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**Berlin: City of Smoke by Jason Lutes**
Zoe Foodiboo: Web, wanna tell us what the book was about?
bibiche Chant: hallo dear
Zoe Foodiboo: Hi Bibi
Zoe Foodiboo: Hi Lauren
Zoe Foodiboo: wb Augusta
webspelunker Ghostraven: Sure!
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): Hello Bibi!
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): WB Augusta :))
Lauren Keiyrti: Helo, Zoe :)
Bror Jacob Boberg (bejiblueman Resident): Hello Augusta
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): Hallo wieder alle
bibiche Chant: hallo!!
webspelunker Ghostraven: Today, we're doing Book II of Berlin: City of smoke
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): /me nods
Maddie (MaddieGraceGearz Resident): Will this be in voice or text?
webspelunker Ghostraven: A graphic novel set in Berlin after the blutmai riots...
Zoe Foodiboo: text
Maddie (MaddieGraceGearz Resident): Thank you
webspelunker Ghostraven: Has everyone either read or know of the book?
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): in 1929
Zoe Foodiboo: I reread it this morning.
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): i read it
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): yes
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): yes
webspelunker Ghostraven: Excellent!
Panny (Panny Bakerly): I read it a while ago.
Bror Jacob Boberg (bejiblueman Resident): I've heard about it, but haven't had the possibilty to read it yet
Emily Theriac (THX1138 Theriac): i have read the first book just started the second;)
Zoe Foodiboo: Perfect timing - it covered the year after Blutmai
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): /me nods
Maddie (MaddieGraceGearz Resident): I have them both on order but they haven't arrived yet.
webspelunker Ghostraven: I found the stark B&W pictures and the light use of text very powerful..
Emily Theriac (THX1138 Theriac): yes i agree web
webspelunker Ghostraven: You'll enjoy them Maddie!
Zoe Foodiboo: ((we can have another discussion in a few weeks once you've read them Emily & Maddie))
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): I agree Web
webspelunker Ghostraven: We can!
Zoe Foodiboo: You really see what life was like for real people in Berlin.
Emily Theriac (THX1138 Theriac): ((okies ty Zoe))
Patrice Cournoyer: hello all!
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): I felt it was slower paced than the first
Maddie (MaddieGraceGearz Resident): Thank you
Zoe Foodiboo: So many people struggling. No food at all.
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): Guten Abend!
webspelunker Ghostraven: I find with graphic novels I spend more time with the scene than the story...
Zoe Foodiboo: Hi Patty
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): I never thought I would enjoy a graphic novel to be honest
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): yes it would have been a huge inspiration to me when building berlin if I had read it before I build the sim :)
Panny (Panny Bakerly): This is the first graphic novel for me.
webspelunker Ghostraven: I do regret Book III has not been written yet...
Zoe Foodiboo: I could see our Berlin sim in the pictures of the book though. Both reflect the time quite accurately, yeah?
webspelunker Ghostraven: I was reminded of 1920's Berlin as I read it...
Patrice Cournoyer: I am hoping for Book III but I think its taking him a long time
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): the book made me feel really stupid because I kept thinking; "Oh yes I experienced that as well" because ive seen it in sl
webspelunker Ghostraven: Maybe Lutes visited first!
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): yes they did Zoe
Emily Theriac (THX1138 Theriac): so there will be a book 3?
webspelunker Ghostraven: No one knows.
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): I hope so
Zoe Foodiboo: I would be surprised if he hadn't.
Emily Theriac (THX1138 Theriac): /me nods
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): ha i did see some people in the book who reminded me of SL'ers
webspelunker Ghostraven: I've checked the author's website, he's doing other projects.
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): it could be City of Steel
Zoe Foodiboo: Marthe, the woman from the wealthy family kinda reminded me of Augusta
webspelunker Ghostraven: Well, SL is a form of a graphic novel...
webspelunker Ghostraven: Oh,?
bibiche Chant: me/waves to patrice
Patrice Cournoyer: hiya Bibi
webspelunker Ghostraven: Augusta what do you have to say for yourself?
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): /me smiles
bibiche Chant: /me waves to patrice
Panny (Panny Bakerly): Augusta is a bit more fancier than Marthe
Zoe Foodiboo: Someone from a wealthy family who moved to Berlin and is discovering all the city has to offer.
Maddie (MaddieGraceGearz Resident): /me smiles to the lady next to her
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): looks at Augusta in a whole new way
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): That would be Augusta....
webspelunker Ghostraven: Does anyone else see themselves in the book?
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): It was quite interesting. Book I is focused on lower class life. II is showing more upper class life in Berlin.
Zoe Foodiboo: Well, not the s-e-x part....just the experience of being in a metropolis and having a shift in perspective.
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): ohyes, of course!
Zoe Foodiboo: /me grins
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): I thought it had two distinct classes
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): (( I didn't get that far this time! ))
Patrice Cournoyer: I like the woman who ends up with the Jazz man
webspelunker Ghostraven: I thought so too, Sara.
Zoe Foodiboo: Two distinct classes?
Zoe Foodiboo: Not more?
Emily Theriac (THX1138 Theriac): ohh i have some reading to catch up on!
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): there were the workers....downtrodden ...hungry
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): Oh is he like Herr Boberg?
Zoe Foodiboo: /me nods
Panny (Panny Bakerly): The one that left in the end, Patrice?
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): and the socialites
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): clubbing...petting parties
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): drugs
webspelunker Ghostraven: The artist caught that very well I thought..
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): S-E-X
Zoe Foodiboo: petting parties!
Bror Jacob Boberg (bejiblueman Resident): (( i'm ordering both stones and smoke now, i have to read them :) ))
Emily Theriac (THX1138 Theriac): hehe zoe
Zoe Foodiboo: /me leans and covers the little girl's ears
webspelunker Ghostraven: The petty acts of cruelty...
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): I heard Frau Jo was hosting one of those next month
webspelunker Ghostraven: The police with the small boy...
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): (( you will enjoy them! ))
Zoe Foodiboo: lol
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): oi
Panny (Panny Bakerly): /me giggles
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): but it could be rumor
Zoe Foodiboo: watch out, you're within slapping range
Panny (Panny Bakerly): Maybe it's her twin
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): yikes...I forgot !
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): when I organise a petting party, I mean the kind of petting that gets you ended up in the hospital with a black eye
Zoe Foodiboo: It was heartbreaking, what happened to Gundrun's daughter
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): laughs
Zoe Foodiboo: what was her name again?
Zoe Foodiboo: Sylvia?
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): it was
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): Sylvia
Emily Theriac (THX1138 Theriac): gosh im still getting over what happened to gundrun:(
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): but I kind of thought it would be that way all along
Zoe Foodiboo: you could see what an orphan's life is truly like
webspelunker Ghostraven: Did anyone feel the inevitability of the story?
webspelunker Ghostraven: Especially with the centennial of the start of WWI this week?
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): why yes Web...I did :)
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): Today actually...
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): Yes
Emily Theriac (THX1138 Theriac): yep me to web;)
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): but I was surprised at how Marthe fell for Anna
webspelunker Ghostraven: Even though I know how it ends...
Zoe Foodiboo: Yes, you could really see the impact of the Great War
webspelunker Ghostraven: I kept saying "Get out, get out!"
webspelunker Ghostraven: Why Sara?
webspelunker Ghostraven: Given the times and the turmoil?
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): because there was no interest until the party
Zoe Foodiboo: And I could understand why that older couple decided to vote for the National Socialists
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): and I had hoped that Marthe had more to go on than great sex
Zoe Foodiboo: Sara!
Zoe Foodiboo: s-e-x!
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): reaching back towards the familiar, Zoe?
Patrice Cournoyer: did you read the first book Sara?
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): ooops!
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): S-E-X
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): yes Patrice
Panny (Panny Bakerly): /me giggles
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): Marthe had a relationship yes
Zoe Foodiboo: Yes, Augusta. Longing for stability, order.
Zoe Foodiboo: Familiarity.
Patrice Cournoyer: I thought the attraction was there then
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): did oyu?
webspelunker Ghostraven: Did the characters seem real?
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): I didn't see it...but maybe
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): i dont just pretend to be old fashioned and a prude, I am one, so I also understood how the more conservative people were very uncomfortable with the wild side of the weimar republic
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): yes the characters all felt real to me
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): and isn't that what makes a good book?..when you feel the characters?
Bror Jacob Boberg (bejiblueman Resident): it is
Bror Jacob Boberg (bejiblueman Resident): when you feel you are part of the story
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): /me nods
webspelunker Ghostraven: Yes, Frau Jo, I too see that but looking back from today, I see how that was a mistake, a big one!
Zoe Foodiboo: I'm not old fashioned but the gap between the socialites and the rest of characters was appalling.
webspelunker Ghostraven: But that's reality..
webspelunker Ghostraven: That's why we have the KPD!
webspelunker Ghostraven: And Marx!
