The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-06-10

ing morning before any of the en-
ployes arrived
Before l went to sleep that night !
laiu my plans
In the morning bright and early !
was around and with the manager
alone went on the cloak floor to make
the needful preparations to distinguish
or eNtinguish myself.
Selecting one Of the largest dummies
and seeiug that the brown muslin dress
over its skeleton frame was in good
order and reached to the floor, / told
nv astoniShed dry goods man that |
intended To hide under IL and there lie
in wait for the thief, who / meant TO
nab when the cloak over me was re-
moved, being, of course, able to know
that by the light of the salesroom
shining through the thin muslin cover
ing.
lie smiled at the queerness of the
proceeding, but told me to go ahead
and promised TO be on hand in case /
wanted assistance.
Putting on the dummy an elegant
cloak for bait, he helped me to hide
securely under il, and, wishing me sue
cess, he left me with a laugh which, !
must say, didn't feel like echoinT.
Soon | heard the store people tramp
ing in and the young sale ladies trip
ping by me and chatting gayly as they
laid aside their wraps and hats pre-
paratory to commencing the labors Of
the day.
They seemed immensely merry over
something very funny, end their pea.s
of musical laughter sounded sweet TO
my eager ears until, alas, i sadly dis
covered that i, the new fiOor-walllcr.
was the subject of their witticisms and
ridicule.
How / wanted TO suddenly pop ont
from my ignoble hiding place and
Squelch them as they deserved, but the
certainty of only making myself more
ridiculous and being met with redoub-
led laughter kept me in my mean and
unhappy position - under Il female
skirt.
by and by, and greatly to my minds
relief, the smart remarks followed by
peals Of mcrriment gave way to the
sober hum and hustle of business
For hours | sat in my cramped and
uncomfortable hiding place, feeling
like a fool and. no doubt, looking like
one. Crafty excited shoppers brushed
against the dummy, beneath which
bigger dummy squattcd, and several
times nearly knocked IL over, 50 had
plenty of occupation in holding IL
down. once the cold sweat came out
all over me and my hair stood mp
straight when some one tried to lift
my strange tent from the floor and eX-
pose the handsome new floor
walker" squatting like a tailor and
looking like boiled lobster under it.
You may believe | held on with a grip
L 4. 4.
the danger was gone
Noon time came. Hungry, thirsty,
tired and with bones aching from
cramp. there ] was and there | had TO
stick till night or my auNiously hoped
for shop-lifter came-if that was her
day.
/ heard the clock strike two" and
three and four" and in spite Of
patience and grit, and pride, and every
thing, / swore at myself and laughed
at myself and vowed to myself that
never more would l undertake TO be
smarter than 4 woman. Henceforth ]
should confine my detective abilities
exclusively TO male Jack the Rippers"
or bank cashiers, or else peddle pea
nuts for a living.
While thus engaged in sorrowful
meditations and trying painfully to
ease my cramped body without eXcit-
ing attention, ! was aroused by some
one tugging at the cloak, and lifting
the dummy's skirt / could Just see a
pair of dainty feet Then, in an in
slant, off the cloak slipped-the dim
light shining through the dummy's
muslin covering telling me-and like a
flash | grabbed the ankles of the pret-
" feet l was watching, sprang from
my hiding hole and-of all the shrielIs
and bushes and Indignation l ever
knew, those from the elegantly dressed
and cXquisitely beautiful young lady l
had 50 ungallautly and meanly cap
tured took the prize.
At once ! was the center of panic
stricken and terribly angry mob of fe-
males who wanted to kill me and toss
what was left of my miserable carcass
out of the window. And if the big de-
partment manager had not promptly
rescued me from their clutches after
my coat tails had been ripped off and
my side whiskers badly damaged
they'd have done it
During the battle, and, careless of
my injuries, l kept tight hold of my
fair prisoner only instead of grasping
her pretty ankles l shifted to her
equally pretty wrists.
Her sweet. innocent and beautiful in
dignation seemed so real that | feared
an awful mistake had been made and
began to figure how many years
salary l should have to pay for dam
ages. But when she was searched,
with due apologies for the apparent
necessity, the amount of pawn tickets
for cloaks found in her stocking-by
r ,-,l
my bacon and put me in the papers as
one of the most sxillful detectives on
record.
But no more dummies for me. H
c. Dodge, in Detroit Free Press