The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1915-04-13
LIVING IN A PLAY
By EMMA LEE WALTON.
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(Copyright)
Her name wcs Miss Carberry, and
she was young and pretty, in a quiet
sort of way. She came In two or three
times every month from one of the
suburbs to DO her shopping. and she
was the easiest person to wait on
ever saw.
She WASH a bit like these women
who make yos haul out everything In
stock, and then walk simplify away,
saying they guess they'll get it some
where else; or, even when she didn't
want to buy, she was that kindly 1t
was pleasure to do things for her 1
always like to remember her. when it
seems some days as though women
folks were pretty hard to deal with.
She remarked to Minnie once that
she was a stranger everywhere, having
recently come from the South after
travelling all over the world. 1t was
all along Of her being friends with our
fioorman, Mr.. Winter, that we first mo-
ticed her. They'd met somewhere, and
he was always sure to come and talk
to her for a good half hour as soon as
she appeared on the floor, whether she
was buying waists or suits or kimo-
no. We all noticed it, of course, but
by and by we got so used to 1t we
didn't even smile to each other
Well, everything went all right until
one day toward spring they quarreled.
We didn't know a thing about it until
some one said she hadn't been In for
weeks, and then we took to watching.
Along In April she came in, in hurry,
for waist, and that tall Miss Ring
waited on her. She wanted the waist
charged, and wished to take it with
her, 80 Miss Ring called Mr.. Winter.
Mr.. Winter signed the check. Miss
Carberry bowed freezingly and said
THANK you" and he walked away, for
all the world as though she were
complete stranger to him. 1t was like
one Of the melodramas where the hero
Inc freezes the hero with look before
she knows he Is "a man with heart
Of gold, though rough exterior"
Miss Ring said she nearly fell over,
she was that surprised and taken back,
but Of course she didn't say word to
Miss Carberry. After that we didn't
see her again for weeks, and we're just
beginning to wonder If Mr.. Winter
would ever get over 1t, when in she
came with the strange lady.
The strange lady was quietly
dressed, and seemed very nice, but
didn't take to her bit. We'd had an
awfully hard day, anyway, and / was
terribly sorry didn't happen to be of
the floor when they came in. I'd got
an awful calling down. too, because l
lost "Don't-ticket" off one of the suits
being fitted, and just wanted to cry.
But when they came in, and Mr.. Sem
pie called me to wait on them, shout
ing my name as though I were deaf,
had to go and be good.
Miss Carberry and the stranger had
met on the train, and seemed already
good friends, though Miss Carberry
was usually so reserved They were
both looking for blue suits, so could
wait on them together, which made It
easier.
had shown about fifteen suits,
when customer came hurrying back
from the elevator and grabbed my arm
just as | was going into one of the lit
tie stock rooms.
She had lost her purse, she said, and
she was all broken up, for 1t had lots
in 1t. We were all sorry for her, and
helped hunt, the stranger being espe-
much time looking that she said she
couldn't stay any longer, as she had to
telephone friend at once. Then the
customer who had lost her purse got
still more excited and / sent one of
the stock boys after Mr.. DAILY, our de-
tective, because saw the lady sus-
pected the stranger. who was leaving
the department.
When Mr.. DAILY came to me l told
him all about it as fast as / could, and
he stood moment watching the stran-
ger disappear. Something in her man.
ner seemed to bother him, for he
walked after her as quick as flash.
Miss Carberry was nervous and dis
tressed, but didn't realize at any time
that the two quiet-looking men stand
ing by the window were two other
store detectives, who had been sum-
moned by Mr. DAILY, and had their eyes
on her. They signed to me to go on
showing goods; so | did, though my
hands shook with excitement, and I
was terribly nervous over the wailing
of the lady who lost the purse.
We were getting nervous enough to
scream, when the managers Office boy
came down to speak to the detectives.
and they asked US If we would have
any objection to going with them to
one OF the upper floors. They picked
up an elevator that was empty, and we
went up, scared out of our wits.
When we came in Mr.. Daily was
standing by the desk answering Mr..
Illusions questions and the stranger
was crying softly into lace handker-
chief. Miss Carberry was as white as
sheet, but the lady who had lost her
purse was real calm
Mr.. Huston had Mr.. DAILY tell US
how he had followed the stranger to a
telephone booth, where he had seen
her take purse from her sleeve and
pour the money and bills into her
stocking, throwing the purse after
ward on the floor. He had followed
her to the elevator then, and told the
conductor to go up, though he was on
his way down at the time When he
finished his story, Mr.. Huston asked
the lady to describe her property as
well as she could
She did easily describe the purse
and the money, and Mr.. Huston ex-
cused her and let her 60, after taking
her name and address Then 1t came
my turn to answer questions that came
thick and fast, but h9d to stay after
he finished asking them
Twas glad, because wanted to hear
the rest. tried to put In word for
Miss Carberry, but only made matters
worse for her, perhaps, though she
looked at me gratefully out of her
white face
When Mr.. Huston cross-examined
her, he was as kind as he had been to
me. though it was plain to be seen
that he was sure she was in the thing
somehow. Her not knowing anybody
in Chicago looked pretty bad for her.
and 1t was much worse that she had
no one in Peoria she was willing to
refer to.
Mr.. Huston kind of smiled crooked
when she said the man who had gone
surety for her running an account In
Meadows store had died the week be-