Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-03-07
Little Mrs. Patten.
copyright, 1907, by Homer sprague.1

though she had registered as MIS-
Judge Patten, had arrived without her
husband because just as they were
about leaving Chicago an associate
judge had been taken i'll and Judge
Patten had to sit in case for him. He
had sent his wife on and would Join
her within a week.
At the end Of the week the judge did
not appear. He wrote q letter instead.
The letter was shown to the landlord
and then accidentally" left on a table
in the parior for half a day, and 1t was
doubtless read by score Of the female
guests. He would be detained another
week. much to his sorrow, but would
surely arrive then. There was print
ed letter head to show that the Judge
belonged to a high court, and In the
letter he inclosed draft on New York
for a hundred dollars. If there was
any doubt about Mrs. Patterns social
status the letter settled it The hus-
band wrote that she had been inquired
to be prominent in society.
Little Mrs. Patten had been with US
eight days when there was a robbery
in the house-the first for five years.
There was no dress except at dinner
Sunday evenings, and then for such
lot of conservative people as we were
there was quite a display Of jewelry.
A lady who had got out her diamonds
to wear was called from the room a
moment, and when she returned the
stones were gone. The value was about
$1,000, but the excitement kicked up
was valued at five times as much. The
theft was laid to the chambermaid, to
a waiter and to others. but in such
cases nothing can be done but to sus-
pect. We all talked, and we all sympa-
thized and suggested. and little Mrs.
Patten adorned herself with $1,000
worth Of diamonds and acknowledged
that she was very careless and expect
ed to be robbed herself some day.
/ must explain to you that the regu-
lar doors had been taken off for the
summer and replaced by slat or blind
doors to permit of free circulation.
There was a space Of about foot at
top and bottom, and no watchmen
were kept in the halls at night. AS
these Stat doors locked, the idea was
that the thief was slim enough to slip
over or under them. There we're per-
haps ten boys at the hotel with their
parents, but none of them could be
suspected. In fact, the detective who
was summoned and came down as
guest could not find thing to found q
suspicion on. After working his head
for a day he recommended that watch
men be stationed in the halls and went
his way. Girls were placed on watch.
Nothing occurred Monday night, but
on Tuesday night there followed three
more robberies of rooms. The plumber
was about the same as before. In two
of the rooms were husbands and wives;
in the third was woman whose hus-
band had taken a run up to town on
business. Not one Of them had been
awakened. There was girl on watch
in that hall, and, of course, she was at
once charged with having fallen asleep.
Wednesday night 1 went to bed to
sleep soundly, but had my plans for
the following night. 1 am an old bach
elor, and had room by myself. Lit
tie Mrs. Patten acted no different from
the other ladies. She was free to talk
about the robberies and had taken her
jewels to the Office safe or had at least
handed in a case. She was the thief,
as you are prepared to hear, but not
one professional detective in a hundred
would have had the slightest suspicion
of her.
When went to bed Thursday night
I did something very smart. crawled
under instead of into the bed. / e1-
pected the thief to come, and l meant
to make a capture. l had a blackjack
with me and ropes for tying the rascal.
and at that date could handle almost
any man / came across. Nothing &C.
Cured up to midnight, but an hour
later I heard and felt some one in the
room. Whoever it was could not have
slipped over or under the Stat door. He
must have entered by the window. He
was searching about for my clothes
when I called out that If he moved
hand or foot would shoot, and then
began to crawl from Under the bed.
When struck light l had the room
to myself.
l didn't sit down and wonder if I
hadn't been deceived. knew hadn't.
That some one had been in the room 1
proved within two minutes. That some
one had lost a little list shoe generally
called a sneak. 1t was too small for
any mans foot 1t meant woman or
boy. l went down to the Office and re-
ported to the night clerk, anG together
we visited little Mrs. Patterns room.
She did not respond to the knocks, but
that was because she wasn't there. She
had left most Of her wardrobe behind
and had gone away dressed as a young
man, taking only hand satchel.
Clear across the rear end Of the hotel
IL a Ga