Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-11-16
HER EYES WEREBLUE
TIE PRETTY MISS WHO WAS NOT
SO SIMPLE AS SHE LOOKED.


Was Detected a..,; Sent to Sing Sing-A
/ Glsiat Way of Taking Thieves Into Camp
| Employed In Zig Store.
The scene is laid i'll one of New York's
huge up town Cry goods stores. 1t is the
| hour of the crush. Crowds of bargain
hunting women surge up and down the
long, sitting aisles. The cry of the sales
people, the chatter OF the cash girls, the
noise Of seufiiing, hurrying feet. the
hum of conversation, rising to insist up
Oh bargains here and tlere-all mingle
i'll confused, subdued roar.
| At one of the busiest counters, where
are piled high rich and costly laces,
holding their own against the elbow
ing, irritated, feverish, ceasclessly NOV
ing t'2rong, are a pair of fashionably
dressed wosren. Both perhaps wear dia-
mon{ls. but they arc Tot co1lspicuous1y
displayed. They are quiet Of delneanor.
Nothing by look or action would sepa-
rate them. SO far as the superficial view
would reveal, from hundreds of others
in that eildying, clalnorous mass.
Evidently one of the women is the
purchaser, the other merely accompany
ing her. They consult over possible pur-
chases. These completed, they give the
direction to the saleslady. The price is
high. They consult their pocketbooks
and discover they have not sufficient
change about them.
'sPlease to send the goods G. o. D.
! ! lo -
| Tie saleswoman is pleased. She bids
! her agreeable customers to come again.
They reply with q charming smile and
are lost in the crowd. Unnoticed after
them wanders q pretty, blue eyed girl.
#! She has been standing near them, purse
in hand, at The counter, rather wistful-
ly eying their purchases, wondering no
doubt if she shall have money enough
some day to do as they. Fer hair is gold
Ell and hangs pendent in a plait down
i her neck. Her eyes are big and blue,
with all the innocence of schoolgirl.
A iaunty sailor hat caps a trim and at
tractive figure.
The women from the counter move
coward the door, The little girl is not
far behind II you had looked closely
! something you would have never
! thought Of doing-you might have seen
Q sharp, keen eyed young man eying the
girl closely. Il you had been AFT alton
tive observer, you might have seen this
innocent, blue eyed little girl nod
sharply at the two women as they pass
out, then turn on her heel and go back
among the crowd. Then you would have
noticed that the sharp eyed young man
quietly left the store with the two woln-
en- He is fashionabIy dressed, idly
wears a cane and has doubtless been max
ing some purchases himself. Half a
block away lie taps che of the women on
the shoulder.
"Madam.' he says half roughly, but
politely, ''the woman at the lace counter
would like to see you. -
The women look up with astonish-
mont They are quite sure they have left
nothing, but the young man is urgent.
He suggests that they had better not
make a scene. Eo blandly suggests that
it is doubtless all mistake, but return
they must: Otherwise-an officer stands
at the corner.
Seeing that there is no escape, the
women return. One of them is searched
in the superintendent Office. A roll Of
rich laces, worth probably hundreds OF
dollars, is found, ingeDiously slowed
away in rear pocket. Evidently she is
lifters, and she las run against one Of
the sharpest private detectives in the
city. He knowing her, she not being
! aware of him, he has the advantage
This particular woman, Nellie Scott, of
. very wide and generous notorlety, is
now doing time III Sing Sing. For years
she had been operating against the
stores living like a woman of wealth
and fashion. 1t is a gay life while it
lasts, the work is easy, but always is
the day bound to come when she will
feel that tap upon her shoulder and
know that she is caught.
Just how she was discovered she
probably never knew. Neither do long
line Of other shoplifters that have been
: sent over the road from mistaken at
tempt to work this store. Neither Mel
lie Scott nor any OF the rest was ever
for moment conscious of the innocent
+ looking but watchful eyes intently laid
upon them by that pretty little girl,
with the sailor hat and the golden hair,
bound in a schoolgirls plait.
This is, one Of the many means adopt
ed by the great dry good stores of the
city to protect themselves from the
plundering shoplifters which prey upon
them. 1t is very popular means, be-
cause it is one Of the surest and most
effective, and at the same time the pa
irons Of the store are not annoyed by the
81 palpable presence Of detective. They
do not feel under any irritating espion-
age, and the shoplifters never know
when these soft, innocent looking paws
are to pounce upon them.-New York
Herald.