St. Tammany farmer., 1911-01-28

ing lady came In here ane day and
tried on my bonnets; she wanted q
nice one but could not f1t her. She
| said she lived somewhere In the sub
| urbs and she was in great hurry
She finally picked out one and said II
would do well enough for size, but she
wanted 1t trimmed differently. | have
made the alterations as she described
but have not seen her since. | have
made bonnets for a number of wealthy
| people. Some of my customers ride
in their carriages within a block Of
my store and walk the rest of the
way, as it would not do for them to
be seen in little store like this. They
have recognized the fact that I make
the swellest bonnets and sell them at
about half the price asked In the large
millinery parlors."
well, I declare" said the old gen.
tleman; that is about the kind Of a
bonnet want"
Il thought you would fall In love
with it." said the little milliner, "as
! 1t is beautiful The woman hasn't
called for it, yet even If l thought she
would, will sell it inasmuch as it fs
going out of town and can make her
another just like IT.
| After haggling about the rrice for
a time the old gentleman concluded to
buy it.
Il will take it along with me-" said
he, as he laid down a twenty dollar
bill of the National Shoe & Leather
bank to pay for it.
| The milliner picked up the note and
looking it over for a moment, her
face lit. UP with a smile of pleasant
| sarcasm, as she said, Look here, old
fellow, this bill won't do"
| The curious expression upon her
| face was certainly amusing, and the
countryman thought he noticed lurk.
ing smile upon her countenance that
betokened sympathy and indicated
that she was posted ON that kind OF
money.
Look here, I know that stuff az
well as you do, so you just keep it and
give me something else"
They stood and looked each other
in the face. There was a mutual
/ sympathy-two souls with but single
thought.
| my name is David Kirkbride,"
naming well-known counterfeiter.
Good gracious" exclaimed the
woman why didn't you say SO? l
have never met you before, but l have
often heard my friend Eva Cole talB
about you. What were you thinking
about when you came in here?"
| "Oh, just about what l told you;
besides l thought 1t was good
chance to shove twenty"
| Why" said she, II buy these bon.
nets at Johnsons and keep them for
a stall. If you really want this one.
you are welcome to It,"
| AS she became more confidential
she said, putting on peculiar smile
Suppose had given you your change
in bill like this one." as she pro
duced a FIVE dollar bill.
| well, WELL" said the old fellow,
"it would have been all right with me
But am keeping pretty shafy at this
time; / carry my stuff concealed In
my tobacco pouch and only keep
little on hand at a time"
"Oh," said she, you men think you
are smart at doing things. but you're
| slow. / was arrested in Cinciraat.
by the city detective because offr.ed
a counterfeit bill in payment fog q
pair of gloves, but they searched me
at the police station and couldn't find
any of the queer about me. put up
a nice spiel and was vary indignant
and Jim Ruffin, the tbe chief of po
lice, got scared and tur1sed me loose"
What do you think! I had more
than thousand dollars cf those five
! dollar bills with me at the time, but
| they couldn't begin to FIND them. Just
look here" she said; and reaching
her hand into an opening in her dress
she pulled string and drew her bus
| tie to the front
This on being opened at the end
contained a pocket The widow, BY
| pulling the string, could move the bus
| tie around her waist at will
What is this contrivance fsrr
Kirkbride inquired.
"You can put your hand into it aid
see"
He pulled out a handful Of clear
| five dollar counterfeit notes. AS hs
did so he expressed great amazement
| at the ingenuity of her plan.
'T have carried 'phoney' with me fol
years." she said, "but no one has eveI
! discovered or even suspected it."
At this moment the Jersey farmer
reached out and grabbed the widowi
hustle Unbuckling the belt that held
| it, he pulled it from her person. She
was greatly surprised when she real
lied that she was at last fairly caught
| red-handed.
| This charming little widow was now
| escorted to my branch office on
Bleecker street After long and te
dious questioning and convincing ar
gument on my part, she SO far Yielded
| as to turn "squealer" and assist taA
government.
This little woman with the spark
ling brown eyes was fair sample o
| exquisite female shrewdness. The lit
tie dodge she played upon the de
tective who in parlance was gun
ming" her In the car, was this. Sht
| stepped into the retiring room, lei
| down her hair and braided 1t. Throw
| ing her bonnet out Of the window, sh(
| put small worsted cap on her head
| Turning her dress (that had beoI
specially made for the purpose anA