A Detective's Kindness

Noboily who closely observud him woulil bc duceiveil in the belief that he was a purchaser, and yet, day after day he was sccn at one of our leading dry gooda bazars apparently noting everything that was going on, though perhaps more observant to the actious of tbe throng of purchasers than ing wiiat cbaraotec of articles they bought. He was a private detective - one of a lai'go force of lynx-eyed men cuiployed at holiday time by the stores to restrain tlic kleptomaniacs who might otherwige tako advantage of the elbowing eustomers to appropriate some little Chi'istmaa present from the counter without exehanging any legal tender thurcfor. "The work is arduous, for we must bc constantly on the lookout." observed one of these men as the store was closmg for the night, "and we must have a care to look out without soeir.ing to bc too observant. I have noted nothing suspicious tluis far this week; but last season we made some arresta on the quiet. and I gave one lady ihe best Christmaa present she evor liad - her freedom. It was iu this way: "Iwas passing the lace-counter when I noticcd a well-dressed lady whose face looked familiar to me. Slie made some purchasus and Ihen, as the clerk momentarlly turned his back, she put a hnndsome piece of lace in her open handbag. I could not be mistaken, and as she received her packago from the clerk she turned her face full tovvard me, and I reeognzed her immediately as a jealous wifo who had once emploved me professionally to shadow her husband, whom slie suspected of infidelity. "As slie s:xw me looking at her, she ! probably divined my mission in tlie store, and was about to faint. Icaught her arm and, hurriedly observing to the clerk that the lady neeiled air, esi corted her to the door and to her car' 'Now give me that lace and bnrry home as fast as you can.' I whispered." "She obeyed, and I took the lace to the proprietor of the store in person and made a sulliniently plausible explanation without betraying tlie Dame of the lady. As she was wealthy and could readily pay for a bale of sucb lace, I judge that she is a kleptomnniac. "I have seen her only once since, but believe that she and her husband have now gone Kast to live. Last Christrnas night these fur gloves you see were left at my home, and l've never doubted that they came from the lady whom ] saved from the mortification of exposure last year, but most of those who rob stores do not deserve gnch consideration, and most of tha storekeepers say they are go ng to 1 prosecute any shoplifter c:uilit in the