Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-12-19

misdemeanor suggested itself to his
overweight brain. II he could only
steal something long enough to get
arrested and sent to the island! But
how? When, and above all where?
Broadway and Thirty-third street,
with it's triangle Of shops, answered
that question. 1t was very late. but
he knew that a week before Christ
mas the shops would be open until
late. In the hope that his clothes
would contribute their help toward
arousing the suspicious Of the store
detectives, he quickened his steps
feverishly.
and damned with people. The incom-
ing and outgoing crowds jostled and
pushed Mulcahy as If he were rub
ber-washer between the hub Of a
wheel and the linch-pin.
Presently he found himself at the
notion counter, swept there by the
tide Of customers. He wondered at
the confidence Of the storekeepers.
who took no trouble to protect their
wares set forth in little compartments.
Now he was backed into little
case of tooth-brlshes. He felt his fin
gers close on something; mechanical
ly he placed the thing in his pocket,
and then let himself drift along with
the crowd.
He had stolen something! Was it =
cake of soap-perhaps; but with q
sickening sensation Of impotence he
remembered that one cake of soap
might not unlock the iron gate of
tho pen"
Mulcahy sighed. Now he was in
the jewelry department. 1t yielded
vast possibilities as far as valaubles
were concerned, but these were care
fully protected by glass cases. True,
there were some little trays of gold
filled pins and bracelets scarcely
worth the effort Of attainment. And
yet a handful of these trifles, 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-filled
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 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 chung 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
20 and look for herr" he added,
touched by the sudden moisture that
blurred her eyes.
AS he spoke he 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 got
lost She lived, she said on F1ftieth
street, between Madison and Fifth
avenue. She didn't know the number
but there were green trees at the
door, and it was a white house.
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 =
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" muniacence, but he
spent enough of it in a candy.store
to have provided for himself for two
days.
Over a 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.