this young woman says, but if you will
listen patiently to my explanations I am sure you will see that it was
a mere eager over-sight--the fault of absent-mindedness, hardly the sin
of covetousness, and surely not a crime. I am making this confession--"

The tender conscience of the dear, blameless little soul! She was
actually giving herself away. Worse--she was giving me away, too. But
I couldn't stand that. I saw the saleswoman's puzzled face--she was a
tall woman with a big bust, big hips and the big head all right, and
she wore her long-train black rig for all the world like a Cruelty girl
who had stolen the matron's skirt to "play lady" in. I got behind
little Mrs. Bishop, and looking out over her head, I tapped my forehead
significantly.

The saleswoman tumbled. That was all right. But so did the Bishop's
wife; for she turned and caught me at it.

"You shall not save me from myself and what I deserve," she cried. "I
am perfectly sane and you know it, and you are doing me no favor in
trying to create the contrary impression. I demand an--"

"An interview with the manager," I interrupted. "I'm sure Mrs. Van
Wagenen can see the manager. Just go with the lady, Mrs. Van Wagenen,
and I'll follow with the goods."

She did it meek as a lamb, talking all the time, but never beginning at
the beginning--luckily for me. So that I had time to slip from one
dressing-room to the next, with the lace up my sleeve, out to the
elevator, and down into the street.

D'ye know what heaven must be, Mag? A place where you always get away
with the swag, and where it's always just the minute after you've made
a killing.

Cocky? Well, I should say I was. I was drunk enough with success to
take big chances. And just while I was wishing for something really
big to tackle, it came along in the shape of that big floor-walker!

He was without a hat, and his eyes looked fifty ways at once. But
you've got to look fifty-one if you want to catch Nance Olden. I ran up
the stairs of the first flat-house and rang the bell. And as I sailed
up in the elevator I saw the big floor-walker hurry past; he'd lost the
scent.

The boy let me off at the top floor, and after the elevator had gone
down I walked up to the roof. It was fine 'way up there, so still and
high, with the lights coming out down in the town. And I took out my
pretty lace collar and put it around my neck, wishing I could keep it
and wishing that I had, at least,