Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 191, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 August 1911 — THE SHOPLIFTER [ARTICLE]

THE SHOPLIFTER

By JAMES NORTON

'When Maj. Hyde bid lived for tWo months In the place he had bought on the Hudson, the most that hla nearest neighbor knew of him was that he had retired from the army; that he was a widower; that he had a handsome daughter 20 years old who seemed devoted to him; that he was irascible and cranky; that he disputed his tradesmen’s bills, and that he was fond of s sailing a catboat that he owned. On the major’s part, all he knew about his nearest neighbor, who was the Widow Harper, was that she was very touchy about her hens, or his dog trespassing on her property, that she had a son at college or in South Africa, he didn’t care which; that she claimed that the line fence between them was a foot over on her land, and that on two separate and distinct occasions she had ordered a servant to scald his dog. There was no neighboring between the neighbors. In fact, they had not even seen each other at the end of those two months. The widow was waiting for her son Burt to come home from a trip to the west to ask him if the green apples that had fallen from her trees over on the major's land thereby reverted to him, and the major was waiting for his dog to come home and complain of having been scalded while prowling around the widow’s kitchen door. Then any fuss he raised would be sure to have the backing of his daughter, Edith, who knew his disposition thoroughly and had kept him out of many rows. On a certain August morning this was the situation on the Hudson. Major Hyde and his daughter were out in the catboat with a good breeze blowing. Burt Harper, who had arrived home the previous afternoon and settled the green apple question, was out hi his catboat working up a muscle. He had taken no particular notice of a catboat containing a man and a girl, and its occupants had taken no particular notice of a rowboat with a broad-shouldered young man of 23 pulling the oars. At that point the Hudson is wide enough and big enough for a hundred catboats and rowboats to perform all sorts of maneuvers without colliding, but the unforeseen is always happening. The catboat was heading across the river with her starboard tacks aboard and the major at the helm, when Miss Edith gave a sudden cry of alarm, and the next moment there was a crash. Young Mr. Harper, without any tacks aboard, but pulling for all he was worth to get the kinks out es his spine, had plumped into the other craft. As he was taking a course of law at Harvard, afcd had got as far as John vs. Doe. he could have explained matters had the major given him time. But the major wouldn’t. He had learned in war that the quicker and more vigorously you jump on your enemy the sooner you have him conquered, and he rose up and blasted the young man in the rowboat. If .any damage had been done it was to the latter craft, but that made no difference to the major. He did not swear in the presence of his daughter, nor did he pull off his coat and double up his fists. He simply used sarcasm that cut and hurt He had something to say about little boys being intrusted out in boats by their mothers, and dunderheads who thought they had. the whole Atlantic ocean to row in, and he politely Inquired if Mr. Harper Intended to run down the “Mary Powell” on her next trip up and drown all her passengers. Mr. Harper turned red and apologized. He looked from the major to his daughter and apologized again. It was his fault, and he admitted it, and —he apologized some more. The major had no pity, but the young man thought he saw a gleam of it in Miss Edith’s eyes before she turned away her head. The soldier held him for five minutes, doing most of the talking and. enjoying: his confusion, and then let him go with the observation:

“And now, sir, if you have got a mamma, and you think you can get back to her without help, I should advise yern to head for shore and spare any canal boat that may happen to get in your way.” At that hour the Hydes did not know young Harper as Harper, and he didn’t know them aa the Hydes. He made his way to shore in his leaky boat, and as he sat down on a stranded log he felt that he would give a thousand dollars In cash to lick some one—some one about the size and build of the major when he was in his prime. The words had hurt, but the fact that they had been spoken before the girl was humiliating. He had decided from the first that they were father and daughter, and aftdr gritting his teeth for half an hour he made up his mind that nothing cotild be done In the case and went off home. “Esther, 1 think you were wrong.” said Edith in quiet tones as the young man rowed away. "What’s that? Wrong? How can I be wrong?*’ replied the major. “According to sailing instructions, when you are sailing free other crafts must look out for you. You were not sailing free.” “But If he had known enough to look over his shoulder he must have seen us.” “And If 1 had been on the lookout, as I ought to have been, I should have seen him. No doubt he knew that you were wrong, and yet be apologised.”

