THE SPIRIT OF LOOT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 407, 16 January 1909, Page 11

THE SPIRIT OF LOOT.

The story of • a girl, who, for two . hours turned.pirate,"is told in an- American magazine, mid,-after reading it, ono is glad to say: "well, after all,. if ono girl could .. roally . .do ; that in .-. fiction, we must remember tii.it- all ■ the real' pirates we read about were men," and.so feel that no aspersion is cast on tho sex. . The girl Peggy l's. regretting, ono day that the. days of , piracy and loot , ai'o over. - She would.love, she says, "to break loose, in some great, store and help, herself to all she wanted." ./,,,..

;:"Wouid you like.;to .g0..0il .a .pirate cruise witli .mo this evening r' asks ..the man to whom, she is talking, and, as she joyfully assents,'he arranges to'call for her at eleven that night,;bringing his big motor-car for ' the 16ot. ' '.; 1 It is a mysterious expedition.' Tho man," Arthur Hammond, has fixed up everything with wonderful ingenuity and, Deforo midnight, they find themfeelves in Barnes and Holder's, one of the largest of New York department, stores, the! watchman;, chloroformed, aild. the car waiting for the spoil. ■ . "You' can have just two hours, Cinderella," said Hammond throwing open the door; "then we must vanish. /Where will your piracy commence?" Peggy stopped for a moment, petrified, ■ and then with a little hysterical laugh, 'Is this true," she said, "and are we safe?" '/

" They, were standing: in the twilight of the rotunda, with '.the white-covered," counters; .stretching away in ' ghostly pcrspeotive." The empty-aisles 'her with their;'loneliness; ;"Ivnevor should dare," she said, turning .toward-Hammond,"if you weren't here!"' As;sho:spoke she, lifted a cover, revealing an; array.^of-long gloves.'. : . i ; , "The very latest," she exclaimed,: and' halfuriconsciously ,her fingers wandered among the .boxes,...'selecting; shades - aridrsizes,'. .till- her hands wcro full. ; ../■.' .

/ "Wait a .second,", said, her:'-companion','. ;."and I'll. get."Masters and some .baskets.";' ':'/.. "Won't- ho 'tell ?■'/' It'/would be, frightful 'to" get ,into the papers." ~.,'/ ,' / /:' ': "Oh! .he's safe," reassured . Hammond,. 1 "once away we can'ri'ever be traced.!' '.' ■ . When Hammond;; returned, .Peggy, had progressed a, maze of ribbons; and veils. 'to the ; : silks. "This .is the. jolliest .thing- I ever did,"'she cried,- plunging'them into a cash-boy's' basket, held by. the silent Masters. .' "There|s enough to last, years 1., Why, oh ! why,'' d 6!' they' put; ;everythirig, .away tight in:)jfeaa :i .of:;i^fag' , out nice/and easy?"; ■ r // '//'//" '.-.'"/-,■ '/HarnmOnd smiled rather, gravely. "Pirates have to-hack, their way, you know,.Ciriderolla." -With .his help slio soon,- had: rolls of silk...spread/ori.the/counter...; t "Just look/at : thiit' exquisite shade of rii/iuve,' we'ean't'wait to out/off dross patterns'; I'll bundle in. the whole piece." Sne stood flushed, almost dishevelled, with/the silks,iii i'jiot.of colour' billowy about her. / Masters, had made three' -trips to tho autoiibbilo'before she/could be; coaxed farther. '/i'Z:' '. /'

■ ".There's lots else,''',urged Hammond, "and: forty'minutes 'are gone already. , Those:tables, are bargain counters,il believe./,: "Bargain counters I" she exclaimed. "This is the biggest bargain I'll ever strike. Where aro tho laces?" U.- . < With'a curio'asly accurate knowledge of the .shop, Hammond, led'her to more boxed and shrouded' treasures. _ She -seemed-to %te for-: gotten his; presence in .the delight of examining, comparing, and selecting, . with: the; dis■cernment of: a connoisseur.' - "You are sure you like being a-pirate? You don't..want to •go back ,to the; fireside,'■ Cinderella?", ho asked.'' ' \ "Go back to the cinders, Aladdin—cinders and ashes and • bills 1" she shuddered, halfclosing her eyes as she studied some collars of rose-point. " "Lhave only two. fears—one .that I'll wakemd find" it a dream, the other-that some one will come and I'll, find it . isn't. How, did you ever think of it, Aladdin, and -how did you dare to bring me here ? It was dear.of you." ./ •

He,'flushed . with pleasure, , but his brow clouded. . "We'll never be found out, but it's loot, little Cinderella,plain hard loot, you know." :. - \ ■ ,"Of course it's 100t —lovely, lovely loot," she; .breathed, .tying some filmy. Charttilly aoross her arm. "If only there wore moro tihio," 'sho wailed. "Laco needs contemplation," and with a sigh she. pushed back the half-emptied boxes and-turned, to Hammond to lead her'to fresh fields. "How much more time have we?" "Scarcely an hour." Her face grew, sharp and shrowd as • sho stood contemplating. _ , '* "Lingerie," ■ she exclaimed,-'with decision. "Lingerie, and imported gowns. It's, tragic to give up so much." She fairly flew, down the length of the building, glancing'ruefully at the dainty'displays in glass cases. Hammond helped ; her up the stairs, and pulled out. boxes and drawers. Soon.she was. lost in. clouds of whiteness. "French embroidery .and .real ;lacoU:afc least a hundred a set— and I can have all I, want. I never did have enough." ' • .' ,