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): yeah its kind of discusting to see the ddecadence and fun while people starve
Zoe Foodiboo: they were a bunch of thugs
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): yes
Zoe Foodiboo: and disorganized
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): and I think that was the larger story
webspelunker Ghostraven: Sara's right...
Panny (Panny Bakerly): I thought it was kind of neat that the band members got theirs.
Panny (Panny Bakerly): A little justice
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): how things liek that set Germany up for it's politics
webspelunker Ghostraven: Uncle Joe and the Comintern had a lot to answer for.
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): neither extreme worked
Eloise (EloiseSchiltzen Resident): (Perhaps worth pointing out that we're heading in the wrong direction these days, with the wealth gap between the top and the bottom the largest it's been since, I believe, the late 1920s.)
webspelunker Ghostraven: Agreed.
Zoe Foodiboo: /me nods
webspelunker Ghostraven: Bingo Eloise!
Bror Jacob Boberg (bejiblueman Resident): and we never learn from history or from our previous mistakes
Bror Jacob Boberg (bejiblueman Resident): that is what makes us humans
webspelunker Ghostraven: The victims learn!
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): the problem is always that people are frustrated, unhappy and sometimes a party offers them a easy fix that ALWAYS turns out to be the opposite of easy
Panny (Panny Bakerly): we repeat history
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): the problem is that people think history is irrelevant to their lives
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): that is why you should never vote for a party that just protests
Zoe Foodiboo: never an easy fix
webspelunker Ghostraven: AvN's right (as usual)
Zoe Foodiboo: Yes, Augusta
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): unless I one day start a party, then you should vote for my easy fix
Zoe Foodiboo: I think social media in some ways makes people think even less about history, etc.
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): Yes, that's true, Jo.
Panny (Panny Bakerly): Yes Zoe
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): people share pictures an stories without even checking if they are true
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): they do
Panny (Panny Bakerly): They don't know how to check, Jo.
webspelunker Ghostraven: Do they even care!
Zoe Foodiboo: Everyone is so focused on themselves, it breaks down community. Not in our case, of course.
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): in the UK some far right party posts pictures of sad puppies who have been abandoned and everyone shares them not realising they are spreading the right wing politics as well
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): and everyone is outraged over false stories while the big true ones pass by unseen
Zoe Foodiboo: /me true
Eloise (EloiseSchiltzen Resident): I agree, Zoe, and to think even less about what the advertisers see as having little or no value--that is, those without money to spend.
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): agreed...so it was easy for me to see how the rhetoric in the book took shape
Zoe Foodiboo: yes, Sara
webspelunker Ghostraven: The attention span is shortening...
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): and also.....the characters were recognizable.....but harder for me to keep names to
webspelunker Ghostraven: whispers: The masses want instant gratification!
Panny (Panny Bakerly): There isn't any, Web
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): Yes, actually, me, too, Sara :)
Sasa Steigerwald (SasaSteigerwald Resident): is online.
Panny (Panny Bakerly): People are too busy playing with their mobile devices
webspelunker Ghostraven: Are they Everyman?
Zoe Foodiboo: The characters in the book made me want to create an alt....there were so many different storylines in the book.
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): people today are more educated but also more individualistic and less idealistic
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): yes the people are so interesting
Zoe Foodiboo: That's very true, Frau Jo.
Eloise (EloiseSchiltzen Resident): (Very well put, Frau Jo.)
Panny (Panny Bakerly): I don't know if I completely agree with that, Jo
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): well people want what tehy want...and want it now
webspelunker Ghostraven: Yes, Jo, ideals are dead for this time.
Zoe Foodiboo: like all the homeless, and struggling workers....I'd like to see more of those types in our Berlin.
webspelunker Ghostraven: Instant gratification, Sara!
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): nothing personal but I like those kinds of people more than the pretty ladies and dashing gentlemen we mostly see in SL
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): Yes, agree, Zoe.
webspelunker Ghostraven: Hey, what about me?
Zoe Foodiboo: you're too pretty Web
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): Those books showed me what I wanted to know.
Zoe Foodiboo: :P
webspelunker Ghostraven: I'm homeless and unemployed!
Zoe Foodiboo: You don't look homeless
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): you are the fairest of all Web lol
Zoe Foodiboo: and you're not unemployed, you work at the library!
Zoe Foodiboo: Hi Sasa!
webspelunker Ghostraven: I always work at my appearance!
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): :))
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): I am the one with no job
webspelunker Ghostraven: Marx had to pawn his clothes!
Sasa Steigerwald (SasaSteigerwald Resident): Hello folks
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): hallo Sasa !
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): hallo noch wieder
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): Hello Sasa
Bror Jacob Boberg (bejiblueman Resident): Hi Sasa
Zoe Foodiboo: Never mind the fact that I pay you in schnapps
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): Guten Abend!
bibiche Chant: i haven't any job me too
Eloise (EloiseSchiltzen Resident): Hallo, Sasa. :)
webspelunker Ghostraven: But, I'm a revolutionary!
Eloise (EloiseSchiltzen Resident): /me gasps!
Zoe Foodiboo: you're something all right
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): perhaps we start an employment agency Bibi
Sasa Steigerwald (SasaSteigerwald Resident): is it a KPD meeting?
webspelunker Ghostraven: (And I do it well enough that I drive Jo crazy!)
Zoe Foodiboo: bookclub, doll.
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): no, it is not Sasa
Zoe Foodiboo: have a drink on the library
Sasa Steigerwald (SasaSteigerwald Resident): doesn't sound like that
webspelunker Ghostraven: Back to the book!
webspelunker Ghostraven: whispers: I live in the library!
Zoe Foodiboo: Yes Web? You have a question?
webspelunker Ghostraven: ;)
webspelunker Ghostraven: Was anyone surprised by the book?
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): no.....but perhaps it's because I do know the history of the time?
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): if I had read it not knowing it might have been shocking
Zoe Foodiboo: I think the drawings made the poverty seem more vivid to me
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): I'm still surprised that I enjoyed these as graphic novels
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): Yes, me, too, Zoe.
webspelunker Ghostraven: I agree with Zoe...
Emily Theriac (THX1138 Theriac): yes that was the same for me Zoe
webspelunker Ghostraven: Sara, that's why we're all here!
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): agreed
Zoe Foodiboo: I was surprised at how much the drawings look like our sim.
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): i grew up with graphic novels and comic, so I didnt mind
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): me too, Zoe
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): but yes, it all felt very familiar
Sasa Steigerwald (SasaSteigerwald Resident): maybe the artist is an alt
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): I wanted to direct where Silvia would run too
Zoe Foodiboo: that's what I think Sasa
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): if the writer had said he has been to our sim, i would not be surprised
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): go left !
Maddie (MaddieGraceGearz Resident): So you think the author really told a true story in both books?
Sasa Steigerwald (SasaSteigerwald Resident): am I in them? ;)
Zoe Foodiboo: Poor Silvia....I hope she finds her way to a better life. But probably not, huh?
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): Hahaha, we talked about it in the previous book club, Joe.
Zoe Foodiboo: There are prossies!
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): I don't know if it was a "true" story...but historically accurate, yes
Zoe Foodiboo: And a Pola!
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): Pola !
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): yes !
Zoe Foodiboo: and an American jazz band. We should get a jazz band.
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): I was cheering for her!
webspelunker Ghostraven: i think it was authentic...
Sasa Steigerwald (SasaSteigerwald Resident): Good, then i need to get hold of it
Patrice Cournoyer: I am sorry I must leave you
Sasa Steigerwald (SasaSteigerwald Resident): bye Patrice
Zoe Foodiboo: there's lots of nudity, sasa
webspelunker Ghostraven: Thanks for coming!
Zoe Foodiboo: and s-e-x
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): bye Patrice :)
Patrice Cournoyer: thanks for the book club Zoe.. I got a couple of snaps
bibiche Chant: bye
Emily Theriac (THX1138 Theriac): bye patrrice
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): I think we work on authenticity here, and the author did as well
Sasa Steigerwald (SasaSteigerwald Resident): even better
Zoe Foodiboo: bye Patty!
Patrice Cournoyer: ((for FB))
Maddie (MaddieGraceGearz Resident): Bye Ms Patrice
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): i am thinking about getting a negro jazz band
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): hallo Nemo
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): tschau Patrice!
Zoe Foodiboo: Hallo Nemo!
Eloise (EloiseSchiltzen Resident): Take care, Patrice. :)
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): Guten Abend!
Zoe Foodiboo: I think that would be great Frau Jo
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): Auf wiedersehen!
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): Gute Nacht Patrice
Nemo Nimbus: Goedenavond
webspelunker Ghostraven: I found the nudity and s-e-x tame.
Nemo Nimbus: Gute Nacht
Sasa Steigerwald (SasaSteigerwald Resident): why are you spelling it out?
webspelunker Ghostraven: whispers: Zoe has us doing it!
