Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1894-10-31
Her Ewes Were Blue.

Her Eyes Were Blue.
The scene is laid in one of New
Y ork's huge up town dry goods
stores. 1t is the hour of the crush.
Crowds of bargain hunting women
surge up and down the long, sti-
fling aisles. The cry of the sales
people, the chatter of the cash girls,
the noise of scuffling, hurrying feet,
the hum of conversation, rising to
insist upon bargains here and there
all mingle in confused, subdued
roar.
At one of the busiest counters,
where are piled high rich aud costly
laces, holding their own agsinst the
elbowing, irritated, feverish, cease
lessly moving throng, are a pair of
fashionably dressed women. Both
perhaps wear diamonds, but they
are not conspicuously dressed. They
are quiet Of demeanor. Nothing by
look or action would separate 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 ac-
companying her. They consult
over possible purchases, These COM
pleted, they give the direction to the
saleslady. The price is high. They
consult their pocketbooks and dis
cover they have not scfficient change
about them.
"Please to send the goods c. o. d.
tomorrow. 1t 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
pretty, blue-eyed girl. She has
been standing near them, purse in
hand, at the counter, rather visit
fully eyeing their purchases, won-
dering no doubt if she shall have
money enough some day to do as
they. Her hair is golden and hangs
pendent in plait down her neck.
Her eyes are big and blue, with all
the innocence of schoolgirl. A
jaunty sailor hat caps trim and
attractive 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 would have seen a sharp,
keen eyed young man eyeing the
girl.closely. IL you had been an at
tentive 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 women.
lie is fashionably dressed, idly wears
a cane and has doubtless been maxi
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 see you"
The women look with astonish-
ment. They are quite sure they
have left nothing, but the young
man is urgent.
He suggests that they had better
not make scene. He blandly sug-
gests that it is doubtless all mis-
take; but return they must. Other
wise--an officer stands at the corner.
Seeing that there is no escape, the
women return. One of them is
searched in the superintendent's Of
fee. A roll of rich laces, worth
probably hundreds of dollars, is
found, ingeniously slowed away in
a rear pocket. Evidently she is an
expert. She is 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 adj
vantage. This particular woman,
Nellie Scott, Of very wide and gen.
erous notoriety, is now doing time
in Sing Sing. For years she has
been operating against the stores,
living like woman Of wealth and
fashion. It is 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
n lopo limo of othar ehonl;ftors tb ot