The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-09-17
we're but q streak of white in the air,


easy marks"
1t 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 f1oorwalkers, he regarded himself
as 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 low voice, at the
same time dexterously taking the col.
lars from her without her being aware
OF 1t. With measured step he took
the detected shoplifter upstairs where
the store superintendent put such peo-
pie through a sweat box experience
that regenerated many. and kept the
rest from his store forever more.
Not only were the guilty ones thor
oughly searched. but 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
anything Of a nature likely to react
upon the amount Of the patronage, a
convicted person was required to sign
a full confession. This the store kept,
! as protection against further trouble
On this day, however, thorough
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 | really saw her take the
goods" she persisted.
Always be sure. young woman. To
haul up an innocent lady like this can
only result in harm to the house" and
Vesta knew that the superintendent
was correct. Suddenly an idea came
to her.
Il want to say something. | counted
the collars just before she came in.
| gave my count to Miss Wilson, and
she entered it. If there is no report
OF sales, or even if there is, / ought
to be able to establish my reputation
for not making blunder." Her voice
! trembled little. The superintendent
appreciated good service. and knew
that shop lifters had many ways of
concealing stolen articles, so he sent
to the department to have the collars
counted. and to Miss Wilson, its head
to bring up the report
Vesta, trembling more than the shop
litter. counted the moments, while the
house detective glowered. Finally Miss
Wilson arrived. After having gone
/ over them that morning according to
her usual custom, she had given them
to Vesta to go over. Their count had
been the same. She had, after receiy-
ing orders, gone over them herself, and
had Miss Albright do the same. and
they found that just two collars were
missing.
The house detective blandly asked,
risking severe reproof:
But where are those two collars p
There were the four women: Miss
Wilson, Vesta, the shop litter and the
woman assistant. The house detective
ran them over with his sharp eye.
Il would suggest that these four
be searched" he began, but he had
gone little too far. The superintend-
ent gave him look under which he
wilted almost to confession, and per
haps under that mans skillful cross
examination he might have broken
down, but the day was saved for him
by the arrival of cash boy with the
two collars, which had been found un-
der stool. near which the woman had
been standing when caught by the
house detective. The SUPERINTENDENT
dismissed them with wave of the
hand, and Vesta was faint and dizzy
as she and Miss Wilson hurried back
to the floor.
THE beast'!' Miss Wilson had nut.
tered, but Vesta said nothing. Her
mind was changing little, and by
night she knew her future course
Dick had not come, it was hot and
stufry People thronged the store,
not one sparins kind word or a
smile of approval and in the narrow
space allotted them, the clerks all
walked on each other, and became i'm
patient. To crown it all. confused by
her burning headache, the result of
the house detectives treachery. she
made mistake of dollar in her
sales, and was forced to stand the loss.
One dollar out OF her weekly six was
just too much, and when she saw
Dicks face in the crowd outside, she
clutched his arm and whispered:
Il want to keep house right away,
Dick; 1t 5 so much nicer than clerk.
ing