The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-07
The EVENING STORY
Playing Detective.
CBy Ciaudine sisson.)

Playing Detective.
(By Ciaudine Sisson.)
Miss Cleo Gates was visiting her sis
ter, Mrs. George Marshall. Mr.. Mar
shall was general manager of the de-
partment store of Moses & VAIN
wright. Therefore, Miss Cleo heard
much shop talk. About the only
thing that interested her, however,
was the talk about shoplifters. Tho
store was constantly troubled with
them, and it was only at long inter-
walls that one was caught, although a.
store detective was supposed to have
| her eyes everywhere.
One night when the manager came
home to say that goods worth 5000
had been lifted that day from under
the nose of the store watchdog, who
! was a young woman of 25, and that
she would be discharged at the end Of
the week, Miss Cleo announced, in a
| very serious tone:
Il am a natural born detective
/ A laugh greeted the words.
IT have solved several difficult
cases.
More laughing.
"A year ago when this diamond ring
was suddenly missing, father and
never be solved. After devoting one
day to thought I walked into the
kitchen and told the cook she was the
/ thief. She broke down at once"
/ THAT is, she confessed?" said Mr..
Marshall.
mo, she did not confess. She turn
ed red and white and burst into tears,
and within an hour she skipped out"
| And the ring %
"I found it on the shelf over my
lavatory. She, of course. placed it
there on finding that she was sus-
pected. Father said the police could
not have worked the case better
"Keenest, brightest thing I ever
- 1$1l -
we only had you in the store we could
fill a police station with shoplifters
inside of a week.
The natural born detective felt hurt
at the words and would say no more,
although invited to relate some of her
other cases. Her mind had instantly
been made up to a certain thing, how
ever, and next day she proceeded to
+, carry her plan into execution. With
no hint. to her sister, who would OPP
pose it, she made her way to the store
| of Moses & Wainwright. She wanted
| to get an eye on the afternoon shop
! pers- She had feeling that she could
tell shoplifter on sight. The criminal
j might be we'll dressed woman with
| diamonds in her ears, and she might
/ pretend to he at ease, but there would
1 be a furtive 1ook-a netting in look
| or walk to give her away.
Miss Cleo passed from counter to
! counter, looking for guilty parties. She
spotted and followed two or three
about, but they seemed to receive a
mysterious warning and kept hands off.
There was one old dame who might
have pocketed three yards of lace if
she hadn't looked up and caught the
girls eye on her. Miss Cleo finally re-
tired from the store with the feeling
that If she had caused no arrest she
had at least frightened a number Of
shoppers into being honest. At dinner
that evening. she didn't feel SO self
satisfied, however. Mr.. Marshall re-
ported that never had the shoplifters
been SO busy. There had been no less
than seven cases right under the noses
| of the brightest salesgirls.
| Should that report discourage a nat
ural born detective? Not in the slight
est. It should stimulate her to greater
exertions. That's what it did in Miss
Cleo Gates case. She lad been put
on her mettle, and she would astonfsh
her brother-in-law and others. Very
few good looking young women who
have set out to astonish folks have
made failure of it. It was back to
the store the next afternoon for Miss
Cleo. A bright thought struck her as
she crossed the threshold. From all
she had read and heard the shop1ift-
ing business was confined to her sex.
| The store detective had her eye on the
women. Why not watch the men?
| Miss Cleo saw young man saunter-
/ ing about. She first noticed he was
well dressed and ha6 a fair face; then
she considered furtive way. Then he
j walked up to the jewelry show case
and drummed on the glass. Then he
went over to the perfumery counter
and asked the price of bottle of
! cologne. Thence he walked to the
door and looked UP and down. as IL
to see whether there was a policeman
about or not. Being satisfied on this
point. he walked back to the book
! counter, picked up one book after an
! other, and finally walked off with one
in his hand as bold as brass. 1t was a
valuable book.
Miss Cleo should have stepped for
| ward at this moment and laid her
heavy hand on the shoplifter and made
an arrest but her heart failed her. He
would deny and resist. She would let
! him go and trail him and then report
/ to her brother-in-laW. She hadn't far
to trail. With quick glance up and
down the street, the young man cross
J ed At the entrance to q stairway he
paused a moment to look back, and
then climbed the stairs. She re-en-
| tered the store. was taken up to the
! managers office. and astonished him
by announcing:
George, I have been doing detec-
| tive work down stairs unbeknown to
you or Sarah. and I have caught a
shoplifter. He may be the head of the
gang"
"You don't tell mel Where is he %
''T didn't want to create excitemen
in the store. and so I trailed him to
his lair"
"Good grill Where is it ?''
fright across the road and up stairs.
i He can be arrested in five minutes y
you'll have to come along and
| point him out"
"Oh. TIL do that
At the store doors they picked up
a detective. When the trio had
crossed the street and the stairway
/ had been pointed out Mr.. Marshall
said to the girl:
There are a dozen Offices up there.
and a studio or two. and we mustn't
bungle this case. Sure you can fden-
tify your man again2''
"In an instant"
tx "a l.. - !. -