Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-11-30
AC UT TED.

It was getting toward o'clock when my attention was attracted to pretty little girl who was tripping across Re gent street Just as she reached the curb she slipped upon patch of ice and fell heavily It took me about half M second 10 reach the little woman and pick her up. She was shaken by the tall, though not injured, and had to support her for moment
 had tramped up and down my beat three or four times when bareheaded cashboy ran out of one of the big shops and yelled at me: Come quick! The manager has caught a shoplifterr'
 sAh, ofHcer,' said the manager. who was mere business machine, q am glad you have come. One of our clerks at the lace counter discovered that a valuable piece of lace had been stolen and gave the alarm. This woman hur- ried away from the counter. The lace was found in an outside pocket of her cloak. This is the piece on the desk here
 There was a sudden movement on the part of the woman. She snatched her Handkerchief her face, ex- tended her right arr nd finger, which shook with rage an. turning her blaz- ing eyes upon the business machine, she fairly screamed!
 e lis false! I am no thiefw She was the black eyed little girl that had picked up scarcely half an hour before. Then she told me her little story. She was an orphan and had been brought ID by an old aunt in Yorkshire. About six months before this her aunt had died, and slie came on to the city and turned her hand to lacemaking and had been able to support herself de gently since then.
 She said that she had stepped into the shop to make some small purchases and was arrested when walking away. She protested that she did not know how the lace came to be found in her pocket.
 explained the case to the sergeant at the station and got his permission for her to sit In chair in the office instead of occupying cell all night.
 Somehow couldn't get the sorrow. fuI look of those black eyes out of my mind, and couldn't sleep, and when daylight came time hung on a peg un- tiI court tifne came. walked around thinking on 1T the case, trying to arrive at some solution favorable to the girl.
 or course when we got to court Min nie-that was her name-was convict ed in one, two, three order. She made no statement just stood dazed- like and the judge held her for trial in the court above
 As they led the girl away she was 9he picture of death. gave her nod of encouragement, but she returned il with a look that said just as plainly as words could have said. My heart is broken
 had questioned her closely as te the appearance of the people who ha6 stood near her at the lace counter. She could remember none save one dashily dressed woman who had attracted hel attention because of remarkable mu tilation of one of her ears, as if piece had been cut out in a triangular form.
 persuaded the superintendent tc grant me leave of absence for a couple of days and went to work. overhaul ed the pictures at the office and gazeG hard and earnestly at the features ol every female crook in the "rogues gallery but could not find the one was after
 At last fell to reading the remarks under the picture of bold, handsome face and was knocked all into a cock ed hat by the words, "Has triangu lar piece cut out of the left ear.''
 had a long talk with detective friend of mine, and after awhile hs was able to place the woman and told me where she most frequented.
 All that day and nearly all the nex1 was on the lookout for that lady anG was despairing when big, handsome woman swept past me, actually brush ing against me with her sealskin cloak
 glanced up and fairly started, fol one of her ears was lnutilated just al the girl and the note in the office hat described
 The woman swept on, and followed entered the xsEv slaOD where 2 hat