The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1908-03-26

"Therei" she said triumphantly.
Didn't tell you so? We've got one
of 'em at last, and II you'll 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 dreadful, dread.
full mistake" she sobbed. "Oh, won't
you, won't you believe me, please? AS
true as | live, | 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
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
n substantial tribute to his astuteness
by his employers.
You have been fairly caught in the
act" he said. Il shall have you ar
rested at once. When you get to the
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 me at the entrance this very min
ute" she cried excitedly. IT'S 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. IAN ac-
complied" she whispered to the usher
behind her hand 1.-TWO of 'em!"
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 a
black moustache. oh, don't wait a 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.
"Serena!" he cried, what has hap.
pened?"
Serena arose, and anointed his col
lar and necktje with a fresh burst of
tears. "Oh. Lloyd" she gasped with
widest incoherence, something per.
fectly awful. I've been arrested for
shopliftiug, And all because didn't
want to go to the matinee looking
like a fright oh, Lloyd! do some
thing about it quick"
Lloyd unwound Serena from his
neck, and turned to the usher with an
aspect quite terrible and threatening.
What do you mean, sir" he de.
manded in tones of thunder, by this
insult to my wife,"
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 little, and to
murmur something about the bare
possibility of misunderstanding.
"a misunderstanding! shouted
Lloyd, hotly. Il 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, sir!"
The usher had begun to think he
had made a mistake, but was sure OF
1t when he looked at the card which
bore the name of firm of lawyers
known by him to be the legal advisers
of his employers.
Il suppose there must be some mis-.
take, but | don't think | shslld be
blamed for it," he said somewhat
! sulkily. Your wife was positively
| identified by this lady as the woman
by this woman as the lady who
| who stole some valuable laces from
/ her counter last week" He turned
! for confirmation to Miss Ryan, but
! she had melted into the atmosphere.
Il saw her myself hiding something
in her waist, and we found these
| goods concealed on her person. She
! had no checks for them"
mo checks!" shrieked Serena.
why of course | have the checks"
She seized a bunch of pink slips from
! her poCkotbook and thrust them in
a shower upon the discounted Mr..
/ Cramer. Il always keep my checks
to copy into my accounts. Why didn't
you say something about checks be.
/ fore?"
II was very obseQuious usher who
escorted the young couple to the door,
and his apologies were so profound
and so well expressed that Lloyd was
| slightly modified, But he could not
dismiss the episode as gayly as did
Serena, who possessed buoyant
spirit and saving sense of humor.
! Il was too late to go to the matinee