The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1915-05-25
IN A PLAY
BY EMMA LEE WALTON.

ANi NAME was MISS NdTDerry, ana
she was young and pretty, in a quiet
sort of way. She came in two or three
times every month from one of the
s1burbs to do her shopping. and she
was the easiest person to wait on l
rel saw.
She wasn't a bit like these women
who make you 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 it
was a pleasure to do things for her. l
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. It was
all along Of her being friends with our
floorman, Mr.. Winter, that we first no
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 a 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
n 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 a hurry,
for a waist, and hat tall Miss Ring
waited on her. She wanted the waist
charged, and wished to take 1t with
her, so 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 a
complete stranger to him 1t was like
one of the melodramas where the hero
inc freezes the hero with a look before
she knows he is "a man with a heart
of gold. though a rough exterior"
Miss Ring said she nearly fell over,
she was that surprised and taken back,
but of course she didn't say a word to
Miss Carberry. After that we didn't
see her again for weeks, and were just
beginning to wonder If Mr.. Winter
would ever get over it, when In she
came with the strange lady.
The strange lady was quietly
dressed, and seemed very nice, but
didn't take to her a bit. We'd had an
awfully hard day, anyway, and | was
terribly sorry / { didn't happen to be off
the floor when they came in. I'd got
an awful calling down, too, because
lost a "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 | 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 1t
easier.
/ had shown about fifteen suits,
when a customer came hurrying back
from the elevator and grabbed my arm
just as ] was going into n of the liz
tie stock rooms.
She had lost her purse, she said, and
she was all broken up. for it had lots
in 1t. We we're all sorry for her, and
helped hunt, the stranger being espe-
cially nice about it She spent so
much time looking that she said she
couldn't stay any longer, as she had to
telephone a friend at once. Then the
customer who had lost her purse got
still more excited and ! sem n of
the stock boys after Mr.. DAILY, u de-
t~ective, because | saw the lady sus-
pected the stranger. who was leaving
the department.
When Mr.. Daily came to me l told
him all about 1t as fast as | could, and
he stood a moment watching the stran.
ger disappear. Something in her man
ner seemed to bother him, for he
walked after her as quick as a fash.
MISS OdlDcIIg Was uCA FOuc anu us
tressed, but didn't realize at any time
that the two quietlooking men stand
ing by the window were two other
store detectives, who had been sum
moned by Mr.. Daily, and had their eyes
her. They signed to me to go on
showing goods; so | did though my
hands shook with excitement, and !
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
andin nv tha desk answering Mr..