The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-10-05


made motion toward the woa.an
who was sauntering OF alter new
easy marks
1t was a motion all the clerks knew
and by means of which they commune
Gated their suspicious to the house de-
tectives. This particular one enter.
tanned deep grudge toward Vesta. Re.
ceiving higher salary than the clerks
and fioorwalkers, he regarded himself
as catch Of no mean value, and when
he began to smile upon Vesta Som
mors he had expected her to respond.
There was Dick, however, and Vesta
did not smile. The man was vain and
vengeful, and now had come his
chance. Stepping up to the woman,
ne spoke to her in low voice, at the
same time dexterously taking the col
lars from her without her being aware
of it. With measured step he took
the detected shoplifter upstairs where
the store superintendent put such peo-
pie through sweat box experience
that regenerated many, and kept the
|
Not only were the guilty ones thor
oughly searched, but a pretense, and
one that was just as good as real, was
made of taking the photograph AS
last resort, if the store did not pros
ecute, and in general the services of
the police were not called upon, for it
was contrary to the business princi-
pies of the store to let the public know
anything of nature likely to react
upon the amount of the patronage, a
convicted person was required to sign
full confession. This the store kept,
as protection against further trouble.
On this day, however, a thorough
searching of the woman by the woman
assistant failed to disclose any goods
belonging to the store.
"How's this?" Numbered the super
intendent.
The house detective looked angry,
as he said with some heat
Miss Sommors gave me the sig
nal
Ten minutes later Miss Vesta Som
mors was standing in the superintend-
ent's room.
But | really saw her take the
goods" she persisted
Always be sure, young woman. To
haul up an innocent lady like this can
only result in harm to the house." and
Vesta knew that the superintendent
was correct Suddenly an idea came
to her.
Il want to say something. l counted
the collars just before she came in.
| gave my count to Miss Wilson, and
she entered it. If there is no report
Of sales, or even if there is, l ought
to be able to establish my reputation
for not making a blunder" Her voice
trembled little. The superintendent
appreciated good service. and knew
that shop filters had many ways of
concealing stolen articles, so he sent
to the department to have the collars
counted, and to Miss Wilson, it's head,
to bring up the report.
Vesta, trembling more than the shop
litter, counted the moments, while the
house detective glowered. Finally Miss
Wilson arrived. After having gone
over them that morning according tc
her usual custom, she had given them
to Vesta to go over. Their count had
been the same. She had, after receiv
ing orders, gone over them herself, and
had Miss Albright do the same, and
they found that just two collars were
missing.
The house detective blandly asked
risking severe reproof:
But where are those two collars q
There were the four women: Mss
Wilson, Vesta, the shop litter and the
woman assistant. The house detective
ran them over with his sharp eye.
Il would suggest that these four
be searched" he began, but he had
gone little too far. The superintend
ent gave him a look, under which he
wilted almost to confession, and per
haps under that mans skillful cross
examination he might have broken
down, but the day was saved for him
by the arrival of a cash boy with the
two collars, which had been found I'm.
der stool, near which the woman had
been standing when caught by the
house detective. The superintendent
dismissed them with a wave of the
hand, and Vesta was faint and dizzy
as she and Miss Wilson hurried back
to the floor.
THE beast'n Miss Wilson had nut
tered, but Vesta said nothing. Hell
mind was changing a little, and by
night she knew her future course
Dick had not come, it was hot and
stuffy. People thronged the store
not one sparing kind word or q
smile of approval, and in the narrow
space allotted them, the clerks al
walked on each other, and became i'm
patient To crown it all, confused by
her burning headache, the result o.
the house detectives treachery, she
made mistake of a dollar in hel
sales, and was forced to stand the loss
One dollar out of her weekly six wa.
just too much, and when she saw
Dicks face in the crowd outside, sh,
clutched his arm and whispered:
Il want to keep house right away
Dick; it's so much nicer than clerk
ing"