The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-11-30

friends who had met What Mamie said a
she dropped into the chair was this:
"You had better go out right away. We
know you and we don't want to have any
fuss with you. This is the second timt
you have been here within week: TIL
next time l VIII have to lock you up"
Tie woman said nothing, but simply
eyed Mamie sulienly. When she got VI
and WAS about to 60, Mamie recalled her.
Don't forget to pay your check just the
same" she said.
The women sitting around did not under
stand why the woman who was Just leaving
should look so bitterly at the smiling young
girl at the table. Mamie waited about a
minute after the woman had paid her cheek,
and then followed her down stairs and saw
that she left the store. She was about to
return TO the lewelry counter when another
note was handed her. 1t referred to a
woman on tine main floor.
Mamie watched her. She was well
dressed, and, although her face bore slight
traces of dissipation, there was nothing
about her TO MAKE her specially prominent
III big crowd. But Mamie's sharp eyes
detected an unusual bulge in the vicinity or
ner dress pocket. She waited until she was
certain. She saw the woman slip an article
from one OF the counters into her pocket
| while the clerks attention was engaged
| Then Mamie walked up to her, and, linking
| arms WlLl ueT, bhlu quietly.
| Now, don't make Il fuss, or it will be the
worse. We are going up stairs together"
| The woman, who seemed to be an old
| hand, expressed no special emotion or sur
| prise, but slightly elevated her shoulders
| and accompanied Mamie to the elevator
| They rode up sears TO the third floor, where
| Mamie led her prisoner to a room set apart
for that purpose.
Now" said Mamie. as she closed the
| door behind her, ''if yoI will take those
| things out of your pockets we may be able
| to come 60 some understanding.
The woman very unwilliagly emptied her
dress pocket before the little detective The
booty was quite large. consisting of two
odd pieces OF silk, half dozen handker-
chiefs, pair OF gloves, two gentleman's
scarfs, two Eyeglasses. a bottle of per-
fumery and leather-bound volume of
poems. But this was not all. Mamie con-
| cluded to make g search Oh her own &C
count, after the sh0plitter had declared that
she had shown all she had taken. From
several concealed pockets she produced
three pocSetbooks, some more handker-
chiefs, some fancy hat-pins and some
black stockings. The pocketbooks had
| evidently been taken from shoppers
One of them contained over $50. The others
| contained between them sl2.
~ have got q good mind to lock you up
said Mamie, ''for lying to me. What is the
use Of your doing thatg You ought to know
| would search you anyhow. Now, if
catch you again, will take you down to
| court surely"
The woman was too hardened to be fright
ened, however, and simply smiled in Mame's
| tace. The latteRgatbered up the booty, and,
after eScorting the thief out of the store.
took it 10 the superintendent's desk, where
she explained the way in which it had been
recovered. The pocketbook containing the
| $50 had already been applied for by the
owner, whose address had been taken. The
other two had apparently been secured in
some other store, as no application had
been maze for them. They were put
| aside. The other articles wero returned to
the counters from Which they had been
| taken.
Mamie now had an opportu 1ity to 90
back to The jewelry counter. Business was
| brisk there, but no thieves were i'll sight
| The afternoon wore away, and it was get
ting around toward the time for closing
tie store when her patient watching was
rewarded. A country woman was leaning
over the counter examining some hairpins,
with her shopping sachel dangling from
her arm. Mamie saw one of tns women in
the crowd behind her deity open the snchel
and thrust her hand inside Mamie quickly
pressed in through the crowd, and stood
directly behind the thief. She could look
into the sachel and could see the thievis
hand wandering about in search of booty.
There was no pocketbook there, but q
number of bills and change had been thrust
into it loosely. The thief's hand was en-
gagged III picking these up. Just as the
| hand was about to withdraw, Mamie's right
closed firmly around its wrisf. Immedi-
ately the hand opened and the bills and
change dropped out OF it back into the
sachei. Mamie quickly pulled the hand
down out Of sight, but still retained firm
hold OF 1t. Its owner, her face fiery red,
turned and looked at Mamie. The latter
paid no attention to her fer TIE time being,
but touched the owner Of the sachel on the
shoulder As the latter turned around in
surprise Mamie pointed significantly at the
open sachel aud said:
y" That Is a very dangerous and careless
way to carry your sachel, ma'am."
The woman uttered an exclamation OF
surprise and quickly closed her sachel,
which she transferred to her hand. She
was not overpleased with Mamie's remark.
and looked at her both Indignantly and with
! suspicion. Mamie didn't mind that. how
ever, but, still holdiu on to the wrist Of the
thief, she Withdrew from the crowd, taking
her along. The latter was evidently a
| novice, for she was in tears. Mamie took
her upstairs, and, after searching her and
| LdhlbS away several CFl1l6S winch she had
secured from the counters, gave her talk
| ing t.. 1t was rather odd to hear this Young
| girl lecturing q woman many years her
senior, but the latter took her remarks
without any attempt to refute them, and
promised to stop her criminal practices
hereafter.
"All right, nsaid Mamie, as she saw the
| woman out OF tie store. Nobody will
1 be more pleased to see you reform than |
will. but remember this is your last chance
here. If you are caught again you will &c
to Jail, sure"
laamies work did not end until all the
clerks had left the store. 1t was one part
OF her duty to see that no suspicious person
had fingered beyond the regular closing
hour, and that no suspicious bundles were
carried out of the store.
Every day Mamie goes through similar
experiences. She has learned to recognize
the old offenders and seems to have a
natural talent for discovering new ones.
She does not always let@tne offenders 60
either, although it is against the policy Of
the firm to make arrests when these can be
avoided.
Several weeks ago she followed two
women out of the store and down Sixth
avenue. She had been suspicious OF them
for some time, but had been unable. owing
to the big crowds in the store, to get near
enough to them at any time to make sure
that they were thieves. She saw
them go into q hallway and di
vide their booty, aud when they
CANA he orra,toI 3ho,..