The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1894-12-20

Quiet w Ry OF Taxing 1nAGNGD AnSo N8A1R
Employed In = Big Store.
The scone is laid in one of New York's
huge ap town dry goods stores. 1t is the
hour . the crush. Crowds of bargain
hunting women surge up and down the
long, sitting aisles. The cry nf the sales
people, the chatter of the cash girls, the
noise Of scufling, hurrying feet. the
hum of conversation, rising to insist mp
on bargains here and there-all mingle
in 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, ceaselessly NOV
ing throng, are a pair of fasnionably
dressed women. Both perhaps wear dia-
monds, but they are not conspicuously
displayed. They are quiet of dCmeanor.
Nothing by look or action would sepa-
rate them, so FIR as the superficial view
would reveal, from hundreds Of others
in that eddying, olamorous mass
Evidently one of tine 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.
please to send the goods G. o. D.
tomorrow. 1t will be abundant time. "
The saleswoman is pleased. She bids
her agreeable customers to come again
They reply with a charming smile and
are lost in the crowd. UnEoticed after
them wandcTs a pretty, bluo 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 rs they. Ter hair is gold
Ell and hangs pendent in a plait down
her neck. Her eyes are big and blue,
with all the innocence of a schoolgirl
| A jaunty sailor hat caps trim and at
/ tractive figure.
The women from the counter move
/ Upward the door. The little girl is not
far hehind If you had looked closely
/ something you would have never
/ thought Of doing-you might have seen
y sharp keen eyed yong man eying the
girl closely. If you had been an atten-
tive observer, yo1 might have seen this
| innocent blue eyed little girl nod
/ sharply at the two women as they pass
out, then turn on har heel and go back
among the crowd. Then you would have
noticed that the sharp eyed young man
! quietly left the store with tho two wom-
en-. He is fashiUnably dressed, idly
wears a cane nn1has doubtless been max
| ing some purchases himself. Half a
block away he taps one of the women on
the shoulder.
Madam, - he says half roughly, but
| politely, 'the woman at the lace counter
woEld like to see you. -
The women look up with astonish-
Inent. They are quite sure they have left
nothing, but the young man is urgont.
He suggests that they had better not
make a scene. He blandly suggests that
it il doubtless all a mistake, but return
they must. Otherwise-an officer stands
az :,le corner.
Seeing that there is no escape, the
wome'l return. Ono of them is searched
in tho superintondent's Office A roll OF
rich la aes, worth probably hundreds of
dollars, is found, ingeniously slowed
away in rear pocket Evidently she is
an expert. Sho is a queen of the shop
lifters, and she has 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 nOtOriety, is
now doing time in Sing Sing. For years
she had been operating against the
stores, living like woman of wealth
and fashion. 1t is q gay life while it
lasts the work is easy, but always is
tie day bound to come when she will
feel that tap upon her shoulder and
know that she is caught.
JUS. how she was discovered she
PROBABLY never knew. Neither do long
line of other shopiifters that lave been
sent over the road from a mistaken at
tempt TO work this store. Neither Mel
lie Scott nor ANY Of the rest was even
for q moment conscious Of the innocent
looking but watchful eyes intently laid
upon them by that pretty little girl,
with the sailor hat aud 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 upor
them. Ii is a very popular means, be-
cause it Is one of the surest and mos
effective, and at the same time the pa
irons of the store are not annoyed by the
. palpable presence Of detective. They
+ do not feel under any irritating espion
age, and the shoplifters never know
. when these soft, innocent looking paw
T are to pounce upon them.-New Yorl
5 Herald.