The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-09-15

who was sauntering OF after new
easy marks"
It was a motion all the clerks knew,
and by means of which they communi-
Gated their suspicious to the house de- |
tectives. This particular one enter |
tanned deep grudge toward Vesta. Re ]
ceiving higher salary than the clerks !!
and hoorwalkers, he regarded himself
as Q catch of no mean value, and when
he began to smile upon Vesta Som
mors he had expected her to respond. |
There was Dick, however, and Vesta
did not smile. The man was vain and
vengeful, and now had come his
chance. Stepping up to the woman.
he spoke to her In q low voice, at the
same time dexterously taking the col
lars from her without her being aware
Of It With measured step he took
the detected shoplifter upstairs where
the store superintendent put such PEG
pie through = sweat box experience
that regenerated many, and kept the
rest from his store forever more.
Not only were the guilty ones thor
ough1y searched. but q pretense, and
one that was just as good as real, was
made of taking the photograph AS
. last resort, II the store did not pros
ecute, and in general the services Of
the police were not called upon, for it
was contrary to the business princi-
pies Of the store to let the public know
A., anything of q nature likely to react
upon the amount of the patronage, a
convicted person was required to sign
full confession. This the store kept,
as protection against further trouble.
searching of the woman by the woman
assistant failed to disclose any goods
belonging to the store.
"How's this?" Numbered the super.
intendent.
The house detective looked angry
as he said with some heat:
Miss Sommors gave me the sig
nal"
Ten minutes later Miss Vesta Som
mors was standing in the superintend
ent's room.
But l really saw her take the
goods" she persisted.
Always be sure, young woman Tt
haul up an innocent lady like this cal
only result in harm to the house." ant
Vesta knew that the superintendent
was correct. Suddenly an idea cam,
to her
IL want to say something | counte,
the collars just before she came in
gave my count to Miss Wilson, an
she entered it. If there is no repor
Of sales, or even if there is, | ough
to be able to establish my reputatio
for not making a blunder" Her vote
trembled a little. The superintendent
| appreciated good service. and kne'
| that shop lifters had many ways {
| concealing stolen articles, so he ser
| to the department to have the collar
counted, and to Miss Wilson. its hea'
to bring up the report.
Vesta, trembling more than the sho
litter, counted the moments, while tn
4 house detective glowered. Finally Mis-
Wilson arrived. After having gor
over them that morning according
her usual custom, she had given the
to Vesta to go over. Their count ha
: been the same. She had, after recei
ing orders. gone over them herself, ar
had Miss Albright do the same, al
J they found that just two collars we
missing.
The house detective blandly aske
" risking a severe reproof:
But where are those two collars
70 There were the four women: Mi
at Wilson, Vesta, the shop litter and Il
X. woman assistant. The house detecti'
IN | ran them over with his sharp eye.
10 Il would suggest that these TO
10 be searched" he began, but he hi
n, gone a little too far The superinten
,s ent gave him look, under which
wilted almost to confession, and pt
or haps under that mans skillful GRO.
is examination he might have brok
n down. but the day was saved for hi
IN by the arrival of cash boy with t
Ie two collars, which had been found I
AZ der a stool, near which the woman h
ds been standing when caught by t
an house detective. The superinetnde
dismissed them with wave of t
nm hand. and Vesta was faint and diz
~, as she and Miss Wilson hurried ba
lr. to the floor.
X The beast'!' Miss Wilson had m
sc tered. but Vesta said nothing. H
mind was changing little. and
IL. night she knew her future cour
NJ Dick had not come, it was hot a
stuffy. People thronged the sto
m. not one sparins a kind word or
cd smile of approval, and in the narr
mr. space allotted them, the clerks
tie walked on each other, and became
II patient. To crown it all confused
nd her burning headache, the result
III | the house detectives treachery, s
re | made a mistake of a dollar in
sales, and was forced to stand the io
id | One dollar out of her weekly six v
YIN lust too much. and when she s
md | Dicks face in the crowd outside,
clutched his arm and whispered:
he Il want to keep house right aw
her Dick: it's so much nicer than Gle
ing ing
her |
eN- Starved in Midst Of Plenty.