The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-02-07

beater.
.Therel" she said triumphantly
Didn't / ten you so2 We've got one
of EN- at last, and If youll take my
advice. you'll telephone for the patrol@
At these words Serena sank back
into the chair again and burst into
tears @Oh, it's all a dreadful. dread
full mistake, she sobbed. "Oh, won't
you, won't YOU believe me, please? As
true as | live, I bought and paid for
those things. and put them in the
front Of my jacket to be out Of the
way while ] went to the matinee. Oh,
oh, what shall do What shall | do.
Miss Ryan laughed pitilessly and
with a contemptuous little snort, and
Mr.. Cramer surveyed the weeping girl
4 sternly. The store had been systemat-
ically robbed for weeks by shop-lifters
SO clever that their detection had
come to be almost despaired Of The
capture Of one by Mr. Cramer meant
a substantial tribute to his astuteness
by his employers.
You have been fairly caught in the
act, he said II shall have you ar
rested at once. When you get to the
station you can send for your friends,
If you have any, who will bail you
out"
Serena raised her head eagerly at
the mention Of friends and started to
her feet "Oh, have a friend waiting
for mo at the entrance this very min
ute" she cried excitedly TITS my
husband was to meet him there He
can bail me out now before I'm ar
rested Oh, do someone go for him
quick He can explain everything
Miss Ryan opened her eyes very
wide and nodded significantly. AN ac.
compIice!" she whispered to the usher
behind her hand. 1.-TWO of 'em!"
I But Serena heard her not Full Of
hope she had forgotten her tears
You can't mistake him" she ex-
planned, animated and voluble He's
tall and dark and has mole and 4
black moustache Oh. don't wait min
, ute, for mercy sakes, but tell him to
come quick to his wife, who is just
going away in the patrol. Oh, dear, oh
/ dear"
Ten minutes later when Lloyd en-
tered the room and beheld his bride
! whom he had left at home serene and
smiling, now disheveled and her eyes
red with weeping, he turned pale
I "Serenai" he cried. what has hap
pened?"
Serena arose, and anolnted his col
lar and necktie with fresh burst Of
| tears. oh, Lloyd" she gasped with
widest incoherence, something per
| fectly awful. I've been arrested foE
| shop-lifting. And all because j dfin's
| want to 90 to the matinee looking
| like a fright Oh, Lloyd! DO some
I thing about it quickl"
i Lloyd unwound Serena from his
neck, and turned to Che usher with an
/ aspect quite terrible and threatening
| What do you mean, sir" he de-
| manded in tones Of thunder, by this
j insult to my wifeg'
4 He looked so tall, SO athletic and
] so dangerous that Miss Ryan with
| drew to the side Of the room and tried
to look disinterested. The usher him
! self began to wave a little. and to
murmur something about the bare
possibility Of a misunderstanding.
"A Misunderstanding. shouted
Lloyd, hotly 4 should think there
had been a misunderstanding. There
is my card, sir. And let me tell you
!. that you shall apologize to this lady
: on your knees, sirl"
n- The usher had begun to think he
a had made a mistake, but was sure Of
is it when he looked at the card which
bore the name Of a firm Of lawyers
M known BY him to be the legal advisers
er Of his employers.
n, Il suppose there must be some mis-
take, but don't think should be
he blamed for it." he said somewhat
a sulkily Your wife was positively
tn identified by this lady as the woman
OF by this woman as the lady who
who stole some valuable laces from
I'd her counter last week" He turned
Of for confirmation TO Miss Ryan. bui
rs she had melted into the atmosphere
4 saw her myself hiding something
nd in her waist. and we found thess
cd goods concealed on her person. Sh.
ad had no checks for them"
70. NO checksl" shrieked Serena
Why, OF course | have the checks.
at She seized bunch OF pink slips iron
n.y. her pocket-book and thrust them il
cd. shower upon the discounted Ms
me Cramer z always keep my check
err to copy into my accounts why aidn'
ast you say something about checks bt
Ne fore?7
II was very obsequious usher VIII
1re escorted the young couple to the dooi
and his apologies were so profoun
us and so well expressed that Lloyd wa
The slightly modified. But he could nc
nd dismiss the episode as gayly as di
III Serena, who possessed buoyan
spirit and a saving sense Of humol
r." It was too late to go to the maslne
no when the matter had been satisfaction
ily settled. but they discussed II fha