The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1894-12-22
HER REYESWEREBLUE
THE PRETTY MISS WHO WAS NOT
so SIMPLE As SHE LOOKED.

How Nellie Scott, the NoeOraOus BnOpAAKeSEs
Was Detected and Sent Co Sing sing-A
Quiet Way OF Taking Thieves Into Camp
Employed In . Big Store.
The scene is laid in one Of New York's
huge up town dry goods stores Tt 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 scnf1iinR, hurrying feet. the
hum of conversation, rising to insist up
OH bargains here ard there-an 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,l irritated, feveriSh, ceaselessly NOV,
ing throng. are a pair Of fashionably
dressed women. Both perhaps wear dia-
monds, bat they are not oonspicuously
displayed. They are quiet Of demeanor.
Nothing by look or action would sepa-
rate them, so far as the superficial view
would reveal, from hundreds Of others
in that eddying, olamorous mass.
Evidently one of the women is the
purchaser, the other merely accompany
ing her. They consult over possible pur-
uhases- 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 bo abundant time. ;"
| The saleswoman is pleased. She bids
her agreeable customers to come again.
| They reply with charming smile and
Are lost in the crowd. Unnoticed after
them wanders a 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. Her hair is gold
en- 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 q trim and at
traotive figure
The women from the counter move
toward the door. The little girl is not
far behind If you had looked closely
something you would have never
thought of doing-you might have seen
\ sharp, keen eyed yorng man eying the
girl closely. If yo1 had been an atten-
tive observer, you might have seen this
innooent, blue eyed little girl noe
sharply at the two women as they pass
cut, then turn ON her heel and 60 bacl
among the crowd. Then you would have
noticed that the sharp eyed young mar
quietly left tho store with the two WON
en-. He is fashionably dressed, idly
wears a cane sndhas doubtless been max
ing some purchases himself. Half {
block away ne taps one Of the women OF
the shoulder.
Madam" he says half roughly, bu
politely, "the woman at the lace counse
would like to see you"
The women look up with astoniSh
nent. They are quite sure they have lef
nothing, but the young man is urgent
He suggests that they had better no
make scene. He blandly suggests tina
i is doubtless all mistake, but return
they must. Otherwise-an officer stand
at The corner.
Seeing that there is no escape, tn
women return. One of them is searche,
in the superintendent Office. A roll O
rich laces, worth probably hundreds o
dollars, is found, ingeniously stowe
away in O rear pocket. Evidently she
an expert. She is a queen of the shop
liftors, and she has run against one c
the sharpest private detectives in tn
city, lie knowing her, she not bein
aware of him, he has the advantage
This particular woman, Nellie Scott, c
very wide and generous notorioty,
now doing time in Sing Sing. For year
size had been operating against til
stores, living like a woman of wealt
and fashion. 1t is a gay life while
lasts, the work is easy, but always
the day bound to come when she wi
feel that tap upon her shoulder an
know that she is caught.
Just how she was discovered sh
PROBABLY never knew. Neither do a Ion
line Of other shoplifters that have bee
sent over the road from a mistaken a
tempt to work this store. Neither Ne
lie Scott nor any of the rest was ev'
for a moment conscious Of the innocM
looking but watchful eyes intently lai
upon them by that pretty little CIR
with the sailor hat and the golden hal
bound in q schoolgirls plait.
This is one Of the many means adop
ed by the great dry good stores Of IL
city to protect themselves from Il
plundering shoplifters which prey upc
them. 1t is a very popular means,
cause it is one of the surest and mo
effective, and at the same time the D
irons of the store are not annoyed by Il
10 palpable presence Of detective. The
Of do not feel under any irritating espio
IL age, and the shoplifters never kno
j. when these soft, innocent looking paw
OF are TO pounce upon them-New Yoi
rs Herald.
es "