ur hat to match, who, it seemed to Nan,
was quite the most fashionable person she had ever beheld. The woman had
a touch of rouge upon her otherwise pale cheeks; her eyebrows were
suspiciously penciled; her lips were slightly ruddy. Nevertheless, she
was very demure and very much the lady in appearance.

She was idly turning over lavallieres on a tray--holding them up for
inspection, and letting the pretty chains run through her fingers to drop
into the tray again, like sparkling water.

"I don't think I care for any of these, don't you know?" she drawled, but
very pleasantly. "I'm sorry--really."

She turned away from the counter. Nan was close by and had been secretly
watching the pretty woman more than she had the lavallieres. The
clerk--rather an attractive girl with curly, black hair and very pink
cheeks; quite an excitable young thing--suddenly leaned over the counter
and whispered:

"Oh, madam! Pray! The special lavalliere I showed you is not here."

"What do you say, child?" demanded the woman, haughtily. "Do you miss
anything?"

"The special lavalliere I showed you, madam," gasped the girl. "Forgive
me--_do_! But I am responsible for all I take out of the case!"

"It is a mistake," said the woman, coldly. "I haven't the thing--surely."

"It is not here!" wailed the clerk, still in a low key, but fingering
madly among the chains upon the tray. "Oh, ma'am! it will cost me
twenty dollars!"

The woman turned slowly and her eyes--placid blue before--now shone with
an angry light. Her gaze sought the counter--then the excited
clerk--lastly, Nan!

"I haven't your lavalliere," she said, and although her voice was stern,
it was low. "I haven't your lavalliere. How about this girl, here?" and
she indicated Nan, with an air of superb indifference.

"Oh, madam!" gasped the clerk.

"Don't! don't!" begged Nan. "Oh! you _know_ I haven't it!"

At that moment Nan felt a severe grasp upon her arm. She could not have
run had she so desired. Her heart grew cold; her face flushed to fiery
red. All neighboring eyes were turned on her.

In department stores like this the management finds it very unwise to
make any disturbance over a case of loss or robbery. The store detective
held on to Nan's arm; but he waited for developments.

"What is this all about, Miss Merwin?" he demanded of the clerk.

"I am charged with stealing a twenty-dollar lavalliere!" exclaimed
the customer.

"Oh, impossible, madam!" said the det