The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1911-08-19
THE SHOPLIFTER
By JAMES NORTON

What's that? Wrong? How can 1
be wrong?" replied the major.
According to sailing instructions,
when you are sailing free other crafts
must look out for you You were not
sailing free"
But if he had known enough to
look over his shoulder he must have
seen u.s.
land If 1 had been on the lookout,
as 1 ought to have been. l should
have seen him No doubt he knew that
you were wrong"
Wrong? Wrong? / tell you l wasn't
wrong. Hardee's Tactics say that when
you meet another-when you are
marching by the right fank-when
the head of the column
Edith smiled as be paused. He
thought he could sail a boat by the
same tactics that drilled a regiment
He subsidized in some confusion. and
the young man and the accident were
not again mentioned There were
scores of young men sailing and row.
ing on the river daily, and why should
this one prove to be the son of their
widowed neighbor On reaching
home the major went out and looked
| had fallen on his side of the line and
generously decided not to claim them,
and Miss Edith sought book and her
hammock and wondered if the young
man was looking at her all the time
| she was looking at the opposite bank
/ out of consideration for his feelings
! She finally concluded that such was
probably the case.
! r. ton
! and a party of friends sailed up the
river for little outing. while Miss
Edith was driven to the village and
went into the city to do some shop
ping. She had frequently made such
trips alone The father had no OBJ
jections to urge, as it cultivated spir-
it of self-reliance, but he had several
times said to her:
IF you ever get into any trouble in
the city just say that you are the
daughter of Mai. Hyde, late Of
the Seventeenth" ri
There was trouble ahead for the
young lady, but it did not come until
afternoon. She had made some pur-
chases at two or three stores, had her
| lunch, and was Just leaving another
store after looking over some goods.
when a hand was laid on her arm and
a quiet voice said:
Beg pardon, young lady, but you
| will have to come with me-
: 1t was a man. In fact, it was the
store detective, as Miss Edith was
soon informed. He had been told by
one of the salesgirls that she had Sc
creted goods under her jacket. She at
first Indignantly and then tearfully de-
MED the allegation. She at first hotly
refused to follow him to the managers
Office, and then bethought her of her
fathers admonition and drew herself
up stif1y and announced:
"Sir, 1 am the daughter of Maj.
Hyde, late of the Seventeenth"
The man replied that she might be
the daughter of a general for all he
cared, and just then two things hap
pened. A policeman came through the
store and stopped to say that he would
take the girl to the station, and at the
same moment the young man of the
rowboat pushed his way into the
crowd and stood beside her and said
that he would accompany her. He was
sure there was mistake, but he also
saw that the easiest way out. and the
one to avoid notoriety, was to accom-
pany the officer. A cab was called and
the station reached, and a search by
the matron proved that the charge was
without the slightest foundation The
prisoner was ret at liberty, and many
apologies, and with suit Of damages
against the store if the major wanted
to press it, and the young man called
another cab and drove Miss Edith to
the depot She was in tears. and he
did not disturb her. He simply went
ahead and did things It was only
when she found herself on the train
homeward bound with Hr. Harper be-
side her that she rallied and looked
him in the face and said:
''You-you are the young man Of the
rowboat?"
"Just so. My name is Harper, son
of Mrs. Nelson Harper Of Irvington. "
Why, live there. am Miss Hyde,
daughter of Mai. Hyde"
Two days later the major appear
ed at the widows house and asked for
Burt When he had shaken hands with
the young man and rendered his
thanks he added:
Sir, 1 was wrong in regard to that
collision. am something Of a crank
Also, something Of an ass. Please
overlook it and come over after your
green apples and let Edith thank you
again She can't speak too highly of
your conduct in the affair In town the
other day
There win be only one question be
tween the major and his son-inIaw,
viz: Should saiIboat be maneuver-
ed according to HaTdee's army tao
tics, or should it go skipping along in
any old way?