St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1886-07-10

hears of it at all it will be by lette
from her. telling how easy she got off
If we hadn't been in court within /,
month l believe I'd put her through
for she deserves it. She's an old hand
and pretty well known in the stores
But to take her up. Ever been at tn,
Armory Police Court? OF course vol
have. Well, once a month is Otter
enough for me there. l wonder how
she came in to play that when ther,
were so few in the house. Why. three
or four were watching her noting the
fun. Thought you knew her, did you
How's that?"
''She's the image of the wife of s
well-known architect" explained the
reporter.
Suppose she is; know she is nc
architects wife. She's stone-cutter' s.
by the way" laughing at the idea.
"Now, whatever there is in it, I've
a theory that such resemblances are
designed by some professionals, and
they study their prototypes most care.
fully. even to associations, so as to
talk familiarly of friends if occasion
brings about the opportunity. have
been mistaken myself in assumptions.
but got over it long ago, after most
disagreeable scrape. l was younger
and brash. l saw modest-looking
woman take off a half-dozen as nice
embroidered handkerchiefs as we had
in the store. 1 was positive she was a
certain customer on our books, and was
confirmed in the belief by recollectine
the absent-minded way she worked. To
me it seemed sad case of kleptomania,
and l fancied her house full of all sorts
of stolen nicknacks of no use, but said
to be presents from friends. That's
the way, you know. So let her pass
out unnoticed. and at the end of the
month sent up the item with the
rest of the statement of the months
purchases. Then it all came out. Az
soon as | saw the lady l knew my
error. But it was a close resemblance.
No, take no stock in kleptomania. II
you notice. it's only a disease for rich
folks. Who knows but what Pasteur
will be inoculating for it after he gets
through with hydrophobia? There's
more money in it for him. They say
the nobility have attacks of it once in
q while. Yes, every stock suffers with
US. o. it might stop stealing if we
didn't display goods so much, but it
would stop trade too. Why, the other
lay l actually saw grown woman
hook bunch of hair crimpsrs off the
notion counter that were plainly
marked two punches for three cents.
The gall of it paralvzed me and the
clerks around. and we nearly laughed
,loud. We let her 60 her way, though.
Silk remnants and bolts of ribbon or
ace are the most tempting. Hang me,
,ut wonder what the shoppers take
Is for? They can't reason at all, most
If them, but steal on the impulse,
such as were arrested the
,ther day. It's cur business to watch
he goods around, and we get so by
experience that we can take in a good
leal with one scope of our eyes. We
NOW all our patterns, besides having
hem marked otherwise. Then we get
o know the character of our visitors
'retty well by tho way they carry
By just moments talk
We know if woman really wants to
'uy to day, or well call again
they can't play it on us unless the
tore is pretty fun, and then it is our
nsses occur, and our profits, too,
night say. Yes. we do search, but
nore frequently it is not necessary, but
S you saw. II woman comes pre-
ared to steal, and has the customary
ag or pocket sewed in her clothes, We
an know whether she is good to
earch by beating around her cloth
,g, when we feel uncommon OBJ
ects for the pocket. From time to
me we have accumulated up stairs
tacks of stuff taken out of such places,
ut not stolen from us. Rarely do
ley try to brazen it out, but cry, and
,lk of their homes, and they never
id it before. and never will again, and
} on. As said, we don't care to go
ito court, and let most go if we get |
ur goods back. Articles regularly |
you know, are wrapped and
ave cash checks with them. We have
,und such with goods acknowledged
} be stolen. but never keep them, of
purse. How do we keep track of
7ery thing in such a varied stock? |
Y system, and nothing else. Then
Terv thing gets familiar to the sales
eople. Their eyes are sharp for
ltterns of goods and bulk of pack
res. It's only when things are known
be sold that they never will be
issed.' We did have girl here who
pasted she could tell if a hole was
,ne out of pattern of lace, but she
ed. or got married, which is the same,
} far as regards business, for they
lit then. But I'm off of shoplifters.
on can say nine out of ten are pre-
mably respectable. and most of them
.ver stole before they were caught,
I'd never will afterward. Once is
lough. Shouldn't you think so?"-
1icdgo Inter Ocean.
-Hattie-"Are you out witt Sadie
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