The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-12-18
Sometimes a Clear
Conscience Needs
No Accuser
By LOUISE B. CUMMINGS

was shopping O06 Jay q WO-
man In the place where ! was buying:
Dry goods wal arrested for shopnfting.
The seemed to b Z Lady and very
much cut up. She endeavored to Gen.
vince the proprietor that she was ~
spectacle and had no occasion to STEAL.
but he wa obdurate, and the poor wo-
man was hustled OF to a police station.
A few days later l saw 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 n
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 50 great an i'm
preston on me that l dreaded there
after getting into such a position my
self. l went to a counter to
look wei goods but that l felt that the
eyes of a detective were upon me.
One day while buying some goods l
laid my bag on the counter to examine
them. Several other persons came to
the counter while l was there. When
l finished making my purchases-they
were to be sent home-I took up my
bag and went to another counter
where l bought a spool of thread ami.
opening my bag to put in tLp purchase.
noticed some bundle. that ! could not
account for. Either they had been
put in my bag or l had changed bags
with some n else.
Remembering the case | have men,
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 a
not, and l did not do what l should
have ~done-that is, take the bag to
the Office and report the facts. Ny
one desire vas 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 I was
a thief running away with goods.
l 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 Der coming
behind me. l did not doubt that she
was a detective, employed by the firm
to watch shoplifters. and that l would
cure the services Of a policeman. I
hurried on, she following as fast a. 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.
endeavored to attract the claimants at
tention. but be did not see her. saw
her plainly enough, but l looked
away. pretending not to see her.
There was no other cab near, and
in getting away from the
woman. When l reached home l ran
in as quickly 10 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. l heard some one
going down the steps and, looking out
Of the window, saw a policeman riding
away. on a motorcycle.
l 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 l recalled that l had been at my
jewelers. and brought away a valuable
brooch that | had left there for repair.
| had exchanged my brooch for a yard
Of cambria. six handkerchiefs. half a
yard Of dress lining and Il number of
other articles of no more value.
While | vas preparing to continue
my flight l heard a latchkey fumbling
in the keyhole Of the front door. I
knew it was my husband and ran
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 | 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
womau has unintentionally exchanged
bags Doubtless while shopping at the
same counter with you you both laid
down your bag; and she picked up the
wrong hag. When you turned for
yours y"n took what was left"
There WAS another ring ut the door
bell. and my husband insisted on going
to the door. | ran upstairs and hid in
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