The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-07-31

gravel almost at my feet. near the
little frcitstand that had tempted me.
Blank empty it was, stripped clean.
not penny left in It, not a paper. not
stamp, not even my key. Just the
same L was glad 10 have it, It linked
me in way to the place. The clever
little girl that had stolen It had been
here in this park. on this very spot.
The thought Of that cute young Nance
Olden distracted my mind a minute
from my worry-and. oh, Maggie dar-
lin, was worrying 50:
I walked up to the fruitstand with
the purse in my hand. The old fellow
who kept it looked up with an inviting
smile. Lord knows, he needn't have
encouraged me to buy II I'd had a
penny.
II want to ask you" I said. 'qf you
remember selling a lot OF good things
to little girl who had a purse this
this morning?"
showed 1t to him, and he turned 1t
over IN his crippled old hands.
1T was fuller then-or fuller, any
way" I suggested.
You wouldn't want 70 get her into
trouble-that little grip he asked eau
tiously.
laughed. Not L I-myself-"
I was going to say-wsn. you can
imagine what I was going to say, and
that 1 didn't say it or anything like 1t.
''Well-there she is. Kitty Wilson.
over yonde<." he said.
gasped. II was 50 unexpected. And
turned to look. There on one OF the
benches sat Kitty Wilson. II hadn't
been blind as bat and fun OF trouble
oh, it thickens your wits, does trou-
bic, and blinds your eyes and mufies
your earsl-Pd have suspected some
thing at the mere sight ofeher. For
there sat Kitty Wilson enthroned, a
hatless. lank little creature about u.
and near her, clustered thick as ants
around a lump Of sugar, was a crowd
Of children, black and white, boys and
girls. For Kitty-that deplorable Kitty
had money to burn: or what was
even more effective at her age. she had
goodies to give away. Her lap was full
OF spells. She had a sample OF every
good thing the fruitstand offered. Her
cheeks and lips we're smeary with
candy. Her dress was stained with
fruit. The crumbs Of cake fingered
still on her chin and apron And Kitty
Il love a generous tnief-was treat
ing the gang.
1t helped itself from her abundant
lap; it munched and gobbled and asked
for more. 1t was riot OF a high old
time. Even the birds were hopping
about as near as they dared. picking
up the crumbs, and the squirrels had
peanuts to throw to the birds.
And all on Nancy Oldens money!
laughed till shook. 1t was good to
laugh. Nancy Olden isn't accustomed
to a long dose Of the doleful. ana It
doesn't agree with her. I stroued over
to where my guests were banqueting.
You see, Mag. that's where I could
mt rank with the. A. D. I'm too in
quisitive. I want TO know. how the
other fellow in the case feels and
thinks. It isn't enough for me TO see
him act.
Kitty I said-somehow a 12-year-
old makes you feel more Of a grown
up than a 12-months-old dOes-'I hope
you're having a good time. Kitty VIII
son, but-haven't you lost something?"
She was chewing at the end OF long
string Of black candy-shOe-strfng, all
right, the stuff looks like-and she was
eating just because she didn't want to
stop. Goodness knows. she was full
enough. Her jaws stopped, though,
suddenly, as she looked from the empty
purse in my Outstretched hand to me
and took me IN.
oh. 1 know that pause intimately.
It says; Walt minute. till I get my
breath and I'll know how much you
know and Just what lie to tell you"
But she changed her mind when she
saw my face. You know, Mag, II
memory It's the face Of the body you've
done up. The respectables have their
rogues' gallery. but we. that IS. the
Hght-fngered brigade, have got fools
gallery to correspond to It.
In which Of EN- is my picture7 Now.
Margaret. that's mean. You know my
portrait hangs in both.
I locked down on the little beggar
that had painted me for the second
salon. and 10, in a flash she was on
tumbled to the ground. and Kitty was
OF.
I was bitterly disappointed IN that
girl, Mag I was altogether mistaken
in my diagnosis Of her. Hers IS only
a physical cleverness. a talented dex-
terity. She had no resource in time
not carry a CRATER half so far as a
good, quick tongue and a steady head.
She halted at a safe distance and
glared back at me. Her hostility ex-
cited the crowd OF children-her push
-against me. and the Drawer ones
jeered the things Kitty only looked.
while the thrifty ones stopped and
gathered up the spoil.
Tell her 1 wouldn't harm her"
said to one Of her lieutenants.
"She says she won't hurt ye, Kit"
the child screamed
"She dassent," yelled back Kitty. the
valiant. "She knows I'd peach on her
about the kid"
kid! What bid?" cried. all a-fire.
''The kid We swiped this mornin'.
YAH I told the cop what brought her
back how ye took her jest as Il
Kitty" 1 cried. "You treasure"