Zoe Foodiboo: /me points to the kid
Nemo Nimbus: Still a g rated sim
Emily Theriac (THX1138 Theriac): /me giggles
Sasa Steigerwald (SasaSteigerwald Resident): /me shrugs her shoulders
Nemo Nimbus: Take care
webspelunker Ghostraven: Be well!
Zoe Foodiboo: Bye Nemo
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): *waves*
Eloise (EloiseSchiltzen Resident): Bye, Nemo. :)
Penny (Penny Luckstone): /me smiles back to the lady pointing at her
webspelunker Ghostraven: What was the most important part of this story to you as readers?
Zoe Foodiboo: /me smiles and pats Penny's head
Sasa Steigerwald (SasaSteigerwald Resident): that kid is so small, it doesn't understand what we talk about anyway
Zoe Foodiboo: she
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): They understand Sasa
Zoe Foodiboo: /me grins at Sasa
Penny (Penny Luckstone): "it?"...... gnarls her new teeth
Emily Theriac (THX1138 Theriac): /me laughs
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): the darkness of the tiem was already seeping into the happier ones
webspelunker Ghostraven: Cool it everyone...
webspelunker Ghostraven: Stay on topic!
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): into the socialites
Bror Jacob Boberg (bejiblueman Resident): one day you'll understand children, sasa
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): there is always this dark cloud over the story, because we know whats coming
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): no one was escaping it
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): nods
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): For me, the entire feeling of the time was bit more important than the story itself.
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): yes...but I found it interesting how it was slowly creeping in
webspelunker Ghostraven: The author does capture the feeling..
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): yes Gustav !
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): that's it !
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): i think people then may have felt it too even without knowing what would come
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): I felt bad for the orphan
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): i know I feel it in our sim sometimes
Bror Jacob Boberg (bejiblueman Resident): is that because we are so fascinated about the era?
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): the socialite too
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): makes me even angrier at the nazis, not just what they did, but also what they ended when they came to power
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): it was something that one person could not overcome
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): because...I think in the story...you could feel how they knew it was all coming down
Zoe Foodiboo: That was an interesting relationship, the orphan and the Jewish homeless guy - forgot his name too.
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): Everyone is living their lives in the book. But we know where and how they'll end up with. That's really hard for me to see....
Panny (Panny Bakerly): I've got to go. Toodles.
webspelunker Ghostraven: How many have these feelings when inworld at Berlin?
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): Tschau Panny
Eloise (EloiseSchiltzen Resident): (Bye, Panny.) :)
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): bye Panny
Emily Theriac (THX1138 Theriac): bye panny
webspelunker Ghostraven: TC Panny!
Zoe Foodiboo: what feelings?
Zoe Foodiboo: in our Berlin?
webspelunker Ghostraven: Yes!
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): darkness and foreboding?
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): I feel that.
webspelunker Ghostraven: Do you feel history looking over your shoulder?
webspelunker Ghostraven: Double yes!
Zoe Foodiboo: I guess this book made me think about how we can balance our partying with darker stuff
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): Yes.
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): It's inevitable for me to feel that.
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): I feel directed by history when I'm in the sim
webspelunker Ghostraven: We don't do much dark here do we Jo?
Bror Jacob Boberg (bejiblueman Resident): i feel it in RL and SL
Zoe Foodiboo: I mean, I love our partying obviously.....but it made me wonder how we can rp other stuff
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): its up to the people
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): i have added more and more dark stories to the newspapers when i have the time
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): Hahaha, Herr Boberg, yes, actually both in RL and SL.
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): im also going to add a permanent crime scene
Zoe Foodiboo: I like that Bruno lost his fortune
Zoe Foodiboo: that feels real
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): you do??
webspelunker Ghostraven: We have wounded vets lying in the streets?
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): you evil person!
Zoe Foodiboo: I mean, I'm not happy about it!
Sasa Steigerwald (SasaSteigerwald Resident): yes such a crybaby
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): I do too lol
Zoe Foodiboo: oh you know what I mean, you nuts.
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): /me giggles
Zoe Foodiboo: It's a good rp storyline is all
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): it is
Zoe Foodiboo: /me shakes her head
webspelunker Ghostraven: There are street walkers...
Zoe Foodiboo: I'd like to see more of that kind of thing.
webspelunker Ghostraven: Fallen nobility...
webspelunker Ghostraven: Yes!
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): I haven't fallen anywhere.
Zoe Foodiboo: petty crime
webspelunker Ghostraven: The dark side!
Zoe Foodiboo: fighting
webspelunker Ghostraven: Sensitive, aren't we?
Zoe Foodiboo: loss of work, loss of income
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): also when i rebuild the brothel I will make it look a little darker and that whole area
bibiche Chant: goodnight all! it was very interesting
webspelunker Ghostraven: whispers: organized crime!
Zoe Foodiboo: bye bibi!
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): night Bibi
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): Tschau Bibi!
webspelunker Ghostraven: TY for coming!
Eloise (EloiseSchiltzen Resident): Night, bibi. :)
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): Goodnight, Bibi!
bibiche Chant: see you!
Zoe Foodiboo: See, I think with organized crime, people tend to want to be glamourous about it.
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): The organized crime got out of control
Sasa Steigerwald (SasaSteigerwald Resident): the criminals we have are very keen, but not organized
Zoe Foodiboo: watching too many mob movies or something
webspelunker Ghostraven: There's a very important business aspect to it!
webspelunker Ghostraven: Al Capone's a good businessman!
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): we're Berlin, not Chicago
Sasa Steigerwald (SasaSteigerwald Resident): yes, it was an interesting experiment, but it didn't really fit Berlin
Zoe Foodiboo: Yes! That's what I mean, Augusta :)
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): i want the criminals we saw in 'M'
Zoe Foodiboo: /me nods
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): the beggars, thieves, thugs
Bror Jacob Boberg (bejiblueman Resident): child murderers?
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): yes
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): we need Mo Galewarden back
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): dirty, evil, but cool
webspelunker Ghostraven: But what about Mr. Big?
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): Mr. Big?
Zoe Foodiboo: well, proper villians. Not models in suits.
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): Ah, yes, sorry.
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): but we want to get more kids to Berlin -- that will scare them off
webspelunker Ghostraven: The criminal element organizes to fight back!
Zoe Foodiboo: Like Mo. Or Happy. Or Kungler.
Eloise (EloiseSchiltzen Resident): /me decides after all this scary talk to build a higher gate around her house!
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): ive tried to get crime started in berlin several times but somehow it never quite worked
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): not really Augusta
webspelunker Ghostraven: Let's talk Jo...
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): its a bit the same with the kids
Zoe Foodiboo: Crime will scare off the kids?
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): they show up but then we need to keep them coming back
webspelunker Ghostraven: whispers: Being a failed revolutionary is getting tiring!
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): ther eis no way to break a window in Berlin
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): if you kill children?
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): I am going to work on 'stealable' stuff btw
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): ther eis no one to rob when I'm there
Zoe Foodiboo: oh! no, I don't want to start murdering children.
webspelunker Ghostraven: Break windows?
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): Oh I had my window on Bruderstrasse broken once
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): but we need anothter kind of crime
webspelunker Ghostraven: I'm talking rackets, extortion, kidnapping...
Eloise (EloiseSchiltzen Resident): (I'd be happy to help with any roleplay, Frau Jo, I'd even--gasps!--create an alt for crime, if it would be helpful.) :)
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): how about muggings?
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): yes !
Maddie (MaddieGraceGearz Resident): Stealing food is good..... I'm always hungry.
Zoe Foodiboo: muggings would be great! I was mugged once.
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): exactly Jo
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): might be a nice way to make a few lindens
Zoe Foodiboo: by Kungler.
Bror Jacob Boberg (bejiblueman Resident): how do you mug without windows?
Zoe Foodiboo: walking on the street
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): I know a girl who tried to steal a chicken in Berlin
Bror Jacob Boberg (bejiblueman Resident): sorry without WEAPONS
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): or just street fights
Bror Jacob Boberg (bejiblueman Resident): not windows
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): but couldn't get it out of the window
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): you can use a knife
Zoe Foodiboo: actually, I was sitting in the park with Myf and Kungler held us up
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): or a truncheon!
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): brute force Herr Boberg
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): I got the same club the police has
webspelunker Ghostraven: You folks have no idea what crime is all about!
Bror Jacob Boberg (bejiblueman Resident): i don't look fierce enough for that
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): no, you are far too nice
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): buy a scar ;)
webspelunker Ghostraven: Groan...
Zoe Foodiboo: Lots of crimes motivated by hunger, Web.
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): that's why we need Mo back
Zoe Foodiboo: Mo!
webspelunker Ghostraven: Yes, but I'm talking at another level!
Zoe Foodiboo: what level?
Sasa Steigerwald (SasaSteigerwald Resident): he is more horny than hungry
Zoe Foodiboo: lol
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): there is also a gambling den in berlin
Zoe Foodiboo: true
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): in the nussbaum backroom
Zoe Foodiboo: but that's part of his schtick
Sasa Steigerwald (SasaSteigerwald Resident): sorrry i mean h-o-r-n-y
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): we could gather there do some.... betting ;)
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): laughs
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): Yes, I saw that.
