Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-20
r was as clever bit of penny
weighing" as I'd ever clapped
NV ewes on.

my eyes on.
What first made me watch the
woman. in fact, was my accidental OBJ
eervation Of her hand movement as
she pressed a bit OF chewing gum
under the edge Of the glass show
ease. All the while she was doing
this, I noticed, she was engaged in
casual yet seemingly earnest CONVEX
Bation with the clerk behind the gem
counter She continued to study, ap-
parently. the array Of unmounted
etones spread out over the little
square Of black velvet on the top of
the showcase But she seemed hard
TO satisfy. For just moment that
patient and punctilious old salesman
turned away to produce another tray
Of Jewels for her inspection. And, as
] had expected, she took advantage Of
that moment. She quietly but quickly
pressed an unmounted Mexican opal
into the still soft gum under the case
edging.
The customer in this case, was
plainly taking advantage Of that
quiet hammered clerks faith in her
appearance Of well-being. She ap-
peared the embodiment of good form.
Even the womans face, 1t rather as
tonished me to observe, was a reitera-
ton Of this same note. 1t was not
face to excite suspicion. There was
nothing hard or crafty or sordid about
1t. 1t was a soft face. but its soft
ness carried no paraded faint Of weak
ness. 1t disarmed suspicion 1t was
q weapon. apparently. which in the
che nSinT fnr all II
was worth.
For she wasn't stealing that Mexi-
can opal as easily as she had imagined.
The eye Of that trained salesman had
been quick to appraise his padful Of
unmounted stones. 1t took scarcely
pulsebeat Of time to tell him that one
Of them was missing. But he re-
manned as punctiliously courteous and
attentive as before.
None of these will do" announced
the rosy widow as she pushed the
black velvet pad back toward the
clerk.
You are taking only one?" the old
clerk mildly inquired, with a hand
movement toward. the unmounted
stones.
DO you mean to say one Of those
opals Is missing?" suddenly demanded
tho soft-eyed woman in the war
widow mourning.
1T doesn't seem to be here" the old
clerk half apologetically acknowl-
edged, continuing his search.
"Since the opal disappeared when I
was standing here beside it, should
like to be searched"
rTha old clark'a qpnila almost
commiserative one.
Pardon me, but that is a procedure
we never resort to. And it could
scarcely, be undertaken in-in such
surroundings"
Then ! should like to see the man.
ager of this place"
The old clerk seemed altogether oc-
cupied in restoring his Jewels to their
place inside the case.
you will find him in the second Of
fee Immediately in the rear" he said,
with the impersonality of the Sphinx.
The war widow gathered up her
Japanese beaded bag that was easily
worth half a dozen Mexican opals, and
her lorgnon set with black pearls.
Then she rushed determinedly rear
ward toward the Office in question.
Then / could see, out of the corner
Of my eyes, that q long-legged young
man was already stepping up to the
showcase where the stolen jewel was
20 cleverly secreted. Taking advantage
Of the fact that the fastidious- man
nered old clerk was still staring some-
what perplexedly after the disappear
Ing woman, the newcomer stood closes
in beside the showcase and let his
gloved hand drop to it's lower edge.
Nhe next moment l saw his fingers
pull away the jewel gummed to it's
hiding place. and promptly drop it in
his pocket
What made me rather catch my
breath was the discovery that the
1ong-legged young man who had
pocketed the opal was Winkfred
Ealand.
stood there, as dazed as a fruit
peddler whose whole apple cart has
gone over. / saw a proprietary-loo
ing man with an aldermanic paunch
step up to the old clerk and hold a
whispered consultation with him, and
again disappear into one Of the or
Dately partitioned Offices at the rear.
Presently l saw my pink and white
war widow marching solemnly and a
little triumphantly out OF the store.
decided to follow her. When she