"Oh, thank you so much!" she stammered. "I was sure some one would know."

"And did you notice the little woman with the pale face--" Tavia began,
but the superintendent interrupted her.

"That will do, if you please," he ordered. "Miss Allen, we found the ring
in this young lady's bag."

For an instant the clerk looked surprised. Then she regained that
satisfied look, and seemed to wave her head defiantly.

"An open bag is a handy thing in a crowd," she said.

At this the woman detective flushed up and left her seat at the desk. She
approached the young clerk.

"Are you in league with these--shoplifters?" she sneered.

"Very likely," replied Miss Allen with provoking coolness. "I can just
about afford to lose my place for the sake of an opal ring."

The bitterness of her tone as she said this was as frank as were her eyes
when she first looked at Dorothy and declared her innocent.

The superintendent bowed his head as if to say: "You are right, Miss
Allen, you cannot afford to risk your reputation in this store, and I am
convinced you would do nothing of the sort."

At this the woman detective, quick to see the possible turn in her case,
hurried to strengthen her evidence. She picked up the telephone and called