The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-12-27

tuere were some little trays or gold
filled pins and bracelets scarcely
worth the effort of attainment. And
yet handful Of these trifes, fragrant
ly distracted, might attract the at
tentiOn Of detective.
Perhaps there were no detectives
after all. This thought smote to him in
the act of reaching out a trembling
hand toward a delicate gold-flled
bangle. Then he paused, and in that
moment Of hesitation he felt a twitch
at his coat, and, turning to face what
he felt must be authority either in
plain or blue clothes, he perceived at
his side a very pretty little girl.
She was we'll dressed; and after the
first shock he felt on looking into
her clear blue eyes, Mulcahy saw a
beautiful locket and chain clasped
around her neck.
In the mean time she has possessed
herself Of his coat-pOcket as if it were
His hand, and clung to him as she
asked:
Have you seen my mama?" Her
voice was smothered by the crowd
that pressed around her, and Mulcahy
had to lift her up in his arms to make
himself heard.
NO" he replied, his face close to
her pretty neck and ear. Shall we
go and look for her?" he added,
touched by the sudden moisture that
blurred her eyes.
AS he spoke ne carried her to the
revolving-door. Once out in the street.
she told him that she had been shop.
ping with her mother and had cot
lost. She lived, she said on Fiftieth
street. between Madison and Fifth
avenue. She didn't know the number,
but there were green trees at the
door, and it was white house.
The man assured her that they
would find 1t together.
You mustn't think that this esca.
pade diverted Mulcahy from his origi-
al scheme. Only he wanted to be of
use to the child, and he also saw a.
much better way of obtaining his ar
rest and entrance to prison.
The locket and chain he knew
would serve his purpose, for he in
tended stealing them as soon as he
had found her home. There were
four dollars and ninety cents left
from the pens" munificence, but he
spent enough of it in a candy-store
to have provided for himself for two
days.
Over congenial glass of ice cream
soda the little girl gave him her name
Violet Van Twiller. The telephone
book did the rest in the matter of To-
eating the Van Twiller mansion,
whittier Violet was escorted by her
ragged friend.
Afterward, when Mulcahy left her
standing at the door of her home
waving at him and smiling in her
sweet, frank way, he wondered how
he had found it in his heart to steal
the necklace; but there it was in
his hand, still warm from contact with
her throat.
Then he darted away from the
street, and, clasping the locket tightly.
flew tc the first police station and
gave himself up.
The Judge did not conceal his dis
gust when he learned that Mulcahy
had robbed q child; and when he
uttered sternly, "Sx months on the
island for him." he marveled a. the
brutality Of a man who could smile at
the sentence.
Meantime, Violet Van Twiller had
been received with the tears and re-
Joicings Of hysterical and loving fam.
lily and diligently interrogated con.
cerning the events Of the evening.
over and over again she repeated
the story OF the kind, ragged gentle
man who had bought her candy and
soda and had found her home for her.
Later, Mr.. Van Twiler discovered
that Violet had mysteriously lost her
locket; but, though he suspected her
strange friend, he was so grateful to
the ragged gentleman" that the next
day he advertised in all the papers
that he wished to reward the D. son
who had restored his daughter to her
family.
But Malcahy never learned Of this
golden opportunity which might have
given him new start in life, though
he gave the officer who accompanied
him to the island the name and adj
dress of the little owner of the neck
lace, and it was sent to her.
The next day saw Mulcahy safely
aboard the Fidelity and headed for the
"pen."
At the end Of tho week he was sit.
ting at the Christmas dinner which
had seemed a fantom on that dread
full day he was set at liberty.
Between mouthfuls Of fat turkey
and cranberry sauce he boasted to
Jerry the Spike, Hank, and Bottles Of
how he had hoodwinked justice.
When he reported for work, a few
days later, the keeper who presided