bewilderment. A number of minutes passed before he spoke, and
then his words revealed distinctly what had been his train of
meditation.

"Sadie," he said in a voice of entire sincerity, "I can't
understand theft. It's a thing absolutely beyond my
comprehension."

On the heels of this ingenuous declaration, Smithson entered the
office, and that excellent gentleman appeared even more perturbed
than before.

"What on earth is the matter now?" Gilder spluttered,
suspiciously.

"It's Mrs. Gaskell still," Smithson replied in great trepidation.
"She wants you personally, Mr. Gilder, to apologize to her. She
says that the action taken against her is an outrage, and she is
not satisfied with the apologies of all the rest of us. She says
you must make one, too, and that the store detective must be
discharged for intolerable insolence."

Gilder bounced up from his chair angrily.

"I'll be damned if I'll discharge McCracken," he vociferated,
glaring on Smithson, who shrank visibly.

But that mild and meek man had a certain strength of pertinacity.
Besides, in this case, he had been having multitudinous troubles
of his own, which could be ended only by his employer's placating