The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-10-13
MISADvENT URES.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

calling on neighbor 1T is only by
Z the mercy of Providence that am not
behind the bars
The neighbor looked her horror.
Yes; clerk trailed me all over
q floor of department store yester-
\ day to recover a Japanese hand
warmer which had walked off with,
and which was holding aloft at the
end of my umbrella under the inn
preston that it was my pocketbook.
4 was captured in the cut-glass sec
ton, miles away from the hand
warmer counter
HGoodness! exclaimed the neigh
Dor. was the thing very valuable?
7 never heard of hand warmers be-
fore. :.
Cost fifteen cents" said Miss
Girum, "and dear at the price. But
it isn't considered nice to steal even
fifteen-cent hand warmers. Still. the
clerk merely asked politelys Don't
YOU want that wrapped up and sent
home for your
what in the world did you do?"
"I'm sure 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 had
taken it unconsciously; but there was
a peculiar glimmer in her eye when
she looked at me. After that, no
matter where / went, felt her eyes
and those of the other clerks fairly
burning holes through my back l
kept sauntering about to make them
think felt perfectly at ease, but 1
didn't succeed in feeling that way.
You needn't laugh; the sensation was
awful
Coming home look penny and
nickel out of my pocketbook I
sought 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
OFF the car and demanded my fare.
II maintained stoutly that I had
paid it. But to save 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. looked as in
Iured as possible, hoping that the
crowd would think me a much-abused
person, until man said that it was
perfect shame and that he was will
ing to testify in mybehalf if l brought
suit against the company He said
that the same agent had done the
same thing to another woman pas
senger.
Il confessed then Everybody
laughed, even the would-be witness 4
He said gallalcly that he guessed he
had seen another lady pay, but he
knew from my looks that I wouldn't
cheat any one"
What a splendid opening for
romance" said the neighbor.
yes, wasn't it? Beauty in distress
and that sort of thing All the con.
ditions were favorable with the excep-
ton that the man had been drinking
and certainly would not have been
prepossessing 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 convert to it.
Did you have more mishaps?p
"Oh, yes, indeed. On the elevated
train ] was afraid to put my things
down for fear l might pick up some
thing which did not belong to me.
But fate was not to be turned aside
by any weak efforts on my part. For,
after all, came home with the wrong
umbrella. Mine was a 81 umbrella
and the one | picked up must have
cost as much as fifty cents in its best
days, which were the days of long
ago. But the principle is the same.
! might have picked up an umbrella
glittering with gold and precious
stones, and then where should | have
BEEN
tell you, my mother, or some one
else with level head and of highly
respectable appearance will go with
me after this. or there is no telling
Where | may land. Little | ever
thought that | should become pick
er up of unconsidered tribes.
Perhaps some one picked IN your
umbrella first, !" suggested the neigh
Dor.
That's just what some one did y
said Miss Girum, Indignantly. Now.
isn't it a queer thing that an umbreI-
la, no matter how humble. is not safe
unless it is tied on? Mine may NOT
have been exactly beautiful but II
was good--you needn't laugh-and II
would have lasted long time. T
shouldn't wonder if that wouid-b
witness took it. He kept pretty close
to me and the umbrella that brought
home looks as if it might belong to
some one like him. "
If he took your UMBRELLA said
the neighbor, 1T may have been be-
cause Of his romantic regard for it's
owner. Take this view of the situa-
ton and be comtorted
Well, it's bit difficult" returned
Miss Girum, but perhaps I'd better
try, as ! feel reasonably certain that
III never see him or the umbrella
again Chicago News.