Zoe Foodiboo: /me laughs
webspelunker Ghostraven: I mean multinational, millions of dollars!
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): he did go crazy with that gun and the absinthe the one time
Zoe Foodiboo: Sasa, you're the best.
Sasa Steigerwald (SasaSteigerwald Resident): i know
Eloise (EloiseSchiltzen Resident): (LOL) :)
Sasa Steigerwald (SasaSteigerwald Resident): but thanks for noticing
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): /me giggles
Zoe Foodiboo: No, I'd leave that to Chicago, Web.
Bror Jacob Boberg (bejiblueman Resident): so modest
webspelunker Ghostraven: Book,people, book people!
Zoe Foodiboo: huh?
Emily Theriac (THX1138 Theriac): hehe web
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): we ARE talking about the book!
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): i think people think too big when they want to reenact crime
Zoe Foodiboo: oh, the book
webspelunker Ghostraven: What we're here for Zoe!
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): we dont need shootouts and bank robberies
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): throws her book at Web
webspelunker Ghostraven: What?
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): but mugging, pick pockets, beggars, people fighting in the streets
Zoe Foodiboo: I want crimes like in the book. You're so hungry you mug someone or steal from Morgy or something.
webspelunker Ghostraven: /me ducks
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): pfffffft
Sasa Steigerwald (SasaSteigerwald Resident): you want more Elvinas?
webspelunker Ghostraven: That's no way to treat a book!
webspelunker Ghostraven: Zoe, fine her!
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): Yes, we want more Elvinas :)
Emily Theriac (THX1138 Theriac): she was here last night!
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): no, watching out for Elvina is more than enough work for me
Zoe Foodiboo: people who wouldn't ordinarily steal but because of the times and they're so hungry, they're driven to commit crimes. petty ones.
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): exactly Zoe
webspelunker Ghostraven: That's not crime according to Marx..
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): /me nods
Emily Theriac (THX1138 Theriac): she chated with me and mo for abit and tried to steal some liqquor
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): and the book ( see Web) does bring that out
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): who asked Marx?!
Zoe Foodiboo: I don't think we need glamourous mob stuff
Zoe Foodiboo: that's for Chicago
webspelunker Ghostraven: merely redistribution of stolen goods!
Zoe Foodiboo: those meanies
webspelunker Ghostraven: Hey, watch what you say about those guys!
Zoe Foodiboo: Marx? Oh I thought she said Max.
webspelunker Ghostraven: They defined a generation!
Bror Jacob Boberg (bejiblueman Resident): also more "normal" people with more or less hidden problems in life
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): Yeah, tell me about it. Cicero will never be the same.
webspelunker Ghostraven: I said Marx as in Karl Marx!
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): i like that most of berlin is already more about normal day to day stuff
Eloise (EloiseSchiltzen Resident): (Why isn't that crime to Marx? One poor person impinging upon the liberties of another impoverished person would be a crime, wouldn't it?)
Bror Jacob Boberg (bejiblueman Resident): those are the ones that make those small crimes because they feel that they have to
Zoe Foodiboo: bah, our Max is much more interesting.
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): Hmmmm, hidden problems?
webspelunker Ghostraven: Thank heavens for AvN!
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): Oh no
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): Ah I see.
webspelunker Ghostraven: 10 minute warning!
Bror Jacob Boberg (bejiblueman Resident): or maybe "issues" is a more suitable word than "problems"
Zoe Foodiboo: Speaking of Max, it's almost time for El D. Any last thoughts before we go get drunk and stare at boobies?
webspelunker Ghostraven: Who'd like to speak who hasn't yet?
Emily Theriac (THX1138 Theriac): hehe Zoe
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): /me nods to Herr Boberg
Sasa Steigerwald (SasaSteigerwald Resident): oh eldo
Sasa Steigerwald (SasaSteigerwald Resident): forgot about that!
Zoe Foodiboo: er, b-o-o-b-i-e-s
Sasa Steigerwald (SasaSteigerwald Resident): i must be getting ill
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): Zoe! Spell that!
Emily Theriac (THX1138 Theriac): i have to go for abit bye every one:)
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): folks, I have to go, shout pervert at sonatta before the eldo opens
webspelunker Ghostraven: by Emily!
Frau Jo Yardley (Jo Yardley): thanks for organising this!
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): bye Emily
Zoe Foodiboo: Thanks for coming everyone!
Eloise (EloiseSchiltzen Resident): Bye, Sasa and everyone departing, I should run, too, but only to see everyone very shortly!
webspelunker Ghostraven: Thanks all!
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): ye sI have to go too
Zoe Foodiboo: Well, I'm glad I made it. This was fun.
webspelunker Ghostraven: It was!
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): I enjoy these discussions!
Eloise (EloiseSchiltzen Resident): This rocks, Zoe, thank you. :)
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): Yes, this was.
webspelunker Ghostraven: A good crowd!
Penny (Penny Luckstone): Herr Web, now you show Penny da piktures?
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): Thank you very much.
Eloise (EloiseSchiltzen Resident): /me smiles and waves to everyone!
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): thank you all so much
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): it was great to talk with you
Zoe Foodiboo: Penny, you have given us a good idea.
webspelunker Ghostraven: Scram kid, yer bothering me!
Zoe Foodiboo: Maybe we should have a storytime for the kids at the library. Augusta used to do something similar at school.
Zoe Foodiboo: Web!
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): Web, be nice to the little sones!
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): *ones
webspelunker Ghostraven: What?
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): picks her book up and throws it twice as hard at Web
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): it's a kid !
Zoe Foodiboo: /me throws peanuts at Web
Penny (Penny Luckstone): /me hides by da nice lady here
webspelunker Ghostraven: I don't do them well!
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): Gosh, I mixed up with Penny and Panny
Bror Jacob Boberg (bejiblueman Resident): some age difference
Zoe Foodiboo: /me grins at Gustav
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): I will start the story again when school starts in the fall
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): see you all later
Maddie (MaddieGraceGearz Resident): This was really great! Thank you.
Saraphen Calliope (Saraphen Resident): waves
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): Max und Moritz -- if we can get new kids
Zoe Foodiboo: I hope to see you two in Berlin, Maddie and Penny
webspelunker Ghostraven: any last words!
Maddie (MaddieGraceGearz Resident): Is there a list of the books you've already read?
Zoe Foodiboo: We have school on Sundays at noon SLT
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): Yes, very nice to meet you!
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): well, it will start again in the fall
Zoe Foodiboo: On Goodreads, Maddie.
Zoe Foodiboo: Let me get you a link
Maddie (MaddieGraceGearz Resident): Thank you
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): we've read some great books!
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): I think we should do Artificial Silk Girl again
Zoe Foodiboo: We sure have!
Zoe Foodiboo: Let me get you a link to Augusta's blogpost about the bookclub.
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): /me smiles
Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005 Resident): Well, I'm going to Eldo. See you around there. Thanks for organizing the book club. It was really fun :)
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): /me hands Penny an animal cracker
Bror Jacob Boberg (bejiblueman Resident): thank you friends, this was very interesting, and i look forward to read the books
Penny (Penny Luckstone): Tank you Ma'am.
Zoe Foodiboo: www.goodreads.com/group/show/66935-1920s-berlin-buchgemei...
Augusta Carolina Maria v.Nassau (gardengirl Resident): you are welcome, Liebchen!
Snez (by Scram) / Scram (by Snez) / Tiger / Benzo.
Joined by an interstater - my old mate Benzo - and an overseaser today: Parisian Snez.
SCENE ONE, Apokolips
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Darkseid sits on his thrown, Dessad by his side.
Dessad: The end of earth is near, master.
Darkseid: I can see. Does anyone know of our plan to destroy it?
Dessad: Two.
Darkseid: Where are they?
Dessad: Both of them are somewhere called "Gotham City".
Darkseid: Hm... Send 15 of our missiles at Gotham. That will destroy them.
Dessad: Right away, master.
SCENE TWO, A Field in Gotham
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Batman and Hal walk through the field...
Batman: I don't understand, how could he be alive?
Hal: Turns out we didn't kill him. He was strong enough to stop the phantom zone from being destroyed.
Batman: Damn it...
Hal: I found out when he came to Oa. He killed thousands of Green Lanterns, including my husband. He also put some kind of mind control on us, making us all call him "god".
Batman: So what do we do about it?
Hal: I think we have to get the league back together.
Batman: Okay, but even if we do, how will we find Darkseid?
A giant missile hits the ground 5 meters away from them, causing a red shock wave. They both look over at it...
Green Lantern: I think we just found him.
SCENE THREE, Mud Pack Base
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, The Mud Pack is a group of criminals, that all went by the name "Clayface". You know three of them, Basil Karlo, Matt Hagen, and the first, Saundra Fuller. But the fourth and final, was Preston Payne. Preston was the scientist that turned Matt Hagen into Clayface. Turns out, he got addicted to the stuff that turned Matt Hagen into Clayface, and also became Clayface. So anyways, the members at around at a table.
