The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1902-02-13
A STRANGE BUSINESS.
The "Chief Mourners" at Prayer and
Their Method Of EnrichinG
Themselves.

"Well," remarked sprightly
young woman who works on De-
troit newspaper and sharpens her
wits In New York. relates the Free
Press. ~ really never thought II,
put IL has happened and / am minus
= pocketbook and its contents. l
suppose It Is needless for me to say
that the contents were not vo.umin-
Gus. They weren't that when ! got
to New York, and continuance In
that town Is surely not fattening to
pne's purse.
"But to my story. One day I had
some business up In Lexington ave-
nue. about Fiftieth street, and as the
man ! 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
IL was st. Patrick'a cathedral, ] con-
cluded to go over and take o look
at II, a. ! had heard SO much about
II. belong 20 that faith, and
had some feeling, other than mere
curiosity to see the finest church
building In the United States.
81 got around to IL very shortly,
and on entering. I was first strucl;
by the windows, which, according Ia
my taste, are not very artistic or
very beautiful. After had wandered
around awhile. concluded I would
kill two birds with one stone and
offer prayer or two before ! left
so I proceeded to one OF the smaller
altars where ! knelt. and here ! no.
ticed woman heavily veiled and In
deep mourning who had been fol
lowing me around In my movements
about the building. but whom l 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 knelt again. Thi,
time laid my pocketbook and um
brella down on the steps, and before
saying the prayers. made study
of the windows, which also did not
like.
presently I observed my frient
In the deep mourning by my side
leaning very devoutly and groanihi
with that peculiar groan which rheu
matte people have. In a minute OF
two the old lady, or so she mp
pcarcd. moved rs II to get up from
her knees, and put out her hand
to the steps where my property wa
lying. She groaned SO was oi
the point OF offering my assistance
but remembering was In New YorI
where people cant be too familiar
even In charity, I held my hand back
and continued with my prayers. Sh'
got up somehow and went away, an,
in n minute or SO I was ready to go
and reached out for my pocketbool,
but II had departed for good. an,
left no sign. She had gone out o
q side door, but I didn't even know
which one, and, Of course, couldn'
follow her.
"Pained to think that was oil tn
reward ] had received for my de
votions, I went back to Lexington
avenue to see the man ! had missed
and tod him my story. Anothe
man In the drug store where he wn
vcnturcd the information that I ha
been seen by one Of the Chic
Mourners,' which he explained n
meaning that there were severn
women going about to funerals a
81. Patrick's and other churches O
the neighborhood, where they did
thrifty business In thleving. The de
tectiyes, he said, hadn't been able I
locate them. which was pleasin
news to me. However. the ON
thing OF real value In my purse wa
my railroad pass, and hurried awa
70 fix that so II anybody used II h
or she would have some explainin
TO do that might furnish clew.
1T was my Arst experience In b,
ing burglarized, and ! don't Jus
know whether to quit going I
church or quit going to New York.