officer
will tell you that I am not a thief,
won't you %
Here was pretty predicament.
There was nothing for me to do but
my duty, so I told her ! was sorry for
her, and asked her if she would walk
ahead of me quietly.
"She made a brave effort to calm
herself that touched me hard.
couldn't believe the. girl a thief, but
the evidence was too strong for me to
doubt that she had given away to
temptation.
'The poor girl walked ahead of me
a few PAGES and gave me no trouble.
l found myself wishing that she would
melt away or in some fashion or other
vanish, when she stopped under a
lamp in side street, and waited until
l came up.
AS / came up, she turned her pale
face up in the light, and clutched my
coat sleeve tight with her hands as
she said:
"'Mr. Officer, you don't really think
me thief, do you?"
"Well l couldn't say 'yes,' and |
couldn't conscientiously say no. so l
said neither. / only said that was
sorry for her and wished that l could
help her.
care you really sorry for me ?" she
said, and her black eyes filed with
tears. OH am so glad to have one
friend, for in all this big city I don't
think | have another"
"Then she told me her little story.
She was an orphan, and had been
brought up in Connecticut. About six
months before this her aunt had died,
and she came ON to the city, and
turned her hand to lace-maling and
had been able to support herself de
Gently since then. She said she had