After a while, Connie saw him press quite close to a fat, bald-headed man.
“Beg pardon,” he mumbled. “Did I step on your foot?”
As Pickpocket Joe spoke, his hand slid deftly into the man’s coat pocket. His fingers were very nimble. Had Connie not been expecting it, she never would have seen him steal the billfold.
Hardly knowing what else to do, she tugged at the fat man’s sleeve.
“Oh, Mister!” she cried. “Your billfold has been taken. And he took it.” She pointed to Pickpocket Joe.
The bald-headed man clutched at his coat pocket.
“My watch is missing too!” he exclaimed. “Hey, you!”
Whirling around, he seized Pickpocket Joe by the coat-tails. The man jerked away and started to squeeze through the crowd.
“Oh, he’s escaping!” cried Connie in alarm.
The fat man started after the pickpocket. However, he never could have overtaken him, for he was too large to get through the crowd easily.