The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1908-03-31

of 'em at last, ana IL YOU II I'hO ny
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 l live, / bought and paid Tor
those things, and put them In the
front of my jacket to be out OF the
way while 1 went to the matinee. On,
oh, what shall do! What shall | do!
Miss Ryan laughed pitilessly and
with a contemptuous little snort, ana
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
a substantial tribute to his astuteness
by his employers.
"You have been fairly caught in the
act" he said. 81 shall have you ar
rested at once. When you get to the
station you can send for your friends,
if you have any, who will bail you
out"
Serena raised her head eagerly at
| the mention of friends and started to
her feet. ooh, have friend waiting
| for me at the entrance this very min
Ute" she cried excitedly. TITS 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. "An ac-
complied" she whispered to the usher
behind her hand. 1.-TWO of 'em!"
I 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 a mole and a
black moustache Oh, don't wait 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,
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 necktie with a fresh burst of
tears. ooh, Lloyd" she gasped with
widest incoherence, something per-
fectly awful. I've been arrested for
shop-lifting. And all because l 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 a little. and to
murmur something about the bare
possibility of misunderstanding.
"A MISUNDERSTANDING" shouted
Lloyd, holly. 81 should think there
had been misunderstanding. There
is my card, sir. And let me tell Won
that you shall apologize to this lady
on your knees, sir!"
The usher had begun to think he |
had made mistake, but was sure Of
1t when he looked at the card which |
bore the name of a firm of LAWYERS
known by him to be the legal advisers
Of his employers.
suppose there must be some mis- |
take, but don't think l should ba
blamed for it," he said somewhat
sulkily. Your wife was positiveIv
Identified by this lady as the woman
: by this woman as the lady who
VINO stole some valuable laces from
her counter last week." He turned
Ior confirmation to Miss RYAN brt
she mad melted into the atmosnbere
saw her myself hiding sometime
IN her waist, and we found these
goods concealed on her person. She
nau no cnecks for them"
NO checks!" shrieked serano
why OF course I have the checks"
sne seized a bunch of pink slips from
her pocket-book and thrust them in
shower upon the discounted Mr.
oramer' I always keep my checks
TO copy into my accounts. Whv didn,t
YOU say something about cbacl, ~
fore?" '"eoAs De-
II was very obsequious usher who
escorted the young couple to the door
anu MS apologies were so profonnd
ana SO well expressed that Llovd was
sishtiy modified. But he could not
dismiss the episode as gavlv as d d,s
serena who possessed a buovont
spirit and saving sense Of bUTo "n'
IL was too late to go to the matinee
WI, wnen the matter had been satisfactor
ny settled, but they discussed q ~
evening as they sat in front % +ho,s
cosy crate fire, all traces Of tears o. sne en
moved from Serena's face &c
Indeed, Lloyd" she said "vo,, .,ou
40 nothing more about it II w an"i :
rldlculous thing for me to do "a %, a