Preston Payne: Is life alright for you, fellow Clays?
Basil Karlo: Could say that, 'suppose. Wish I wasn't a "clay".
Matt Hagen: Same here. Though life wasn't great before that, but this isn't better.
Saundra Fuller: Tell me about it.
Matt Hagen: ...I just did.
Suddenly, the door slams open. Cheeta, a member of The Legion of Doom, came in!
Cheeta: I've been sent to bring you to the Legion!
Basil Karlo: No way Jose! We're our own group!
Matt Hagan: Clay's stick together!
Preston Payne: Once a mud, always a mud!
Saundra Fuller: Yeah, so scram!
Suddenly, all the Clayface's mold into one, run away, and split up again.
SCENE FOUR, Convenient Store
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Garfield Lynns wanders through a convenient store, grabs a CD of "The Now Now", a pack of cigarettes, and puts them on the counter.
Cashier: Ah, I love Gorillaz!
Gar: Yeah? What song's your favorite?
Cashier: Kids with Guns, you?
Gar: Since it came out, really liked Fireflies.
Gar pulls out a pocket flamethrower...
Gar: Pretty fitting, eh?
He kills the cashier, and takes his stuff. He suits up outside, and flies off.
SCENE FIVE, Streets of Gotham
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saundra Fuller continues to hide from Cheeta. She limps through the streets, before sitting in a corner. Meanwhile, Gar flies overhead.
Gar: Nice night...
Gar looks down, and notices Fuller. He thinks it's a homeless woman...
Gar: Huh, guess I'll help her. I do respect the homeless.
He lands in front of her...
Gar: What happened to you? Wait, are you one of those "Clayfaces"?
Saundra Fuller: Who are you?
Gar: *gasp*... That voice.
Saundra Fuller: I don't know you...
Gar: A-...Amy?
Saundra Fuller: My name's Saundra...
Gar: Is that you-
He's suddenly interrupted by a missile, hitting him directly!!! The shock wave surprisingly blasts the clay exterior off of Saundra...
Saundra Fuller/Amy: Gar!!!
Gar is lying on the ground, wheezing, covered in blood and bruises... Amy runs to him...
Gar: *cough*...
Amy: Gar?
Gar: If you see me floating... *cough*... Too many times...
He brings his hand up to her face as her tears fall onto him...
Gar: My face will be painted... In these white brick lines...
Amy: Gar? Speak to me, Gar?!?
Gar: Cause all my fear's invading...All the crazies put on buses and... sent up here to find you... Living... on the limits...
Amy: Gar?!?! Please, talk to me!!!
Gar: ...I'll fly back to you... I promise...
Gar stopped breathing, as Amy held him in the street...
~Scarecrow
Download from trekbikes.com. I hope to make a closer connection with this one soon. Alta sykkel & ski leverer:-)
Prologue: A long time ago, Wade Wilson was your average man. He had a girlfriend, a house, a job, everything normal. Somehow, he was-
Deadpool: Shut the f#ck up, lady!
Y-...You can hear me.
Deadpool: Yeah, I can. Now scram, this is my story.
SCENE ONE, Wade's Apartment
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Deadpool paced in circles, full costume, in his apartment. He than began shooting his pistol at the ceiling.
Deadpool: What did I just say, b#tch?!
Weasel: W-Who are you talking too?
Weasel was Deadpool's best friend, who lived with him in the apartment-
Deadpool: Ugh, I'm just gonna ignore ya'. I'll just keep pacing in circles, frantically.
Weasel: Why are you doing that, what's wrong?
Deadpool: What's wrong? Do I look worried?
Weasel: ...You look like a ball sack with a red and black sock dangling on it.
Deadpool: Eh, fair enough. Basically, I just got off the phone. Some guy named Ajax is mad cause I was set up to kill one of his guys, which I did, flawlessly.
Weasel: Okay?
Deadpool: Eh, shut up, what I'm freaking out about is that one of 'is guys is coming to kill you.
Weasel: What the f#ck?! Why?
Deadpool: I may have written a note on that guys body saying "If you really want to hurt my feelings you should kidnap my best friend Weasel".
Weasel: Why on earth would you write that.
Deadpool: Well, it's better than me dying, I'm important and sh#t.
Weasel: That means nothing! You can't die, remember!?
Deadpool fell on his knees...
Deadpool: Sorry, sorry! God, I f#cking suck.
They both heard someone knocking at the door...
Weasel: ...Sh#t.
Deadpool: Okay, you hide in the shower, I'll kill myself!
Weasel: Why would you kill yourself?!
Deadpool: Why not?
Weasel: Okay, okay fine!
Weasel ran behind the show curtain and sat down, while Deadpool shot himself in the head with a pistol, and fell over, blood covering the floor.
Deadpool: *cough*... P-perfect...
The door slammed open, revealing a pizza delivery guy.
Pizza Delivery: Someone ordered a pizza?
Deadpool got up...
Deadpool: Oooh, pizza!
Pizza Delivery: Just need somebody to sign this.
He pulled out a note pad, with a pen. Weasel ran in...
Weasel: That's my pizza, I ordered it.
Deadpool whispered over to Weasel...
Deadpool, whispering: Why didn't you get tacos?
Weasel, whispering: Where the f#ck would I get tacos?
Weasel signed his name... The pizza delivery pulled off a fake mustache, opened the pizza box, revealing a gun!
Pizza Delivery: Boom, I'm not a f#cking pizza delivery guy, I work for Ajax!
Weasel's eyes opened, wide...
Weasel: Holy sh#t, but I ordered a pizza!
Deadpool: Oh my f#ck, Ajax owns the pizzeria.
The real pizza delivery guy walks up behind Ajax's goon...
Pizza Delivery: Pizza time!
Ajax's goon grabbed the gun, turned around, and killed the pizza guy!
Deadpool: Oh my f#ck, he killed him!
Goon: And now I'm gonna kill you... After I do this.
He grabbed a sack out of his pocket, put it over Weasels head, through him into his car, and drove off!
Deadpool: Oh f#ck f#ck f#ck...
Deadpool put his mask on, and ran after the car!
Deadpool: You can't run from me, mother f#cker! Gimme back my Weasel!!!
The goon peaked his arm through the car window, shot Deadpool in the head with a revolver, causing Deadpool to fall over.
Deadpool: Ah... Sh#t.
SCENE TWO, Ajax's base, An Hour Later
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ajax's goon sits Weasel on a chair, and pulls the sack off of his head...
Weasel: Ugh...
Ajax spins around in his chair...
Ajax: Hello hello, Weasel.
Weasel: H-...Hi.
Ajax: You're mutant friend... He's going to die tonight. Do you know that?
Weasel: I guess I know that now, after you said it.
Ajax: I want you to be scared... I want you to be horrified... I want you to fear me. Got it, jackass?
Weasel: Understood.
Weasel smirked...
Ajax: Heh... You make me laugh... But soon you won't be able to.
He pointed a gun at Weasel.
Ajax: You won't be able to do anything.
~Madam Web
Royal Enfield Himalayan 411 Scram (2016-23) Engine 411cc 2-valve air-cooled SOHC single 23.4hp
Registration Number VU 22 ZKV (Worcester)
ROYAL ENFIELD ALBUM
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/albums/72157625830205063
The Royal Enfield Himalayan is an Indian Adventure Touring motorcycle, revealed in February 2015 and launched in early 2016. Pierre Terblanche led the design team during Himalayan's development. The Himalayan was conceived by CEO Siddhartha Lal, as an adventure touring, or dual sport motorcycle. The Himalayan's engine was designed and produced by Royal Enfield, it bears no commonality with any other Royal Enfield engine. The engine, named the LS410 indicating its long-stroke ratio, is a unit-construction 411 cc single-cylinder, oil-cooled 4-stroke SOHC engine generating 24.5 bhp. The engine also includes an oil cooler, a first among motorcycles manufactured by Royal Enfield India. The bike employs electronic fuel injection, and the engine is mated to a 5-speed constant mesh transmission.
The Royal Enfield Scram 411 is a pretty slow scrambler motorbike and fairly basic but sells new for £ 4,599.
Diolch am 96,887,135 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr.
Thanks for 96,887,135 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated.
Shot 07.08.2022, at the VSCC Prescott Speed Hill Climb, Prescott, Gloucestershire REF 162-541
Sharing is not a hummingbird virtue, especially when a prime patch of tasty flowers is in play. Earlier in the week, I sat for a long while watching two of "our" hummers vie for control over the Bee Balm and Butterfly Bush. Lots of smack talk and chasing! Not easy to photograph the action, but at least they don't pay attention to me. The dominant bird finds a good perch twig in the Korean Spicebush behind the flower patch and scans for interlopers. If they're feeling extra feisty, they'll even chase the Swallowtails away. Don't know if I'm seeing adult females or sub-adults, but the adult males don't show themselves very often.
