The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-03-13
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Mrs. Gothorn entered a trolley car
and while getting a nickel out OF her
portemonnaie laid her mink muff on
the seat between her and lady who
sat next to her. Having paid her fare
and looked out Of the window, meditat-
ing on something she had on her mind,
she suddenly remembered her mufr
1t was not where she had left 1t, but
reposing on the lap OF the lady next
to her, who sat as composedly as If
she had not appropriated It.
Pardon me, madam" said Mrs. Co
thorn, ''you have taken up my muff by
mistake"
mot at ALL replied the lady. II
have my own muff."
Mrs. Gothorn wasssimply stunned at
this assurance and was thinking what
to do when the lady motioned to the
conductor. The car was stopped, and
she got out. Mrs Gothorn got out too
She followed the thief till she came to
policeman.
Arrest that woman she said to
him. "She has stolen my muff'
"Can you prove it?" he asked
Eyes. Don't you see that it is the
same fur as my tippet minkY'
The policeman did not look especial
ly convinced. Indeed, he did not know
the difference between mink and sable
He went up to the woman with the
muff and told her she was charged by
the other lady with stealing her nun
do take her away" said the thief.
"She's crazy. She's been following
me all over town, thinking / have her
muffn
That ended 1t. The policeman look
ed from one to the other for a few
moments and, seeing that they both
anything to do with the case The
thief went on, and Mrs. Gothorn, real
izing the futility Of following the mat
fer up, abandoned the chase.
A year later Mrs Gothorn attended a
dinner given by her friends. Mr.. and |
Mrs. Ames. She was introduced before |
going to the dining room to several peo- I
Pile she did not know One Of them, Mrs. T
Fisher, was the woman who had ap- /
proprlated her muff.
Now, Mrs. Gothorn had thought /
great deal about the clever trick by F
which she had made her loss and as /
to what she would do in case she ever
again met the thief. One thing she /
had determined upon-that she would /
not figuratively speaking. buck up
against stone WALL by accusing her +
Of the theft. She would use stratagem.
If Mrs. Fisher remembered her as the T
woman she had despoiled, she gave no
evidence of the recollection Before /
the party moved to the table Mrs Go
thorn whispered to Mrs. Ames that she
would like to be seated next to Mrs.
Fisher
During the earlier courses Mrs. Co
thorn had time to arrange her plan.
Mrs. Fisher sat on her right. Mr..
Wetmore on her left She asked Mr..
Wetmore If he had ever seen a black
pearl He said he had not and, taking
q ring off her finger, she showed him
one in the setting and told him to
pass 1t on for examination. He did so,
and the ring was passed around the Ia
Bile. every one. including Mrs. Fisher,
holding and admiring It. till It got back
to its owner Between Mrs. Gothorn
and Mrs. Fisher on the table rested the
latter's vanity bag. While Mrs. Fisher
conversing with her dinner companion,
had her back turned TO Mrs. Gothorn
and all the guests were intent on the
host, who was telling story Mrs. Go
thorn slipped her black pearl set ring
in an outer pocket Of the bag without
being noticed.
Ten minutes later Mrs Gothorn said:
..Win whoever has my ring please
return It to me?'
Each guest looked at the others, and |
several of them said that they sup