"I saw this man take it," I heard the girl say to the manager.
"Yes, yes, my daughter saw the thief take her purse," the old man put in excitedly.
"I was watching him all the time," said the man who had laid hold of me first. "He came in at the State Street entrance a few minutes ago with a green one and an old sneak. I didn't think he had the time to pass the stuff over."
I was cool now, and laughed as the manager and the detective went through my pockets carefully.
"The old one's got the stuff fast enough," the detective remarked disgustedly. "Shall we have this one locked up, Mr. Marble?"
"You'll do it at your risk!" I put in loudly.
"Where's the young woman?" the manager demanded.
"It happened just while my daughter was buying a pair of gloves," the old man began to chatter. "You were asking me, my love...."
The young woman looked a little confused, I thought, and not so sure of herself. But she answered the manager's questions by saying promptly:—
"He must have taken it!"