"What's the matter, girl? Who are you running away from?"
"Oh, hide me—hide me!" said poor Sue. "They are calling out 'Stop thief!' and running after me so hard."
Before the policeman could even reply, the owner of the pawnshop had come up.
"You may arrest that girl, policeman," he said roughly. "She and a man were in my shop just now, and one or other of 'em stole a valuable diamond locket from me."
"What a shame! I didn't touch it!" said Sue. "I never touched a thing as worn't my own in hall my life!"
"No doubt, my dear," said the policeman; "but of course you won't object to be searched?"
"No, of course," said Sue; "you may search me as much as you like—you won't get no stolen goods 'bout me;" and she raised her head fearlessly and proudly. The crowd who had now thickly collected, and who, as all crowds do, admired pluck, were beginning to applaud, and no doubt the tide was turning in Sue's favor, when the policeman, putting his hand into her pocket, drew out the diamond locket. An instant's breathless silence followed this discovery, followed quickly by some groans and hisses from the bystanders.
"Oh, but ain't she a hardened one!" two or three remarked; and all pressed close to watch the result.
Sue had turned very white—so white that the policeman put his hand on her shoulder, thinking she was going to faint.
"She is innocent," said in his heart of hearts this experienced functionary; but he further added, "It will go hard for her to prove it—poor lass!"