Middletown transcript., 1907-03-23
Dorinda's Preposterous Pocket
BY CARROLL WATSON RANKIN

room, spread her cloth out upon
the cutting table and reached for
the scissors.
If a little is good. said she,
more is better. After waiting
seventeen years for pocket, [
deserve a good big one. There
That's a regular pillow.case. Now
I'll just stitch it up on the sewing
machine.
The pocket finished, satisfied
Dorinda went upstairs 10 her
own room, took from its hook in
the closet a plain dark skirt, care.
fully ripped open about four in
ches of one of the side seams. and
| inserted the far too generous
pocket.
Why exploring the depths Of
her new acquisition, I can carry
nearly everything want to take
in this beautiful affair And to
think l have gone all these years
without a pocket, when it didn't
| take more than fifteen minutes to
put one in! Haven't / been a
! goose /!
Dorinda meant to display her
pocket proudly to hermother and
to the other members of the fam
ily; but in the excitement of
preparing for the journey, she
failed to mention it. She did
not forget, however, to store it
with hairpins, handkerchiefs
and other small articles for
the three days absence.
Don't get your pocket, picked
warned her father, kissing her
good BYE at the station.
She can't, said her mother,
smiling, for she hasn't any pocket.
Oh, yes I have began Dorinda;
but nobody heard her, for a voice
shouted: All Aboard!and Mr.. and
Mrs. Wells hurried from the
train.
When the train pulled into the
station, Dorinda looked around
for her mothers Cousins Sarah;
but that good woman, having
read Mrs. Wells s.letter without
her spectacles, had mistaken the
word Tuesday for Thursday, and
was consequently about two days
late.
Never mind, said Dorinda,
cheerfully, something has delayed
Cousin Sarah; but fortunately I
have her address. l think,
thought, before | hunt her up,
that I'll go right to Black & Bar
nington's department tore. and
begin my shopping. It'll be
quite exciting to do.it all by my
self.
Dorinda, however thanks to
her pockets found it far more ex-
citing than she had anticipated
AS she shopped, she dropped |
her smaller purchases, one after
another, into her capacious
pocket. Ribbons, buttons,
trimmings, package of cara
mels, rattle for the baby,a GIN
let for Bob, a little bisque doll
for Bessie and tiny gifts for her
girl friends, all went in until, al
though Dorinda fail to notice it,
there was decided bulge among
the folds of her skirt.
Suddenly there was com mo-
bion near the book counter, where
Dorinda, lost among the fascinat-
.ng pages Of one Of the holiday
books, was standing.
Help Murder Police wo.
nan screamed. I've been robb-
ID /! My pocket-booI1's gone!
Dorinda, feeling unpleasantly
stepped back and
;ried to extricate herself from
,he gathering crowd.
That girl, cried the excited
woman, pointing straight at Dor
nda, was standing right beside
ne. 1 sow her pocket just as 7 I
missed my purse.
Step this way, both of you,
aid the floor walker, leading
hem to a little private Office. :
Now tell me about it, said he,
ipeaking quietly. It
The woman repeated her story
,dding Look at that skirt You
an see that she's a shop litter. :
Dorinda and the floor walker t
ooked. There was certainly a s
suspicious bulge at one side Of !
he girls skirt; her cheeks were
carlet and she hung her head. !
'he was really too astonished Q
or words, but she looked the pic, /
ure of guilt.
Miss Murphey, said the floor :
stepping to the door, !
ill you kindly come here for a c
Caanol /