by Roy J. Snell
CHAPTER VI.--SHIRLEY LENDS AID.
"Look, Mabel, did you see that woman steal that bolt of silk?"
It was Shirley who spoke. They stood among the crowd that thronged thelargest department store in Savannah, Ga. The _Yucatan_ had put intoSavannah early that morning, and learning that the vessel would not getunder way again until late in the afternoon, Shirley and Mabel had goneuptown to purchase a few souvenirs of the Georgia city.
It was just after entering the store that Shirley's attention wasattracted by the peculiar actions of a young woman who darted somewhatfurtively from one counter to another. While the attention of the clerkswas given to customers, Shirley had seen the woman slip a bolt ofexpensive silk from the counter and hide it under a long flowing cape,which she wore in spite of the heat.
Mabel shook her head negatively in response to Shirley's question.
"Which one?" she asked.
Shirley pointed to the figure of the woman who was now gazing at apretty array of expensive laces. Both girls watched her carefully; anddirectly, as the crowd about her became more dense, they saw her hand gostealthily forth and take several small bolts of the high-pricedmaterial.
"Well what do you think of that?" demanded Mabel. "I have heard of suchthings, but I never expected to see it. What shall we do?"
"Nothing," replied Shirley decidedly. "It's none of our business."
"But won't the poor clerks have to make good the loss?"
"I don't know about that. But if we get mixed up in it we are likely togain too much notoriety. Let's move away from here."
They pushed their way through the crowd when Shirley came suddenly intoviolent contact with a figure hurrying from the opposite direction. Thelatter drew back and lifted his cap.
"Miss Willing," he said. "I beg your pardon. I didn't look where I wasgoing."
Shirley glanced up in surprise at hearing her name spoken. Then sherecognized the figure with whom she had collided.
"Why, Mr. Bristow," she said. "I thought I left you aboard the_Yucatan_?"
"I came ashore to do a little shopping, as you young ladies call it,"replied Bristow with a laugh. "I shall have to hurry on."
He lifted his cap and was gone.
The two girls continued to stroll about through the store, eyeing thebargains appreciatively.
"Well, I guess we have seen enough," said Mabel finally. "We may as wellreturn to the ship."
As they started toward the door they became aware of the sounds ofconfusion behind them. For a moment they hesitated, then their curiosityovercame them and they turned back.
Far down the aisle a large crowd had gathered. The girls could hear theloud tones of one of the floor walkers calling for the store detective.Shirley and Mabel elbowed their way through the crowd, and presentlywere able to see what was going on.
Shirley uttered an exclamation of amazement and clutched Mabel by thearm.
"Look at that!" she cried in a low voice.
And well might she have been amazed. For there, in the center of thecrowd, his arm grasped tightly by the big floor walker, was HenryBristow.
His face was red and he was plainly very angry. However, he was makingno effort to release himself. He controlled himself with an effort andspoke.
"I tell you you are making a mistake," he said quietly, and his voicecarried to the two girls.
"Is that so?" sneered the floor walker. "So you deny you are ashop-lifter, eh? Well, I didn't suppose you would admit it. How do youaccount for the possession of this valuable piece of lace the clerk sawyou getting away with?"
"It must have caught on my coat," was the reply. "I didn't try to stealit."
"You didn't, eh? We'll see as soon as the house detective arrives. Ireckon you have plenty of stuff stowed away in your pockets."
"Well, I haven't," declared Bristow angrily. "You're going to be sorryfor this before you get through."
"Well what do you think of that?" demanded Mabel, who had stood withopen mouth during this conversation.
"I think that he is innocent," declared Shirley.
She glanced quickly around the store, and as she did so her eyes fellupon the woman she had so recently seen appropriating articles from thecounter.
"There goes the woman who did it," she declared, pointing.
Mabel looked and nodded her head.
The woman was coming directly toward them, pushing her way through thecrowd vigorously. Shirley stepped forward and barred her progress.
At the same moment Shirley raised her voice and called out:
"That man is innocent, Mr. Floorwalker. Here is the shop-lifter."