A scram or SCRAM is an emergency shutdown of a nuclear reactor, though the term has been extended to cover shutdowns of other complex operations, such as server farms and even large model railroads.
The term is usually cited as being an acronym for safety control rod axe man, which was supposedly coined by Enrico Fermi when the world's first nuclear reactor was built under the spectator seating at the University of Chicago's Stagg Field
--wikipedia--
abandoned power plant
*WU MUSIC GROUP PROUDLY PRESENTS*
GAB GOTCHA / TIMELESS
Release Date: December 7, 2010
*by Kim Kelaher
*
Wu Music Group proudly present *"**TIMELESS”,* the debut album by *Gab
Gotcha* set for release on December 7th, 2010. The first single of the
album is *“Watching Me”* featuring Dynasty produced by Rel "The Beast". It
is an example of what's to come in the future. That iconic Movie like
ambiance will be a trademark of his work as he takes you on a trip into his
lyrical landscape audio cinema. *Gab Gotcha* is prepared to expand hip hop’s
new frontier, give fans what they have been craving and forever leave his
mark on on the face of Hip Hop .
*Gab Gotcha* has long been a vital component to the Queens and
underground hip hop scene having worked and spit verses on numerous
collaborations with artists/groups such as *The Beatnuts, Joell Ortiz, Rass
Kass, Scram Jones* and *Sha Stimuli.** Gab Gotcha* has garnered wide street
buzz and radio support during the release of his mixtapes, *“Hustler’s
Prayer”* and *“United States of America –vs- Gab Gotcha Vol. 1”* which
received airplay on NY’s *Hot 97 FM, XM Satellite radio* and college radio
stations. In addition to heavy airplay in international markets including
Chile, Brazil France, Italy and Colombia. He has also been featured on other
numerous mixtapes including *J-Love , Infra Red (Orlando) , JCNY, Imperial
Demolition (LA, Colombia), The Crown City Series , The Closers *and *DJ
Camilo’s 100% Colombian.*
Unfortunately circumstance and past indiscretions played their part in
slowing down his once eminent rise but with life’s experiences serving as
both the narrative and the inspiration in his music, *Gab Gotcha* is ready
to shine light on the content, energy and flow that his rhymes cultivate...
“It only seemed a natural for the Wu Music Group to bring this MC’s
creativity to the forefront while at the same time putting the raw elements
of Wu back on the streets”says The *RZA **founder/Producer* and current
member of *Wu Tang Clan*. *TIMELESS* is the definite must-have album this
December. It is already being hailed by many online Blogs as a must listen
to, *“that will remind hip-hop fans that real hip-hop still lives” *-
OnSmash.com.
To Listen to "Watching Me" please visit:
Follow Gab Gotcha:
*www.twitter.com/gabgotcha
*
FOR PRESS CONTACT:
Wu Music Group / Orchard TVT
wumusic.info@gmail.com
Royal Enfield Himalayan 411 Scram (2016-23) Engine 411cc 2-valve air-cooled SOHC single 23.4hp
Registration Number VU 22 ZKV (Worcester)
ROYAL ENFIELD ALBUM
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/albums/72157625830205063
The Royal Enfield Himalayan is an Indian Adventure Touring motorcycle, revealed in February 2015 and launched in early 2016. Pierre Terblanche led the design team during Himalayan's development. The Himalayan was conceived by CEO Siddhartha Lal, as an adventure touring, or dual sport motorcycle. The Himalayan's engine was designed and produced by Royal Enfield, it bears no commonality with any other Royal Enfield engine. The engine, named the LS410 indicating its long-stroke ratio, is a unit-construction 411 cc single-cylinder, oil-cooled 4-stroke SOHC engine generating 24.5 bhp. The engine also includes an oil cooler, a first among motorcycles manufactured by Royal Enfield India. The bike employs electronic fuel injection, and the engine is mated to a 5-speed constant mesh transmission.
The Royal Enfield Scram 411 is a pretty slow scrambler motorbike and fairly basic but sells new for £ 4,599.
Diolch am 96,887,135 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr.
Thanks for 96,887,135 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated.
Shot 07.08.2022, at the VSCC Prescott Speed Hill Climb, Prescott, Gloucestershire REF 162-542
Home for the week.
Bike for the day.
Got to give it back in the morning!
Ah well it was a great day!!
178(s)miles on a mix of roads and conditions..
Motorway to gravel. Fast A roads to single track twisties. Sunshine to showers with some breezy gusts too.!!
Love it!
Plus of course a cappuccino stop at Aberfoyle.. At the The Station Coffee Shop, Aberfoyle..
Main aim was Duke's Pass on the Trossachs Road and The Three Lochs Forest Drive.
Amazing stuff indeed!!
I went over a hidden baby bunny nest while mowing and three cute little bunnies scrammed out of the hole! My heart fell when I saw them scram. I was scared to death I hurt or killed some of them. I did a check for bunny parts and saw none, and they were all safe and unharmed. I hope they found another nest because I haven't seen them back in that well hidden nest yet. What kind of dumbass bunny mama makes a nest in the middle of a lawn anyway? Silly bunnies.
#AB_FAV_COLOURS_🎨
#AB_FAV_SUMMERTIME_🌞
Perranporth rugby-scrum
Cornwall, Perranporth, two families, the 'men' up for some good old sport... a rugby ball and the fun could start...
The boy was curious and asked me what I was photographing, so nice…
A TREAT HERE, a second choice of some of my images:
youtu.be/IzRM4viw-7g
With love to you and thank you for ALL your faves and comments, M, (* _ *)
IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (BY LAW!!!) TO USE ANY OF MY image or TEXT on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved
summer, Perranporth, rugby, scram, family, men, boys, people, sea, rocks, coast, Cornwall, beach, sea, boy, portrait, colours, horizontal, NikonD200, "Magda indigo"
"Ahhh! Who are you, and what are you doing in my bed?!"
"I'm Grandmother, dear."
"The heck you are! You've got the wrong hat, Wolfie. Now scram!"
YMCA 'college' camp in Hayward, WI. Operated by Chicago YMCA.
© Original 35mm Kodachrome Slide Transparency
If I were an ant, this leaf would seem a 'mountain' to me!
High Hopes
Frank Sinatra
Next time you're found
With your chin on the ground
There a lot to be learned
So look around
Just what makes that little old ant
Think he'll move that rubber tree plant
Anyone knows an ant can't
Move a rubber tree plant
But he's got high hopes
He's got high hopes
He's got high apple pie
In the sky hopes
So any time you're gettin' low
'Stead of lettin' go
Just remember that ant
Oops, there goes another rubber tree plant
Oops, there goes another rubber tree plant
Oops, there goes another rubber tree plant
When troubles call
And your back's to the wall
There a lot to be learned
That wall could fall
Once there was a silly old ram
Thought he'd punch a hole in a dam
No one could make that ram scram
He kept buttin' that dam
'Cause he had high hopes
He had high hopes
He had high apple pie
In the sky hopes
So any time you're feelin' bad
'Stead of feelin' sad
Just remember that ram
Oops, there goes a billion kilowatt dam
Oops, there goes a billion kilowatt dam
Oops, there goes a billion kilowatt dam
All problems just a toy balloon
They'll be bursted soon
They're just bound to go pop
Oops, there goes another problem, kerplop
Oops, there goes another problem, kerplop
Oops, there goes another problem, kerplop
Kerplop
Songwriters: Cahn Sammy, Van Heusen Jimmy. For non-commercial use only.
IMG_4571.jpgr
Texture by ramllep www.flickr.com/photos/39793991@N03/6608901553/
Explored.
I found a photo of the old truck taken in March, 2011. To my surprise I see the truck has substantially changed since this photo was taken....recent photos show a botched paint job and a covering over the truck bed.
I have been trying to get up the courage to talk with the owner. Today I went by twice. The first time a strangely dressed person with wild hair was transferring armloads of things from the back of another vehicle into the house and when I went by the second time, it appeared no one was home. I snatched a photo of the truck logo and hood ornament seen below and scrammed. The logo and ornament are badly worn.
Wikipedia reports the Dodge Brothers founded their company in 1900 and began manufacturing auto parts for Ford and other companies. Soon they started manufacturing their own vehicles. Both brothers died in 1920 and their widows sold the company in 1925, but the Dodge name lived on. I looked around a bit on on-line and could not find any photos of trucks exactly like this one but did find a 1939 sedan that looks similar. So.....the mystery continues.......
Please view on black and large:
bighugelabs.com/flickr/onblack.php?id=2472539159&size...
For those who aren't familiar with what INTJ means it is one of the personality inventories in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. This building exemplifies the traits of the INTJ which are:
According to Myers-Briggs, INTJs are very analytical individuals. Like INTPs, they are more comfortable working alone than with other people, and are not usually as sociable as others, although they are prepared to take the lead if nobody else is up to the task, or they see a major weakness in the current leadership. They tend to be very pragmatic and logical individuals, often with an individualistic bent and a low tolerance for spin or rampant emotionalism. They are also commonly not susceptible to catchphrases and commonly do not recognize authority based on tradition, rank or title.
