The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1905-08-11
CHAPTER Nv.

~ 4 Ing lIOlu 1NduCt
Listen to what I've got to
= ~ tell you. Mag. listen!
lee You know where | was
- coming from yesterday when
I passed Troyon's window and grinned
APP at you. sitting there, framed in
bottles Of hair tonic, with all that red
wig of yours streaming about you?
Yep, from that little, rat-eyed law
yer's office. | was glum as mud.
felt as though Tom and myself were
both flies caught by the leg-he by the
law and ! by the lawyer-in a sticky
mess; and the more we tapped our
wings and struggled and pulled, the
more we hurt and tore ourselves, and
the sooner we'd have to give it up.
oh, that wizen-faced little lawyer
that lives on the Tom Dorgans and
the Marco oldens. who don't know
which way to turn to get the money!
He looks at me out of his red little
eyes and measures in dollars what I'd
do for Tom And then he sets his
price a notch higher than that
When passed the big department
store next to Troyon's, / was just
thinking of this, and | turned in
there just aching for some OF the
noodle that fiaunts itself in poor
girls face when she's desperate. from
every silk and satin rag, from every
lace and jewel in the place.
The funny part of II is that | didn't
want 1t for myself, but for Tom. Pom
my soul, Mag, though | would have
filled my arms with everything saw
I wouldn't have put on ope thing OF
all the buds, Just liked off to soak
'em and pay the lawyer. ! might have
been as old and ugly and rich as the
yellow skinned woman opposite me,
who was turning over laces on the
middle counter, for all these things
meant to me-with Tom in Jail.
was thinking this as I looked at
her when all at once | saw
You know Ii takes pretty quick
touch. sharp eyes and good nerve to
get away with the goods in big shop
like that. Or 1t takes something alto
gether different II was the different
way she did it. she took up the piece
Of lace-it was a big collar. fine like
a cobweb picture in threads-you can
guess what ii must have been worth
If that old sinner. Mother Douty, gave
me SIS for 1t. She took IL up in. a
quick, eager way, as though she'd
found Just what she wanted. Then
she took out lace sample from her
gold-linked purse and held them both
M close to her blinlSy little eyes, look
ing at It through gold lorgnette with
emcralds in the handle; pulling II and
feeling II with the air or one who
knows d fine thing when she sees IT,
AMI Just what makes 1t fine Then
shn rustled off TO the door to examine
II closely in the light and-Mag Mona
han she walked right out with it!
AT least, she'd got beyond the inner
doors when tapped her on the shout
der.
4 beg pardon. madam My best
style Mag,
She pulled herself up haughtily and
ii
mummy Of a woman. just wrapped
away III silks and vcivcts. but on the
inside Of that nervous, little old body
OF hers there must have been some
spring Of good material that wasn't all
unwound yet
she stood blinking at me without q
word.
THAT lace. You haven't paid for
1t" | said.
Her short sighted eyes fell from my
face to the collar she held in her hand
Her yellow face grew CHASTITY
.Oh, mercy You you don't
II am d detective for the store
and"
But"
"sh, We don't like any noise made
about these things, and you yourself
wouldn't enjoy"
DO you know who ! am, young
woman She fumbled in her satche
aad passed card TO me.
Glory bel Guess. Mag, oh. you'd
never guess, you dear old Mag! BE
sides. you haven't got the acquaintance
in'high society that Nance olden car
boast.
..ss.,. ......a......'....',...... ..''.'..".,s.
MRS MILLS r. VAN wAGENEN
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0h--Magi Shame on Won not {,