Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-02-11

Thought She Was Robbed, but the Pocket
Was in Her Other Dress.

Thought She Was Robbed, but the Pocket
Was in Her Other Dress.
From the New York Herald.
certain west side lady who has been read
Ing the newspapers sat down one evening and
put pocket IN her dress. She had been going
along her whole uneventful life without a
pocket. She had frequently needed q pocket,
but having been born without one, and never
having seen lady with one, she had I'M
consciously accepted the pocketless condition
as necessary incidental of her sex. As her
boys came to the age Of trousers and jackets
the pocket challenged her attention by the
number and character Of the articles that could
be concealed therein. She had found about every
thing boy could think of, from apples to old
nails, In those pockets. They we're a constant
source of surprise and instruction to her. Yet
pocket seemed to her as it has to many q
woman, lnseparable from trousers.
IL never occurred to her to wear trousers She
mad heard OF women wearing trousers and
pockets, but never lady. So she calmly logged
along to middle age. carrying herpocket book
sad misnomer to those who never had a
pocket.-in her hand, small change tucked
under her glove and big bills in her stockings. As
for her handkerchief fan. glove buttoner-well,
the handkerchief was usually in her husbands
pocket. while all of the other necessary articles
OF the feminine make up were disposed about her
person in the usual mysterious manner known
only to women kind.
In q moment of mental alteration she one
day read that department of a newspaper de-
voted to women's fashions. She saw there,
much to her astonishment, that every woman
OF good common sense had pocket in her
dress-at least her shopping dress. Fortunately
or unfortunately she read but one fashion
writer-no two women writers on feminine
matters ayree-and she converted. She
put pocket in her best street dress. She went
out and tried it and it worked satisfactorily.
She had neither been arrested nor robbed.
She was so delighted with it that she told her
husband. He said "Yes?" and went on shaving
A few days later she was on a Broadway car,
hanging TO strap with the life squeezed out of
her, so she afterward said, when the conductor
asked her for her fare. She smiled sweetly and,
to use the male expression for the act event
down into her clothes" The conductor knew
what that meant and went back to the platform
TO give her time. He hadn't more than got
there however before he heard a scream.
I've been robbedn' came in startling accents
from within.
The driver brought the brake down with a
turn that sent the standing load into the front
end OF the car in heap.
"Plckpockets!' yelled an excited man, grab
bling his watch and chain. Whereat every other
man felt of his pockets or scarfpin or watch to
assure himself of the safety Of his portable
property. A couple Of men had been about to
get off just there, but they were now afraid to
do SO for fear of exciting suspicion.
'.Oh, my pocket book! Ny pocket book! 1
had it right here in my pocketr she cried, with
a swift suspicious glance upon her follow pas
sengers.
Which pocket, num-" inquired one of the
latter.
(which pocket?' The tone in which this
was uttered convinced the inquirer that he had
made bad break; but he didn't know Just
where 1t was. All the time the lady was feeling
wildly around as if to locate the receptacle.
In her nervous state she was jerking her dress
first this way, then that, and scrambling among
the numerous folds without accomplishing any
thing more than making the people around her
dizzy.
Where was the pocket, madam, when you
had it last?" This from lady who carried her
pocket book in her hand at an angle OF forty
five degrees.
my pocket book"
mo, your pocket. 1t would be a good idea
to ind that first
The conductor signaled the driver TO 90
ahead.
glance Of scorn that would have withered a
corn crop was bestowed upon the lady without
a pocket by the lady with a pocket
shes trying to find it, " politely suggeste q
sympathizer.
shell probably find it in her other dress"
growled a man in the furthest end of the car
Everybody looked at him and laughed That
Is, everybody but the lady with the pocket. She
permitted pale and sickly feeling of relief to
show itself i'll her face and suddenly ceased to
take any further interest IL the search. When
the conductor came through again she
calmly took q nickel from her glove and paid
her fare without a word. Whereupor the man
in the furthest corner of the car assumed such
an lntolerable air Of knowing all about it that
other men were obliged to get off and walk.