The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-03-16
IN A PLAY
BY EMMA LEE WALTON.


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 wasn't bit like these women
who make you haul out everything in
stock, and then walk simplify away.
saying they guess they'll get 1t some
where else; or, even when she didn't
want to buy. she was that kindly 1t
was . pleasure to do things for her. l
always like to remember her, when 1t
seems some days as though women
folks were pretty hard to deal with.
She remarked to Minnie once that
she was stranger everywhere, having
recently come from the South after
travelling all over the world It was
all along Of her being friends with our
hoorman, Mr. Winter. that we first no
ticed her. They'd met somewhere, and
he was always sure to come and talk
to her for q good half hour as soon as
ohC dPpCdi Gu vi tuC uOOlp WACthOA 0AAO
was buying waists or suits or kimo-
no. We all noticed it, of course, but
by and by we got SO used to it we
didn't even smile to each other.
Well. everything went all right until
one day toward spring they quarreled
We didn't know 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, 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 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 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 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. Id got
an awful calling down, too, because l
lost "Don't-ticket" OF 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 60 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 we're
both looking for blue suits, so could
wait on them together, which made 1t
easier.
I had shown about fifteen suits
when a 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 it had lots
in 1t. We were all sorry for her. and
helped hunt, the stranger being espe
| cially nice about 1t. She spent SO
! 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 l sent one OF
the stock boys after Mr.. Daily, our de-
tective, because l saw the lady sus
pected the stranger, who was leaving
the department.
When Mr.. Daily came to me I told
him all about 1t 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 we're two Other
store detectives, who had been sum
moned by Mr.. DAILY. and had their eyes
on her. They signed to me to 60 on
showing goods; so l did. though my
hands shook with excitement. and
was terribly nervous over the wailina
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 IL 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 Al
a sheet. but the lady who had lost hel
purse was real calm.
Mr.. Huston had Mr.. DAILY tell ue
how he had followed the stranger to q
telephone booth, where he had seen
her take purse from her sleeve and
pour the money and bills into heI
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 be
finished his story. MIR. Huston asked
the lady to describe her property az