within the law-第8章

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ndeed；　presently　accomplished　by　the　advent　of　Smithson　into　the　office。　　He　entered　with　an　expression　of　discomfiture　on　his　rather　vacuous　countenance。　　He　walked　almost　nimbly　to　the　desk　and　spoke　with　evident　distress；　as　his　employer　looked　up　interrogatively。

〃McCracken　has　detainederalady；　sir；〃　he　said；　feebly。　　〃She　has　been　searched；　and　we　have　found　about　a　hundred　dollars　worth　of　laces　on　her。〃

〃Well？〃　　Gilder　demanded；　impatiently。　　Such　affairs　were　too　common　in　the　store　to　make　necessary　this　intrusion　of　the　matter　on　him。　　〃Why　did　you　come　to　me　about　it？〃　　His　staff　knew　just　what　to　do　with　shoplifters。

At　once；　Smithson　became　apologetic；　while　refusing　to　retreat。

〃I'm　very　sorry；　sir；〃　he　said　haltingly；　〃but　I　thought　it　wiser；　sir；　toerto　bring　the　matter　to　your　personal　attention。〃

〃Quite　unnecessary；　Smithson；〃　Gilder　returned；　with　asperity。　　〃You　know　my　views　on　the　subject　of　property。　Tell　McCracken　to　have　the　thief　arrested。〃

Smithson　cleared　his　throat　doubtfully；　and　in　his　stress　of　feeling　he　even　relaxed　a　trifle　that　majestical　erectness　of　carriage　that　had　made　him　so　valuable　as　a　floor…walker。

〃She's　not　exactly　aera　thief；〃　he　ventured。

〃You　are　trifling；　Smithson；〃　the　owner　of　the　store　exclaimed；　in　high　exasperation。　　〃Not　a　thief！　And　you　caught　her　with　a　hundred　dollars　worth　of　laces　that　she　hadn't　bought。　　Not　a　thief！　What　in　heaven's　name　do　you　call　her；　then？〃　

〃A　kleptomaniac；〃　Smithson　explained；　retaining　his　manner　of　mild　insistence。　　〃You　see；　sir；　it's　this　way。　The　lady　happens　to　be　the　wife　of　J。　W。　Gaskell；　the　banker；　you　know。〃

Yes；　Gilder　did　know。　　The　mention　of　the　name　was　like　a　spell　in　the　effect　it　wrought　on　the　attitude　of　the　irritated　owner　of　the　store。　　Instantly；　his　expression　changed。　　While　before　his　features　had　been　set　grimly；　while　his　eyes　had　flashed　wrathfully；　there　was　now　only　annoyance　over　an　event　markedly　unfortunate。

〃How　extremely　awkward！〃　he　cried；　and　there　was　a　very　real　concern　in　his　voice。　　He　regarded　Smithson　kindly；　whereat　that　rather　puling　gentleman　once　again　assumed　his　martial　bearing。　　〃You　were　quite　right　in　coming　to　me。〃　　For　a　moment　he　was　silent；　plunged　in　thought。　　Finally　he　spoke　with　the　decisiveness　characteristic　of　him。　　〃Of　course；　there's　nothing　we　can　do。　　Just　put　the　stuff　back　on　the　counter；　and　let　her　go。〃

But　Smithson　had　not　yet　wholly　unburdened　himself。　Instead　of　immediately　leaving　the　room　in　pursuance　of　the　succinct　instructions　given　him；　he　again　cleared　his　throat　nervously；　and　made　known　a　further　aggravating　factor　in　the　situation。

〃She's　very　angry；　Mr。　Gilder；〃　he　announced；　timidly。　〃Sheershe　demands　aneran　apology。〃

The　owner　of　the　store　half…rose　from　his　chair；　then　threw　himself　back　with　an　exclamation　of　disgust。　　He　again　ejaculated　the　words　with　which　he　had　greeted　his　son's　unexpected　kisses；　but　now　there　was　a　vast　difference　in　the　intonation。

〃God　bless　my　soul！〃　he　cried。　　From　his　expression；　it　was　clear　that　a　pious　aspiration　was　farthest　from　his　thought。　　On　the　contrary！　Again；　he　fell　silent；　considering　the　situation　which　Smithson　had　presented；　and；　as　he　reflected；　his　frown　betrayed　the　emotion　natural　enough　under　the　circumstances。　　At　last；　however；　he　mastered　his　irritation　to　some　degree；　and　spoke　his　command　briefly。　　〃Well；　Smithson；　apologize　to　her。　It　can't　be　helped。〃　　Then　his　face　lighted　with　a　sardonic　amusement。　　〃And；　Smithson；〃　he　went　on　with　a　sort　of　elephantine　playfulness；　〃I　shall　take　it　as　a　personal　favor　if　you　will　tactfully　advise　the　lady　that　the　goods　at　Altman　and　Stern's　are　really　even　finer　than　ours。〃

When　Smithson　had　left　the　office；　Gilder　turned　to　his　secretary。

〃Take　this；〃　he　directed；　and　he　forthwith　dictated　the　following　letter　to　the　husband　of　the　lady　who　was　not　a　thief；　as　Smithson　had　so　painstakingly　pointed　out：

