The enterprise-recorder. (Madison, Fla.) 1908-1933, 1908-11-19
MISADVENTURES.
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calling on neighhor. 1t is only by
The mercy Of Providence that am not
behind the bars"
The nelghbor looked her horror.
ayes, a clerk trailed me all over
aoor Of a department store yester-
dsv TO recover a Japanese hand
warmer which had walked off with,
srd which l was holding aloft at the
end Of my umbrella under the i'm
nresslon that It was my pocketbook.
was captured in the cut-glass Sec
tlop. miles away from the hand
warmer counter"
"Goodness!" exclaimed the neigh
bor WAS the thing very valuable?
never heard OF hand warmers be.
fore"
Cost fifteen cents said Miss
Clrum, and dear at the price. But
II isn't considered nice to steal even
ffteen.cent hand warmers. Still, the
clerk merely asked politely: Don't
YOU want that wrapped up and sent
home for you?'
what in the world did you do?'
am sure I had every indication OF
guilt as / delivered the thing to her,
at the same time stammering out
something or other. She was kind
enough to say that she knew I had
taken It unconsciously; but there was
a peculiar glimmer in her eye when
she looked at me. After that no
matter where l went, felt her eyes
and those OF the other clerks fairly
burning holes through my back
kent sauntering about to make them
think felt perfectly Mt ease, but
didn't succeed in feeling that way.
You needn't laugh; the sensation was
awful.
J Coming home I look a penny and
, nickel out of my Pocketbook. l
bought a newspaper with the penny
and then dashed through the gate to
get on the elevated train. But the
agent got there first He drew me
of the car and demanded my fare.
81 maintained stoutly that l had
paid It. But to save a scene I at
tempted to open my purse and found
myself prevented from doing so by
the nickel that was was tightly
clutched in my fist. 1 looked as in
iured as possible, hoping that the
crowd would think me much-abused
person, until a man said that 1t was a
perfect shame and that he was will
ing to testify in my behalf If brought
suit against the company. He said
that the same agent had done the
same thing to another woman pas
senger.
81 confessed then. Everybody
laughed, even the would-be witness.
He said CALAMITY that he guessed he
had seen another lady pay, but he
knew from my looks that wouldn't
cheat any one"
What a splendid opening for q
romance!" said the neighbor.
yes, wasn't it? Beauty in distress
and that sort of thing All the con-
dltions were favorable with the excep-
ton that the man had been drinking
and certainly would not have been
progressing If he had been sober.
But isn't there something in psy-
chology or somewhere about people
being what they are thought to be?
| think there is. If there is such
belief I'm a convert to 1t"
Did you have more mishaps?"
"Oh, yes, indeed. On the elevated
train was afraid TO put my things
down for fear might pick up some.
thing which did not belong to me
But fate was not to be turned aside
NIB any weak efforts on my part. For
after all, came home with the wronl
umbrella. Mine was 81 umbrella
and the one l picked up must have
cost as much as fifty cents in its bes
days, which were the days of Ions
ago. But the principle is the same
might have picked up an umbrell;
glittering with gold and precious
stones, and then where should hav,
been?
Il tell you, my mother or some on,
else with a level head and OF highl,
respectable appearances will so will
me after this, or there IS no tellini
s., Where may land. Little / eve
thought that l should become pick
.er- up Of unconsidered tribes.
Perhaps some one picked up you
umbrella first" suggested the neigh
hor.
That's Just what some one did,
said Miss Girum, Indignantly. "Now
isn't it q queer thing that an umbrel
"a, no matter how humble. is not SAT
unless Il fu t{ed o,9 Mine may NO