Connecticut western news., 1908-10-01
An EpiSode of
 Bridge WbiSf.
[Original.l

"Cheating!"
 The hostess approached, evidently anxious. Anything amiss at this table?" she asked.
 Mrs. Lyman and MT. Ttter have private signals informing each other of their hands!' said Miss Bend loudly.
 "Oh, dear, no! None of my guests would do thing like that. How could you have made such a mistake"
 The accused persons remained in their seats, with an expression on their faces indicating astonishment and in- jured innocence. Miss Bend and MT. 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 peculiaritIcs. Nobody can prove that she cheats be- cause she does 1t in a way that defies proof. She has new signal every time she plays and never uses any sig nal except when playing with MT. Por- ter. Then she makes enough money to regain all losses and have snug sum over. What was the code tonightw
 When she was strong in hearts," re- 1 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 n season, and, as for her partner. 1t was intlmated to him by the governors of his club that if be did not resign his membership he must 1 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 aoorwalker stepped up to her and asked her to please step into private office. She was surprised, but. unsus. l picious of anything unpleasant. follow cd the foorwalker. Arrived at the of- | flee, she found there Mir Dargen of the | firm of Dargcn & Co. and n wopaa. who proceeded to examine the contents i of her shopping bag. What was Miss Bends astonishment to see the woman take out roll of valuable lace.
 "Some one put that there." said the l girl Indignantly. "I remember laying my bag down on the lace counter. for | getting 1t when I went away and go- ing back for It.
 Bring the clerk" said MT. Dargen. ''who sells these especial goods"
 The saleswoman came. When she saw the lace that had been taken from ! her counter she looked an nstonish- ment that was evidently not assumed.
 '"How do you account for this lace getting in this lady's bag?' asked Mir Dargen.
 "I haven't an idea," said the clerk
 "Who discovered the theftT
 "A lady," said the 6oorwall1er, told me that she had seen this lady shoplift- Ing"
 "why did you not hold on to your witness?"
 Hearing to lose the thief. kept my l eyes on her, and the accuser disappear ed. I couldn't keep both in sight"
 Miss Bend telephoned for her father, who came at once and proved the fam | fly responsibility. Miss Bend had never before been accused of shoplifting. go the firm of Dargen x Go. consented | planation 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 1 liable 10 make enemies outside the cir cle of their intimate friends. Her ene~ mics said that she had got her just deserts, intimating that Mrs. Lyman. whom she had accused of cheating at cards. had been vindicated. 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. It was the first bit of news she heard on her re- turn. Fastening to Miss Bend. she said to her:
 "I should have warned you. Bertha. that Mrs. Lyman is a dangerous wo~ man to offend and that she would get even 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 floorwalker. Unless she acted through a confederate they will identi- fy her"
 The next day a gentlemanly looking man called on Mrs. Lyman and asked her to accompany him to the office of Dargen x Go. She turned pale and asked by what authority he acted. He replied that she had a choice betwecI complying and being arrested. She thought the matter over and concluded to comply. In Dargen's office she found the hoorwalker who had been informed of the theft and the sales woman at the lace counter. The for mer identified her as his informant and the latter as a lady who stepped up to the counter at the time Miss Bends bag was lying there and while its owner was absent.
 A compromise was made by which Mrs Lyman Sipnad n confacsinn fo hrs