The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-12-11
Sometimes a Clear
Conscience Needs
No Accuser
By LOUISE B.

She seemed to be a lady and very
much cut up. She ~endeavored to con
vince the proprietor that she vas re-
spectacle and had nc occasion to steal.
but he was obdurate, and the poor wO
man was hustled of to Il police station
A few days later l say by a newspa.
per that the lady was the wife Of a
wealthy and prominent man. She lived
In another city, and, there being no one
at hand to vouch for her, she spent the
night in a cell. Her husband came
for her. got her out and commenced
suit against the dry goods firm for
100000 damages.
This matter made so great an i'm
preston on me that l dreaded there
after getting into such a position my
self. neve went to a counter to
look over goods but that | felt that the
eyes Of a detective were upon me.
One day while buying some goods |
laid my bag on the ounter tc examine
them. Several other persons came to
the counter while l was there. When
l finished making my purchases-th"y
were to be sent home-I took up iny
bag and went to another counter.
where l bought a spool of thread and,
opening my bag to put in the purchase.
noticed some bundles that | could not
account for. Either they had been
put in my bag or l had changed bags
with some n else.
70 0son nm hov.;p tho no~o I ho1n man
toned, l became terror stricken lest l
should be arrested as a thief.
And here is where an innocent per.
son Is liable to incriminate himself.
Unless very cool and collected there
are nineteen chances in twenty that
he will do the wrong thing. and there
are nineteen chances in twenty that
one, especially a woman, will not be
cool and collected. l certainly was
not, and l did not do what l should
have done-that is, take the bag to
the Office and report the facts. My
one desire IA to get out of that store
before the lynx eyed detective on duty
should pounce upon me. l went toward
the door in a great hurry. doubtless
showing by my expression that l was
a thief running away with goods.
I attracted the attention of a woman.
who followed me out. l caught sight
Of her staring at me and, looking back
on gaining the street, saw ner coming
behind me. l did not doubt that she
was a detective, employed by the firm
to watch shoplifters. and that l would
be arrested as soon as she could Sc
cure the services Of a policeman. |
hurried on, she following as fast as she
could. But she did not gain on me.
for she was older than l and some
what corpulent-
Seeing a cab standing beside the
curb, l jumped in and told the cabman
to drive me to my house. The woman.
coming up as We were driving away.
.e%ndeavored to attract the claimants at.
tention, but he did not see her. saw
her plainly enough. but l looked
away. pretending not to see her.
There was no other cab near. and I
succeeded in getting away from the
woman. When l reached home l ran
in as quickly as l could. locked the
door behind me-. and after calling to
the maid to admit no one l went up
stairs to my room.
had not been there long before
there was a sharp ring at the door.
bell. l remained In my room, SILVER.
ing. and the summons was not an
swered. There was another and an
other ring, but after that whoever was
there went away. I heard some one
going down the steps and, looking out
OF the window. saw a policeman riding
away ON q motorcycle.
I determined to get away from the
house before he could come back. but
first concluded to examine the bag.
1t was not mine and contained a num-
Der Of articles of no great value that
were evidently purchases of a woman.
Then I recalled that I had been at my
jewelers. and brought away a valuable
brooch that l had left there for repair.
l had exchanged my brooch for q yard
of cambria. six handkerchiefs. half q
yard of dress lining and a number Of
oSAICA oAIANhCo VI nv " osu
While l was preparing to continue
my flight ! heard a latchkey fumbling
in the keyhole Of the front door. I.
knew It was my husband and a
downstairs. opened the door and when
he entered fell into his arms. In re-
ply to his agonized appeals to be told
what was the matter l finally gasped
that l was about to be arrested as a
shoplifter. This naturally ~astonished
him. and he worked hard with me till
he got the story.
"Nonsense!' he exclaimed. Some
woman has Internationally exchanged
bags. Doubtless while shopping at the
same counter with you you both laid
down your bags and she picked up the
wrong bag. When you turned for
yours you took what vas left"
There was another ring at the door.
bell, and my husband insisted on going
to the door. l ran upstairs and hid In
the closet. Presently I heard him call
ing, but / remained where I was till
he came upstairs with my lost bag.
The woman whO had followed me-.