The woman again tried to push by Shirley, but the latter maneuvered soas to be directly in front of her at every step.
Shirley's words caused a commotion. Willing hands darted out and seizedthe woman, and she was taken before the man who still grasped youngBristow by the arm.
Shirley and Mabel pushed their way forward.
"I saw this woman steal a bolt of silk and some laces," declaredShirley. "I would have said nothing about it had not Mr. Bristow, whom Iknow, been accused."
"It isn't true!" cried the woman. "The girl is in the plot with theman."
Shirley's face grew red.
"I am not!" she declared. "This woman is guilty. She put the thingsunder that long cape."
The floor walker was plainly mystified. He glanced from one to theother.
"Well, it will do no harm to have a look," he declared. He turned to thewoman. "Will you remove your cape, madam?"
The woman drew back, and pulled the garment closer about her.
"No, I won't!" she declared, "I--"
"Very well," said the floor walker. "I shall have the floor matronsearch you."
He turned and called to one of the clerks. But the woman waited for nomore. With a single move she took off her cape, and threw it to thefloor.
"There," she said, throwing out her arms, "you may see that I havenothing."
"I saw her take them," declared Shirley, looking at the woman insurprise, for she could not see a sign of a stolen article.
A frown gathered on the floor walker's face as he glanced at Shirley.
"This looks rather bad for you." he said to her pointedly.
Shirley took a step back.
"What do you mean?" she asked in no little alarm.
"It seems that the lady is telling the truth. What was your object inaccusing her?"
"I tell you I saw her take them," declared Shirley again.
The floor walker shrugged his shoulders.
It was Mabel who finally cleared up the situation. The woman's capestill lay on the floor where she had thrown it. Mabel stooped down topick it up, and as she did so the woman also snatched at it.
But Mabel was the quicker of the two and captured the garment. Quicklyshe turned it wrong side out, and as she did so there was a gasp fromthe crowd.
For the inside of the coat was literally filled with secret pockets.Mabel thrust her hand in and pulled out the bolt of silk. She held itabove her head.
"Here it is!" she cried.
"I bought and paid for that," sputtered the angry woman.
One after another Mabel now produced other articles of value, which sheexposed to the view of the crowd. And in each case the woman'sexplanation was the same:
"I paid for that!"
But the floor walker was not to be fooled, nor was the manager of thestore, who came up at that moment. The former released his hold on youngBristow and made him an abject apology.
One of the women detectives was called, and the shop-lifter turned overto her. Then the manager addressed Shirley and Mabel.
"I owe you two young ladies a debt of gratitude," he said. "Thisshop-lifting has been going on for a month or more and we have lostheavily. Thanks to you I believe we have the culprit at last. Withoutyour assistance she would have escaped."
Shirley and Mabel acknowledged this praise with slight inclinations ofthe heads, and then Shirley spoke to Youn
g Bristow, who stood near.
"Are you going back to the boat, Mr. Bristow? We shall be glad of yourcompany."
The young man accepted this invitation, and the three made their wayfrom the store.
"I can't thank you enough, either of you," he declared as they walkedalong. "I was in a ticklish position, and but for your assistance mighthave been put to no end of trouble."
"How did you happen to be accused?" asked Shirley.
"Why, I was walking through the aisle, and because of the crowd I wasshoved against the counter. A piece of lace caught on a button of mycoat, and I dragged it with me as I went by. Then the girl behind thecounter cried out that some one had stolen something. The floor walkersaw the lace caught in my coat and collared me. That's all."
"I see," said Shirley, and added with a smile: "You certainly did lookfunny there!"
"Did I? Well, I didn't feel very funny. I was afraid I would be heldlong enough to make me miss the ship, and I can't afford to do that."
"Then your business in Colon is very important?" asked Mabel.
Young Bristow looked at her in silence for some moments, and Mabel grewred as she thought she was to be rebuffed again. But she wasn't. Bristowfinally answered her question.
"Very important," he said quietly.