Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1908-10-30
An Episode Of
Bridge Whist.
[original.l

flushed. and her eyes flashed with in
dignation.
what Is itT asked her partner. Mr..
Cunningham.
"Cheatingi''
The hostess approached. evidently
anxious. Anything amiss at this
table? p she asked.
Mrs. Lyman and Mr.. Porter have
been winning our money by using
private signals informing each other of
their hands!' said Miss Bend loudly.
"Oh, dear, no. None of my guests
would do a thing like that. How could
you have made such a mistaken"
The accused persons remained in
their seats, with an expression OF their
faces indicating establishment and in
jured innocence. Miss Bend and Mr..
Cunningham went into another room.
They were soon Joined by the hostess.
my dear" she said to Miss Bend,
you have been very lndiscreet. We
all know Mrs. Lyman's p~eculiarities.
Nobody can prove that she cheats be-
cause she does 1t In a way that defes
proof. She has a new signal every
time she plays and never uses any sig
nal except when playing with Mr.. Por-
ter. Then she makes enough money to
regain all losses and have a snug sum
over. What was the code tonight?"
when she was strong in hearts," re-
piled Miss Bend. "she would put her
hand on her heart; when strong In dia-
monds, on her brooch"
The next day the scandal was known
to every person of fashion. Mrs. Ly-
man disappeared for a season, and, as
for her partner, 1t was intimated to him
by the governors of his club that If he
did not resign his membership he must
face an investigation. He resigned
and changed his residence.
Several months passed and Miss
Bend had nearly forgotten the disa-
greeable incident when one day while
making purchases In a dry goods store
a floorwalker stepped up to her and
asked her to please step into a private
Office. She was surprised. but. unsus-
picious of anything unpleasant, follow
ed the floorwalker. Arrived at the Of
flee, she found there Mr.. Dargen of the
firm of Dargen s. Co. and a woman
who proceeded to examine the contents
Of her shopping bag. What was Miss
Bends establishment to see the woman
take out a roll of valuable lace.
"Some n put that there said the
girl Indignantly. ST remember laying
my bag down on the lace counter, for
getting 1t when I went away and go
ing back for 1t.
Bring the clerk" said Mr.. Dargen.
"who sells these especial goods"
The saleswoman came. When she
saw the lace that had been taken from
her counter she looked an astonish-
ment that was evidently not assumed.
How do you account for this lace
getting in this lady's bag?' asked Mr..
Dargen.
IT haven't an idea," said the clerk.
"Who discovered the theft?"
"A lady" said the f1oorwalker, told
me that she had seen this lady shoplift-
ing"
why did you not hold on to your
witness?"
Fearing to lose the thief. l kept my
eyes on her, and the accuser disappear
ed. 1 couldn't keep both in sight"
Miss Bend t%elephoned for her father,
who came at nee and proved the fam
lily responsibility. Miss Bend had never
before beer accused of shoplifting, so
the firm of Dargen & Co. consented
that she be given time to offer an ex-
PLANTATION before being prosecuted.
Despite an effort made to keep the
matter quiet it became known. Miss
Bend was one of those plain spoken,
Indifferent girls who, detesting socie-
TVS methods of vanishing evil, are
liable to make enemies outside the cir
Gle of their intimate friends. Her enc
mics said that she had got her just
deserts, intimating that Mrs. Lyman.
whom she had accused of cheating at
cards, had been indicated. Some of
them went so far as to resume their
invitations to the latter.
Mrs. Ravens, the lady at whose
house Mrs. Lyman had been accused,
was abroad when Miss Bend was found
to have lace In her bag. 1t was the
first bit of news she heard on her re-
turn. Fastening to Miss Bend, she
said to her:
IT should have warned you, Bertha,
that Mrs. Lyman is a dangerous wo-
man to offend and that she would get
ven with you for making public her
cheating. She did this work. Let
your lawyer confront her with the
saleswoman at the lace counter and
the foorwalker. Unless she acted
through a confederate they will identi-
fly her"
The next day a gentlemanly looking
man called or Mrs. Lyman and asked
her to accompany him to the Office Of
Dargen e. Co. She turned pale and
asked by what authority he acted. He
replied that she had a choice between
complying and being arrested. She
thought The matter over and concluded