The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-01-24
A STRANGE BUSINESS.
The "Chief Mourners" mt Prayer and
Their Method of Enriching
Themselves.

Themselves.
s'Well," remarked sprightly
troit newspaper and sharpens her
wits in New York, relates the Free
Press. 81 really never thought it,
but it has happened and am minus
a pocketbooR and it's contents.
suppose it is needless for me to say
that the contents were not volumin-
Gus. They weren't that when I got
to New York, and continuance in
that town is surely not fattening to
ones purse.
"But to my story. One day I had
some business up in Lexington ave-
nue. about Fiftieth street, and as the
man I wanted to see wouldn't be in
for half an hour, I asked what the
spires of the big church were
could see towering up against the
western sky, and being informed that
it was St. Patrick's cathedral, con-
cluded to go over and take look
at it, as had heard so much about
it. I belong to that faith, and
had some feeling other than mere
curiosity to see the finest church
building in the United States.
II got around to it very shortly,
and on entering, I was first struck
by the windows, which, according to
my taste, are not very artistic or
very beautiful. After I had wandered
around awhile, I concluded I would
kill two birds with one stone and
offer prayer or two before I left,
SO proceeded to one of the smaller
affairs where I knelt, and here I no.
ticed woman heavily yelled and in
deep mourning who had been fol-
lowing me around in my movements
about the building, but whom I had
paid no attention to. She had knelt
quite near to me, but forgot her
in looking at the altar, the appear
ance of which did not like. moved
over then to the large altar in the
center, where I llnelt again. This
time I laid my pocketbook and UNI
brella down on the steps, and before
saying the prayers, I made study
of the windows, which I also did not
like.
Presently I observed my friend
In the deep mourning by my side,
leaning very devoutly and grooming
with that peculiar sroan which rheu-
matte people have. In a minute or
two the old lady, or so she APP
peared, moved as if to get up from
her knees, and put out her hands
t" the steps where my property was
lying. She groaned SO 1 was on
the point of offering my assistance,
but remembering was in New York
where people can't be too familiar,
even in charity, held my hand back,
and continued with my prayers. She
got up somehow and went away, and
in minute or SO I was ready to go,
and reached out for my pocketbook,
but it had departed for good, and
left no sign. She had gone out OF
! side door, but I didn't even know
which one, and, of course, couldn't
follow her.
| "Pained to think that was all the
reward I had received for my de-
votions, 1 went back to Lexington
avenue to see the man I had missed
and I told him my story. Another
man in the drug store where he was
ventured the information that had
been seen by one of the Chief
Mourners,' which he explained as
meaning that there were severa
women going about to funerals al
st. Patrick's and other churches oil
the neighborhood, where they did q
thrifty business in thieving. The de-
tectives, he said, hadn't been able tc
locate them, which was pleasing
news to me. However, the only
thing of real value in my purse was
my railroad pass, and hurried away
to fix that SO if anybody used it he
or she would have some explaining
to do that might furnish a clew.
"It was my first experience in be-
ing burglarized, and I don't JUS,
know whether to quit going tc
church or quit going to New York
Taken Seriously Now.
Bunker used to get considerable
amusement out of golf.
Ascum-Ah! then you don't play
any more?
eyes, indeed l was referring tc
the time before I began to play
Philadelphia bulletin.