Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-11-06
HER EYESWEREBLUE
ThE PRETTY MISS WHO WAS NOT
 so SIMPLE AS SHE LOOKED.

How Nellie Scott. the Netoriou. shopIafser, Was Detected and Sent Co Sing sInx-A Quiet Way sf Taking Thieves Int Camp Employed In a Bis store.
 The scene is laid in one of New York's huge up town dry goods stores It is the hour of the crush. Crowds of bargain hunting women surge up and down the long. stifiing aisles. The cry of the sales people, the chatter of the cash girls, the noise of scuffiing, hurrying feet. the hum of conversation, rising to insist up- on bargains here and there-all mingle in a confused, subdued roar.
 At one of the busiest counters, whers are piled high rich and costly faces. holding their own against the elbow ing, irritated, feverish. ceaselessly moy- ing throng, are pair of fashionably dressed women. Both perhaps wear dia- monds, but they are not conspicuously 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. clamorous 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.
 ''Please to send the goods C. O. D. tomorrow. It will be 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 q schoolgirl. | A jaunty sailor hat caps a trim and at tractivc figure.
 The women from tho 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 a sharp. keen eyed young man ewing the girl closely. If you had been an atten- 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 wom- en. He is fashiunably dressed, idly wears a cane and has doubtless been mak- 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 would like to sec you
 The women look up with asronish- ment. They are quite sure they have left nothing, but the young man is urgent | He suggests that they had better not make a scene. He blandly suggests that it is doubtless all a mistake, but return they must. Otherwise-an officer stand: at the corner.
 Seeing that there is no escape. the women return. One of them is searched in the superintendent office. A roll oi rich laccs, worth probably hundreds oi dollars, is found. ingeniously slowed | an expert. She is a queen of the shop filters, and she has run against one OI the sharpest private detectives ill tn, city. He knowing her, she not being aware of him, he has the advantage. This particular woman, Nellie Scott, oi very wide and generous notoriety, i. now doing time in Sing Sing. For year. she had been operating against th' | s.E Tel and fashion It is a gay life while il lasts, the work is easy, but always i: the day bound to come when she vii feel that tap upon her shoulder anC know that she is caught
 Just how she was discovered sht probably never knew. Neither do n lunE line of other shoplifters that have beer sent over the road from a mistaken at tempt to work this store. Neither Mel lie Scott nor any of the rest was evel for a moment conscious of the innocen looking but watchful eyes intently laiC upon them by that pretty little girl with the sailor hat and the golden hair bound in n schoolgirls plait.
 This is one of the many means adopt ed by the great dry good stores of tn, city to protect themselves from thu plundering shoplifters which prey upOi them. It is a very popular means, be cause it is ono of the surest and mos effective, and at the same time the pa irons of the storo arc not annoyed by tn palpable presence of a detective. The, do not feel under any irritating espiOn age. and the shOplifters never know when these soft, innocent looking paw are to bounce upon them--New YOrl ] Herald.