〃J。　W。　GASKELL；　ESQ。；　　　　　　　　　　　〃Central　National　Bank；　New　York。

〃MY　DEAR　Mr。　GASKELL：　I　feel　that　I　should　be　doing　less　than　my　duty　as　a　man　if　I　did　not　let　you　know　at　once　that　Mrs。　Gaskell　is　in　urgent　need　of　medical　attention。　　She　came　into　our　store　to…day；　and〃　

He　paused　for　a　moment。　　〃No；　put　it　this　way；〃　he　said　finally：　

〃We　found　her　wandering　about　our　store　to…day　in　a　very　nervous　condition。　　In　her　excitement；　she　carried　away　about　one　hundred　dollars'　worth　of　rare　laces。　Not　recognizing　her；　our　store　detective　detained　her　for　a　short　time。　　Fortunately　for　us　all；　Mrs。　Gaskell　was　able　to　explain　who　she　was；　and　she　has　just　gone　to　her　home。　　Hoping　for　Mrs。　Gaskell's　speedy　recovery；　and　with　all　good　wishes；　I　am；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Yours　very　truly。〃　　

Yet；　though　he　had　completed　the　letter；　Gilder　did　not　at　once　take　up　another　detail　of　his　business。　　Instead；　he　remained　plunged　in　thought；　and　now　his　frown　was　one　of　simple　bewilderment。　　A　number　of　minutes　passed　before　he　spoke；　and　then　his　words　revealed　distinctly　what　had　been　his　train　of　meditation。

〃Sadie；〃　he　said　in　a　voice　of　entire　sincerity；　〃I　can't　understand　theft。　　It's　a　thing　absolutely　beyond　my　comprehension。〃

On　the　heels　of　this　ingenuous　declaration；　Smithson　entered　the　office；　and　that　excellent　gentleman　appeared　even　more　perturbed　than　before。

〃What　on　earth　is　the　matter　now？〃　　Gilder　spluttered；　suspiciously。

〃It's　Mrs。　Gaskell　still；〃　Smithson　replied　in　great　trepidation。　　〃She　wants　you　personally；　Mr。　Gilder；　to　apologize　to　her。　　She　says　that　the　action　taken　against　her　is　an　outrage；　and　she　is　not　satisfied　with　the　apologies　of　all　the　rest　of　us。　　She　says　you　must　make　one；　too；　and　that　the　store　detective　must　be　discharged　for　intolerable　insolence。〃

Gilder　bounced　up　from　his　chair　angrily。

〃I'll　be　damned　if　I'll　discharge　McCracken；〃　he　vociferated；　glaring　on　Smithson；　who　shrank　visibly。

But　that　mild　and　meek　man　had　a　certain　strength　of　pertinacity。　　Besides；　in　this　case；　he　had　been　having　multitudinous　troubles　of　his　own；　which　could　be　ended　only　by　his　employer's　placating　of　the　offended　kleptomaniac。

〃But　about　the　apology；　Mr。　Gilder；〃　he　reminded；　speaking　very　deferentially；　yet　with　insistence。

Business　instinct　triumphed　over　the　magnate's　irritation；　and　his　face　cleared。

〃Oh；　I'll　apologize；〃　he　said　with　a　wry　smile　of　discomfiture。　　〃I'll　make　things　even　up　a　bit　when　I　get　an　apology　from　Gaskell。　　I　shrewdly　suspect　that　that　estimable　gentleman　is　going　to　eat　humble　pie；　of　my　baking；　from　his　wife's　recipe。　　And　his　will　be　an　honest　apologywhich　mine　won't；　not　by　a　damned　sight！〃　With　the　words；　he　left　the　room；　in　his　wake　a　hugely　relieved　Smithson。

Alone　in　the　office；　Sarah　neglected　her　work　for　a　few　minutes　to　brood　over　the　startling　contrast　of　events　that　had　just　forced　itself　on　her　attention。　　She　was　not　a　girl　given　to　the　analysis　of　either　persons　or　things；　but　in　this　instance　the　movement　of　affairs　had　come　close　to　her；　and　she　was　compelled　to　some　depth　of　feeling　by　the　two　aspects　of　life　on　which　to…day　she　looked。　　In　the　one　case；　as　she　knew　it；　a　girl　under　the　urge　of　poverty　had　stolen。　　That　thief　had　been　promptly　arrested；　finally　she　had　been　tried；　had　been　convicted；　had　been　sentenced　to　three　years　in　prison。　In　the　other　case；　a　woman　of　wealth　had　stolen。　　There　had　been　no　punishment。　　A　euphemism　of　kleptomania　had　been　offered　and　accepted　as　sufficient　excuse　for　her　crime。　　A　polite　lie　had　been　written　to　her　husband；　a　banker　of　power　in　the　city。　　To　her；　the　proprietor　of　the　store　was　even　now　apologizing　in　courteous　phrases　of　regret。。。。　And　Mary　Turner　had　been　sentenced　to　three　years　in　prison。　　Sadie　shook　her　head　in　dolorous　doubt；　as　she　again　bent　over　the　keys　of　her　typewriter。　　Certainly；　some　happenings　in　this　world　of　ours　did　not　seem　quite　fair。



CHAPTER　V。　THE　VICTIM　OF　THE　LAW。　

It　was　on　this　same　day　that　Sarah；　on　one　of　her　numerous　trips　through　the　store　in　behalf　of　Gilder；　was　accosted　by　a　salesgirl；　whose　name；　Helen　Morris；　she　chanced　to　know。　　It　was　in　a　spot　somewhere　out　of　the　crowd；　so　that　for　the