INTJs are strong individualists who seek new angles or novel ways of looking at things. They enjoy coming to new understandings. They are insightful and mentally quick; however, this mental quickness may not always be outwardly apparent to others since they keep a great deal to themselves. They are very determined people who trust their vision of the possibilities, regardless of what others think. They may even be considered the most independent of all of the sixteen personality types. INTJs are at their best in quietly and firmly developing their ideas, theories, and principles
I'm an INTJ for what its worth.
More on the Flatiron - Glass, Steel, and Stone:
Not well known among those not from the area, or not into historic architecture, the Flatiron Building is a favorite of New Yorkers and admirers around the world. Perhaps because it symbolizes so much of how New Yorkers see themselves -- Defiant, bold, sophisticated, and interesting. With just enough embedded grime and soot to highlight its details. The Flatiron's most interesting feature is its shape -- a slender hull plowing up the streets of commerce as the bow off a great ocean liner plows through the waves of its domain. The apex of the building is just six feet wide, and expands into a limestone wedge adorned with Gothic and Renaissance details of Greek faces and terra cotta flowers.
The building has two claims to fame -- one architectural, the other cultural. Some consider the Flatiron Building to be New York City's first skyscraper. It certainly was one of the first buildings in the city to employ a steel frame to hold up its 285-foot tall facade, but not the first. Some felt its shape (like a flatiron) was less artistic and more dangerous. They thought it would fall over, and during construction the Flatiron Building was nicknamed "Burnham's Folly."
The building's cultural legacy is a little more interesting and has passed into the local social consciousness as a fable. It is said that the building created unusual eddies in the wind which would cause women's skirts to fly around as they walked on 23rd street. This attracted throngs of young men who gathered to view the barelegged spectacle. Police would try to disperse these knots of heavy-breathers by calling to them, "23 Skidoo." This phrase has passed out of common usage, but its descendant, the word "scram" remains in a back corner of the American lexicon.
The "23" that appears on the painted automobile prop in this novelty photo is a reference to the "23 skidoo" fad that became popular in the United States beginning in 1906 or 1907. Back then, telling someone "23 skidoo" meant "scram" or "beat it," and placing "23" in an unexpected place like this was a humorous way to let others in on the joke. To view the entire card, take a look at the full version.
For similar sightings of "23" in photos and postcards, see the impressive compilation of images on the 23 Skidoo Postcards Web site, especially the pages for Automobiles and Real Photos. For other examples, see my 23 Skidoo and Lemons Too album.
The message written next to the image on this real photo postcard reveals that this couple lived in the state of Iowa but were visiting fellow Iowans in California at the time they had their picture taken. To read the message, see the rotated version.
A example of number(s) in a photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park.
"Skidoo. This is not a one way ticket to heaven. Return same to Bedford Roll-Arena, one mile north of Bedford, Pa."
Lou Brooks, in his terrific book, Skate Crazy: Amazing Graphics from the Golden Age of Roller Skating, pp. 42-43, shows illustrations of similar cards and explains, "The dreaded 'Scram' and 'Skidoo' card! Just like at any party, the hosts liked to keep things at the rink moving with interesting games, often turning the rink into somewhat of a social laboratory. Floor ushers, acting out their version of traffic cop, would slip these cards to unsuspecting couples, urging them to skate the second half of the dance with someone they had never met."
I'm not sure, however, if this card was used in the same manner, and I'm not certain what to make of the "This is not a one way ticket to heaven" warning.
Slinking away, still smirking over how rewardingly gullible the bejeweled wealthy girls in silky dresses had proven, Angie unexpectedly came across fresh, opulently inviting, prey.
************************
Angelique D. at play
Angie D
Circa 1915
Case study 113 subset b
Early development: “Pickpocket” of worn Jewelry
Sub title:
What is it about rich girls that make them so lucratively gullible?
Quoted by Subject: log 1959
**********************************************************
What:
Along a path just outside where a departing congregation of a small church still gathered.
Where
The outskirts of Chestermere:
When:
An early fall day, in the year of our Lord 1915
Who:
An appealing lady wearing a secret smile, clad expensively in a silky top and flowing satiny ruffled skirt, a pair of gold earrings flashing merrily as she strolls.
Excerpted from Diary:
A lady in a cream silk blouse and long blue skirt was walking happily along a path on the outskirts of Chestermere. She was coming from the early Sabbath service of a local chapel, filled with the rousing words of the Parson’s homily. As Angie walked, she hummed a cheerful tune, her conscious, as always, free of any guilty feelings.
Angie was very pleased with herself, and the main source of the pleasure was now bouncing against her thigh as she briskly walked along. For deep in a small pocket hidden well below the waistline of her flowing sleek skirt, was a pretty jeweled pendent on a delicate gold chain.
Only just 15 minutes ago that jeweled pendent was still being worn by a member of a rather wealthy looking family whom had been in attendance at the same Sabbath service. Angie had scoped them out as the family had waltzed in just after the mass had started. The mother was dressed in a pretty white frock with ruffles of lace falling from her throat and wrists, along with a rather nice set of pearls. The rather formal and severe father was in a “monkey suit”, a gold pocket watch and fob stretched across his rather bulging waist. The pair had their hands full with two rambunctious , pre-adolescent twin boys, who had continually distracted them during and after the lengthy service. Which was good, from Angie’s point of view anyway, for it left the parents totally ignoring their seventeen year old daughter , at the end of the pew, standing with a sultry air about her.
The daughter was wearing a rather fancy party dress of thick red silk. Dangling down the front of the sheer red silk bodice, on a thin gold chain, was an attention grabbing deep green emerald starburst pendent that fell swaying from her dress’s high neckline. It had been the sleek dress that had whetted Angie’s interest, but it was the pendent that kept that interest focused during the entire service, delightedly eyeing the pendant’s shimmeriness in the low candle lit church. During the communion procession she had managed to slip in behind her in order to closer scrutinize the prospect, soaking in the expectations of acquiring it from the unsuspecting proper acting young lady..
As the service ended, the family joined in the stream of the departing congregation. Angie followed closely, looking for her chance. It came when the Parson stopped the father to ask a question, a group soon huddled around the mother and the twins. As everyone bent over to focus attention on the twins, including their sister, Angie circled her prey and slipped in close, hovering briefly over her back before darting in. In one fluid motion, Angie lifted with one practiced hand the chain and flicked open the thin clasp, nimbly catching the swaying pendent in her other hand as it fell, whisking the sparkling emeralds and chain away and palming it from sight. Absolutely no one noticed the flashy necklace as it vanished from the front of the sister’s silky dress. Angie had continued on her way, clutching the pendent, and headed straight out the door without looking back. Instead of heading back the short 3 miles to her hotel in the city, she decided to head out towards the woods, where she planned to lay low until dusk.
Angie now turned her head to have a look behind her at the distant chapel and the people milling about, her gold plated earrings flashing as she did so. Good, she thought, no one was following her, and she, in total security that she was out of danger, crossed off the path and went on the road.
Angie strolled along the country lane, trees lining it turning red and yellow in their autumn gowns, for quite some time, before she became aware of a band playing off in the distance.. Then turning a bend in the lane, through the thin wall of woods, she spied a wedding reception up on a hill by a white stone Church. From her vantage point she could see a multitude of colourful , richly shimmering gowns and the occasional sparkle of , she hoped , opulent jewelry.
As good luck would have it, she decides to crash the party. She was dressed for it, she was hungry, and who knows what pickings she may find inside to increase her earthly riches ,as the Parson had been saying! She walked around, skirting the woods and came across a hillside garden with rose covered arbors and bright flower lined paths. Two grubby boys of about ten and twelve were playing in the woods on the opposite side, by a small pond surrounded thickly with Rhododendron s. She entered the Garden and made her way up the winding path, coming out onto a small field with benches that lay on the opposite side of the church and the auditorium entrance to the reception.
Angie entered the crowded auditorium underneath the Church. She helped herself to the food buffet and sat outside enjoying her meal, as she watched the richly dressed crowd. A young man came up and asked her to dance, which she did happily, and just as happily lifted his gold watch and fob. And, too boot, after a few dances with him, she had become a part of his circle, happily mingling, and rubbing elbows with the obviously wealthy guests he presented her to. Including an introduction to his pretty faced teenage sister, who was sporting a pretty diamond ring on all too slender finger, that she kept waving in Angie’s face as she played with her long silky hair.
Angie soon left them and started to stalk about for a bit, noting that most of the guests were older, more mature specimens. There seemed to be a lack of young, well dressed children around, whose shiny offerings had been Angie’s main bread and butter for almost two years.. She had just come to the conclusion that she would have to settle for picking a few pockets or purses before leaving. She started to look around for the bloke with the fancy gold pocket watch who had first asked her to dance….
Then she saw her.
