Evening journal., 1909-01-07
Little Mrs. Patten
[copyrlght. I9O7. by Home sprague.l !

though she had registered as Mrs.
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 a case FOR him. lie
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 a letter instead.
The letter was shown to the landlord
and then accidentally" left on a table
in the parlor for half day. and It was
doubtless read by a score of the female
guests. He would be detained another
week, much to his sorrow, but would
surely arrive then. There was a print
ed letter head to show that the judge
belonged to a high court. and in the
letter he inclosed a draft on New York
for a hundred collars. If there was
any doubt about Mrs. Patten's social
status the letter settled it. The hus
band wrote that she had been inquired
after by people whom all of us knew
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 Aly who had got out her diamonds
to wear was called from the room
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
q waiter and to others. hut 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 $4,000
worth of diamonds and acknowledged
that she was very careless and expect
ed to be robbed herself some day.
l 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 a foot at
top and bottom and no watchmen
were kept in the halls at night. AS
these slat doors locked, the idea was
that the thief was slim enough to slip
over or under them. There were 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 a
guest could not find a thing TO found a
suspicion on. After working his head
for 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 plunder
was about the same as before. In two
Of the rooms were husbands and wives;
In the third was a woman whose hus-
band had taken a run up to town on
business. Not one of them had been
awakened. There was a girl on watch
in that hall. and, of course, she was at
once charged with having fallen asleep.
Wednesday night l went to bed to
sleep soundly. but I had my plans for
the following night. am an old bach.
elor, and had a 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 I'm 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
did something very smart. I crawled
under instead Of into the bed. / ex
pected the thief TO come. and meant
to make a capture. had n blackjack
with me ana ropes for tying the rascal
and at that date could handle almost
any man I came across. Nothing oc
Cured up TO midnight, but an hour
later / heard and felt some one in tn
room. Whoever 1t was could not have
slipped over or under the slnt door Hl
must have entered by the window. He
was searching about for my clothe.
when ! called out that If he moved
hand or foot would shoot. and | ther
began TO crawl from under the bed
When / struck light ! had the room
to myself
didn't sit down and wonder IL
hadn't been deceived. I knew I hadn't
That some one had been in the room
proved within two minutes. That som,
one had lost a little list shoe general,
called a sneak. II was too small fol
any mans foot 1t meant q woman oi
boy. I went down 20 the office and re-
ported to the night clerk. and together
we visited liUie Mrs. Patterns room
She did not respond TO the knocks hu
I that was because slc wasn't there. Shl
had left most 90 her wardrobe behinl
and had gone a'-ny dressed as a youus
man, taking nly hand satchel
Clear acroer thn'car end Of the hote
ran a balcony on every floor. Two r.
escapes lel from top to bottom II
every case vmdow had been entered
while in our stupidity we thought on,
Of the slat doors Little Mrs. Pattei
had donned male attire and done IN
trick as easy as rie. can't say wheth
er / scared her Of or whether she wa
ready TO go. but she went A quartz
! of n f,iila from, tho hotol nc ,,-o ocoor