Her-eyes were;wild now, and she was oblivious of her waiting. companion as she stuffed masses of lace and ruffles into the waiting baskets. Tho" lines on Hammond's face deepened. His was tho typo that postulates New England' grandparents. This, then/ was to be the end of tho little frolio so happily planned. He had imagined her pleasure at the mystery of tho game, foreseeing a charming opportunity to lay heart and worldly goods at her feet. Downstairs, when she first .playfully turned over-chiffons and silks, he had thought her like a merry kitten. Now ho was reminded of a beautiful cat with narrowing eyes pouncing on a brood of young birds. "How xnuch time have we now?" she was repeating, nervously.. " ■ Hammond looked at his watch. "Barely twenty minutes," he answered, mechanically. ... , "Oh, the dresses, tho lovely dresses, and so little time." Glass doors slid back and forth,: and Peggy' jerked dress- after dress from -the hooks. "What a mess they will find in the morning," she muttered. "I wonder what they'll do. But I'll be safe?" She appealed anxiously to Hammond. "Quite safe, Captain Kidd, only you must hurry." ... • "Captain Kidd always beat, didn't he? Oh, 'piracy is delightful if you only win. What's that?"

" "It was only Wilkins," said Hammond, "come in to look" after the watchmen. The chloroform is. working off,' and we must get out. Come," he added, sharply, "surely you have enough." "Just a minute," begged Peggy, "just a little riiinute; there's still another row. Oh," she darted towards; a . .glass cas'ej "look at that dream whito broadcloth' and gold' embroidery. I must have it," and she fumbled nervously at'the door of the case. "It is locked," said Hammond, sternly; "you,can't have, that:" ' "But I must," exclaimed; Peggy, 'with a little stamp; "I can't lelivb that. Have Masters break.the casej'J she demanded, imperiously, but' Hammond pulled • her away. '■"No,, no," he''said.- "Come, thorp is a limit," and then, more, gently: "The coach will be a pumpkin,'-if- you don't hurry, Cinderella; the beautiful'clothes will turn into rags, arid what will happen to you?" Then they hurried dovm the. stairs. • Before/the last counter Peggy .liesitated.: It was '/co vered with notions. . She gathered a handful of trifles," and a wave of'disgust swept'over Hammond. • Outside, in the broad vaulted .passage, stood 'the car,', packed ' to overflowing with their plunder. They pushed in with difficulty, / and. glided away.- 1 / ;' "Oh, "what- an adifenture; what treasure trove," she exblaimedj and, leaning back, she closed her. eyes,/exhausted by'the', pressure of excitement. ' Hammond, too, was silent as they: retraced their course 'iip 'vne quiet street. .. Suddenly she: sat up.' "Do you know you never got anything.i'for.-yoiuifelf.: . What a pig I was. I forgot all'about your - handkerchiefs, hut 1- will embroider "ou ume with" my: own -fingers—if ; you care for them," she added,, softly. . ■ •-.---- ; -■_.■.■■■ "Thank you," said. Hammond, politely.; :

. The lights were low in the. small;drawing : room .as they caihe .in. "She looked -very; simple and girlish as she xi.r'ew a* her liat, revealing ; the tumbled hair with its 'red tint 3,. and Hammond was conscious of a keen .sense of' disappointment. Th'o £->me. had'not. developed as he had expected.-"How--adorable you have been," she said, impulsively,.<putting both her; hands in. his. "1 never could have had so many beautiful things myself. It was such a perfect adventure, and everything came.out-right." "Are you sure that .everything is right?" he asked, holding her and reading her eyes seriously.; , . ' ' . "Why, ;of course," she replied quickly; "your men won't -tell,' and as for Barnes' and Holder, they are the richest firm in the city. They will miss the things, of course, but never feel it." Next - evening the; girl is "surprised that no account of the 1 raid appears in the papers, and she:waits for Hammond to call and admire: her in. her new finery. , Instead of the man, comes a letter with the: name of Barnes and Holder on the, envelope.

"Dear Miss Brooke," it ran, "business takes mo out of town. ,for a .few weeks,.'so I must'forego the"-pleasure of seeing ; you. I am glad.you enjoyed our little adventuro last -night; the evening- proved.a profitable oho'for-us both.. As'a' silent partner'in the' firm: of Barnes and -Holder,' permit; me ' to present .ybu with the articles, you- honoured' us-in 1 selecting. ' ■ Yours truly, Arthur- Hammond. .

Mrs. Mary. E. Hart, formerly, of Los Angeles, who has just returned t-o Seattle aftor visiting Alaska, has the distinction of boing the first persin to ; stake out a,mining 'claim''on' a glacier while it "was still jn action.' Sidney Moiso, with the local architect firm of Hunt and Gray, was on board. the Seattle, : which has-just returned from a'trip to the Klondike, and ho states that for the first time'in nine years passengers were ablo to make a landing at Muir Glacier, near Skagway. The glacier is considered far • from safe, but Mrs. Hart, with natural lovo of adventure, stepped triumphantly ashore and was followed by others caper for the experience of landing upon the forbidden ico field. It was found that the~ moraine, a deposit freighted -with precious ore, which is always carried with tlio.ice in this section, had already become quite solid, and Mrs. Hart forthwith staked out a claim. . Mrs. Hart has passed a number of years in Alaska, and is conversant with the mining situation tliero. having owned and superintended the work in several claims. '~ • • ■

What, mere phonographs wo ' are. Day after day, .year after year, we go oh Baying the'same things in the same tone of voice at stated intervals. Out of the thousands of wo-ds ; in ! our' language we use only i hundred or so in the course of ordinary conversation; the rest never, concern us.—''.World."