“Wrong? Wrong? I tell you I wasn't wrong. Hardee’s Tactics say that when you meet another —when, you are marching by the right flank —when the head of the column—” v , Edith smiled as he paused. He thought he could sail a boat by the same tactics that drilled a regiment He subsided in some confusion, and the youpg man and the accident were not again mentioned. There were scores of young men sailing and rowing on the river dally, and why should this one prove to be the son of their widowed neighbor. On reaching home the major went out and looked at those withered green apples that had fallen on his side of the line and generously decided not to claiiq them, and Miss Edith sought a book and her hammock and wondered if the young man was looking at her all the time she was looking at the opposite bank out of consideration for his feelings. She finally concluded that such was probably the case, and was surprised to find herself a bit pleased. On the succeeding day the major and a party of friends sailed up the river for a little outing, while Miss Edith was driven to the village and went into the city to do some shopping. She had frequently made such trips alone. The father had no objections to urge, as it cultivated a spirit of self-reliance, but he had several times said to her: “If you ever get into any trouble in the city just say that you are the daughter of Maj. Hyde, late of the Seventeenth. That will be sufficient” There was trouble ahead for the young lady, but it did not come until afternoon. She had made some purchases at two or three stores, had her lunch, and was just leaving another store after looking, over some goods, when a hand was laid on her arm and a quiet voice said: “Beg pardon, young lady, but you will have to come with me.” It was a man. In fact, it was the store detective, as Miss Edith was soon informed. He had been told by one of the salesgirls that she had secreted goods under her jacket She at first indignantly and then tearfully denied the allegation. She at first hotly refused to follow him to the manager’s office, and then, bethought her of her father’s admonition and drew herself up stiffly and announced: “Sir, I am the daughter of Maj. Hyde, late of the Sevententh!" The man replied that she might be the daughter of a general for all he cared, and just then two things happened. A policeman came through the store and stopped to say that he would take the girl to the station, and at the same moment the young man of the rowboat pushed his way into the crowd and stood beside her and said that he would accompany her. He was sure there was a mistake, but he also saw that the easiest way out, and the one to avoid notoriety, was to accompany the officer. A cab was called and the station reached, and a search by the matron proved that the charge was without the slightest foundation. The prisoner was ret at liberty, and many apologies, and with a suit of damages against the store if the major wanted to press it, and the young man called another cab and drove Miss Edith to the depot She was in tears, and he did not disturb her. He simply went ahead and did things. It was only when she found herself on the train homeward bound with Hr. Harper beside her that she rallied and looked him in the face and sajd: “You —you are the young man of the

rowboat?” “Just so. My name Is Harper, son of Mrs. Nelson Harper of Irvington.” “Why, I live there. I am Miss Hyde, daughter of Maj. Hyde.” > Two days later the major appeared at the widow’s house and asked for Burt When he had shaken hands with the young man and tendered his thanks he added: “Sir, I was wrong in regard to that collision. I am something of a crank. Also, something of an ass. Please overlook it and come over after your green apples and lot Edith thank you again. She can’t speak too highly of your conduct In the affair In town the other day.” There will be only one question between the major and his son-in-law, vis.: Should a sailboat be maneuvering according to Hardee’s army taotics, or should it go .skipping along hi any old way? Watchdog Over $102,000,000,000. Charles A. Hanna, Just named as chief examiner of the Clearing House association, will enact the role of watch-dog over $102,000,000,000 represented by the New York bankers. His salary Is to be SIO,OOO a year, and he will direct a corps of trained accountants. By his appointment the association hopes to make a repetition of the Morse, Walsh and Heinze banking scandals impossible. Practically Mr. Hanna’s position will be similar to the one he recently resigned as national bank examiner in the New York district He was born j In Cadiz, Ohio, In 1863, did not have ; time to go to college, and has -been in the banking business more or less all I his life. He la a slender, tquarei shouldered man; and if he has a fad It la automobfling. To take up the strain more evenly a Swedish Inventor has produced eleotric cables with hempen cores.