The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-01-31
HER EYES WEREBLUE'
THE PRETTY MISS WHO WAS NOT
SO SIMPLE AS SHE LOOKED.

f@ &uAEN ~ " AAAhA8 AMNSNUA &MGW A&mW
Employed In . Big Store.
The scene is laid III one of New FORKS
huge up town dry goods stores. Il Ii the
hour of the crush. Crowds of bargain
hunting women surge up and down the
long, sitting aisles. Tho cry 1T the sales
people, the chatter of the cash girls, the
noise of scuf1ing, hurrying feet. the
hum of conversation, rising to insist mp
on bargains here and there-all mingle
in q 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 fashionably
dressed women Both perhaps wear dia-
monds, but they are not c-onspicuCusly
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 n of the women Ii the
purchaser, the other merely accompany
ing her. They consult over possible pur-
chases. These completed, they give the
direction 20 the saleslady. The price is
high. They consult their pocketbooks
and discover they have not sufficient
change about them.
PLEASE to send the goods @. %. ID.
tomorrow. It will be abundant time"
Tile 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 a pretty, blue eyed girl.
She has hBen standing near them, purse
in hand, nc the counter, rather wistful-
ly eying their purchases, wondering no
doubt if ahe shall have money enough
some day TO do as they. Her hair il gold
en- and hangs pendent in q plait down
her neck. Her eyes are big and blue,
with all the innocence Of q schoolgirl.
A jaunty sailor hat caps q trim and at
tractive figure.
The women from the counter move
toward the door. The little girl il not
far behind. If You had looked closely
something you would have never
thought Of doing-you might have seen
q sharp, keen eyed young maj eying the
girl closely. III you had been an atten-
tive observer, you might have seen this
innocent, blue eyed little girl nod
sharply ct the two women as they pass
out, then turn ON her heel and 90 back
among the crowd. Then youwould have
noticed that the sharp eyed young man
quietly left the store with the two WON
en-. He is fashionably dressed, idly
wears a cane andhas doubtless been max
ing some purchases himself. Half q.
block away he taps one Of the women ON
the shoulder.
Madam, = he says half roughly, but
politely, ''the oma mt the lace counter
would like to see you."
The women look mp with astonish-
ment. They arc quite sure they haveleft
nothing, but the young man is urgent.
He suggests that they had better not
make q scene He blandly suggests that
it is doubtless all a mistake, bat return
they must. Otherwise-an officer stands
at the corner.
Seeing that there Id no escape. the
women return. One Of them Is searched
in the superintendent's -office. A roll OF
rich laces, worth probably hundreds OF
dollars, is found, ingeniously slowed
away in q rear pocket Evidently she is
an expert. She il . queen OF the shop-
lifters, and she has rum against one of
the sharpest private detectives i'm the
city. He knowing heryahs not being
aware OF him, he has the advantage
This particular woman, Nellie Scott, 0f
very wide and generous notoriety, lii
now doing time i'm Sing Sing. For years
she had been operating against the
stores, living like q woman of wealth.
and fashion. Ii il q gay life while il
lasts, the work In easy. but always In
the day bound TO come when she will
feel that tap upon her shoulder and
know that she ii caught.
just how she was discovered she
probably never knew. Neither do a long
line Of other shoplifters that have been
sent oyer the road from o mistaken at
tempt to work this store. Neither Mel
lie Scott nor any of the rest was ever
for a 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 plat. .4aas
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. It is a 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.
palpable presence of q detective. They
do not feel under any irritating espion
age, and the shoplifters never know
when these soft. innocent looking paws
are to ponnce upon them.-New York
Herald
DiscOuraging 10 burglars.