Just then the manager of the store came along, an alert, keen-eyed man, and seeing the little commotion about the counter, asked courteously if he could be of any assistance.
He listened carefully to what Cora had to say.
“It’s singular,” he said. “There doesn’t seem from what you say to have been anybody standing close by within the last few minutes. Are you quite sure that you had the purse when you came to this counter?”
“Positive,” replied Cora. “I haven’t moved from here since I took the bill out of the purse to pay for the goods I bought.”
“Have you made a careful search, Higby?” asked the manager, fixing his sharp eyes upon the clerk as though he would read him through and through.
“Yes, sir,” replied Higby; “but I’ll go through the goods again to make sure.”
He tossed the bolts of cloth about vigorously, and after a moment gave an exclamation of triumph.
“Here it is!” he cried. “Is this your purse, miss?” he asked, holding the article out to Cora.
The latter pounced upon it with a little squeal of delight.
“Oh, yes, that’s it!” she exclaimed. “Thank you ever so much.”