The lady was moving through the crowd, on the arms of a man half her age, giggling, not paying attention to anything else around her. She wore a long gown of a shimmery purple silk. But it was not the gown that had caught Angie’s eye, but the jeweled brooch that hung from the gowns cleavage, shadowed by its mistress’s ample bosom. Like the figurehead in a seagoing schooner it came, shimmering in the dazzling light of at least a hundred diamond chips, surrounded by an oval of blazing sapphires. Angie’s fingers tingled. It was time.
****************************************************
Now, it had been better than three years ago when Angie had run across an ancient, toothless Gypsy in a long black dress with a faded shawl around her shoulders, who had spoken Angie’s fortune. When she had read Angie’s palm, she looked Angie dead in the eyes, a most knowing kind of look. Then she had risen, motioning Angie to stay and came back with a rather battered old pamphlet she wanted Angie to look over. Entitled the Cutpurse: skilles, artes and Secretes of the Dip by “Gaston Monescu, 1826”, it covered the various tactics and moves used by master pickpockets. Including whole chapters on successful “Methodes” of relieving a wealthe lady of her” jeweles”.
The Gypsy Woman, who had hovering over Angie as she had read deeply into the pamphlet moved and sat back down across from her.
Angie ,who by this time in her quite young life, was already an accomplished cutpurse and picker of pockets, looked up at the gypsy, grinned, and asked if it was worth her while. The Gypsy just smiled, reached up and opened her dirty laced shawl, revealing the silvery necklace that Angie had been wearing when she had come in. Amazed she traded the necklace for the pamphlet on the spot and quickly began putting its teachings into play.
Angie soon mastered this new level of her chosen craft.
She had started on mannequins: clothing them in long silky dresses and jewelry. She had practiced for months, first in a rented studio apartment, then in a secret basement located in an isolated, deserted old barn and then its surrounding woods. Soon she felt confident enough to go out and try it in the crowded streets amongst shopping women. She met with great success, but her gains were only a pittance. Still she practiced, and had gotten so adept that she soon was moved onto more affluent hunting grounds.
She reasonably started out with weddings. For the phamplett had suggested starting out at formal parties where there would be an abundance of youngsters dressed in their best by parents wanting to show their off female issues to an adoring public( in the minds of the wealthy parents, anyway). So she went, seeking out young, easily distracted young girls who were not used to wearing the array of enticing jewels placed on them by overly enthusiastic parents.
Angie’s first time out was met with some rather sweet success. A large day time wedding reception in Nova Scotia, held in a public park by a majestic sweeping waterfall.
Late at the reception, as she was still prowling without making any formal attempts, she soon noticed that the adults at the gathering were becoming quite gay with drink, and noticeably paying less attention to their children. Said children began to wonder off in groups, exploring and starting to run about playing games, their gowns and dresses whispering a Pied Piperish tune to Angie’s ears, their shiny jewels luring her ever closer.
Angie soon started to follow a pair of young ladies who had scampered off to explore.
One was an impish girl with long black hair flowing down, drawing ones attention to the frilly white dress she was wearing. Gold chain earrings dancing merrily from her ears, as a longish gold herringbone chain shimmering brightly in the sun as it lay hanging from her silk dresses’’ high neckline.
Her partner in crime was a most fascinating subject. A charmingly bright green eyed proper young imp, a couple of years older than white dress, with a rather pronounced Welsh accent, much like Agie’s remembered her parents having. Her silken red hair lay down her back in a neat long French braid. A long thin satin gown of emerald green swished as she ran with the awkwardness of youth to keep up with her new friend. A matching satin bow was tied just below her throat, its ends trailing down to her svelte waistline. At the bows center was fastened a glittering rhinestone pin. She also was wearing a small rhinestone necklace that encircled her throat just above the bow. Her ears were home to a pretty pair of clasped rhinestone earrings that matched the pattern of her necklace. Around one short shiny green satin gloved wrist was a brite rhinestone bracelet.
The duo found the waterfall, by which a photographer had set up a camera. Angie approached the lovely pair, and easily started up a conversation, helped by the fact that as an adult, she was not scolding them for walking off. They seemed pleased that Angie was actually doing the exact opposite, like a favored auntie, she was encouraging them to explore.
Angie led them around a bend for a different view of the cascading waterfall, out of earshot of the reception. She helped the black haired lass, Basil, up to sit on a small stone wall for a better look, also helping to slip off the shiny gold herringbone necklace from her throat with an almost effortless ease in the process. As, with itching fingers, she contemplated what to do about Basil’s gold earrings, Angie started to watch Lydia.
Oblivious to what was going on around her, the red head, Lydia, was standing next to Angie, looking over the fence which just reached her shoulders. Here dear, Angie said, after pocketing the purloined gold necklace, you’re messing up your pretty dress. Angie turned the girl towards her, reached over and said, here, let my fix your bow, darling. Lydia allowed Angie to retie it, as Basil, her back to them, happily was watching, enraptured, the splashing water. Angie finished undoing and retying Lydia’s satin bow, neatly removing the pretty rhinestone pin in the process, then as she straightened the girl’s color, Angie had her turn around. As Lydia obediently did so, Angie flicked open the rhinestone necklaces clasp, and peeled off the flashy necklace from around Lydia’s throat as she turned round. Just like that, Lydia’s rhinestone necklace went the same way of er pin, both ending up with the gold chain in a secret pocket hidden in the folds of Angie’s skirt.
Angie stood behind Lydia, placing her hands on Lydia’s slick silken covered shoulders, all three watching the waterfall. Angie’s left hand caressingly, ever so lithely inched down along Lydia’s side, reaching the girls wrist. As Angie engaged them in conversation, she slowly worked off the bracelet, leaving only the pretty earrings as her last challenge.
Angie lifted her right hand and slowly moved it up to one of the girl’s dangling earrings, sparkling in the waterfalls’ reflection.. With her left hand she pointed upstream. As both girls turned their heads to look, off came a rhinestone earring. Angie than playfully lifted Lydia’s long French braid and laid it over Lydia’s shoulder, below her now bare ear. She turned to look down, giggling, and as she did so, Angie plucked away the remaining earring; it easily came off and joined its companion with the rest of the collection of jewelry in Angie’s secret pocket. Amazed that the process of removing young Lydia’s jewels had gone off so easily, Angie almost wished Lydia had been wearing bells like one of her sleekly gowned practice mannequins. Her reasoning being that she would know if it was because her skill level was that good, or just the fact that Lydia was just an unworldly youth easily distracted. Whatever the reason, Angie, feeling fresh inspiration, looked over at the chirpy basil, and her shiny gold earrings.
Angie moved behind Basil, placing her hands upon the slippery waistline of her silk dress, then leaned forward, whispering in the girls ear, tickling it with her breath. As Basil giggled Angie reached up gently lifted the gold chain earring up from the lobe of the girl’s opposite ear lobe. Then nimbly with her thumb and index finger, flicked open the hinge clasp and neatly removed the earring, watching for any reaction from her victim. Basil never felt a thing, Lydia was still watching the waterfall, equally as oblivious. Angie kept her chin close to Basil’s ear, and the remaining earring. Cautiously she moved her fingers up, and then darting in with them, successfully repeated the maneuver. As the earring joined the rest of her collection, Angie could not help thinking that if all her future endeavors were as successful, she could end up living quite a comfortable lifestyle.
Angie stayed a few more minutes, keeping the pair distracted the whole time before she cautiously moved off, leaving the two of them there by stream. Basil happily perched on the stone wall, and Lydia bent down, busily plucking at the moss growing on the old stones. Both girls still quite fetching in their pretty gowns, both a bit less weighted down by any added trimmings.
For the next year, fueled by her early success, she started focusing entirely on wedding receptions. Honing her skills until it became almost mundane for her nimble fingers to lift a jewel, no matter where is was being worn by a squirming young lady upon her fancy dressed person. And, actually, some of her acquisitions where worth a surprising bit of dough when pawned.
Favored Case in Point:
It was in New Hampshire, on her 24th outing late during the wedding season of the following year when she came upon a rather prim young miss of about 13, clad in a long sleeved thick yellow satin blouse, a black velvet vest and matching gold and black vertical striped satin skirt. A young raven haired bumble bee with no stinger, but with pearls, black pearls in a long string dangling down along the front of her shiny back buttoned blouse. She was also wearing matched black pearled earrings, and a small, daintily jeweled pin in the shape of a humming bird on her velvet vest. She was sitting alone at a table, playing with some crayons and a book. Angie, who had been watching her for some time from a bar stool, had come up and caught the pretty little things full attention, easily capturing her interest, then, finally, suggesting they go and watch the activity on the ballroom floor from a small alcove in a corner. Liking the adventurous way Angie had suggested it, the bumble bee had eagerly followed Angie away from the table.
Angie continued making small talk as the pretty thing was watching the exquisitely gown guests on the dance floor, including the girls’ parents. She was met with youthful exuberance by the youth, who was so enthralled with the activity on the dance floor that she was as unaware of what was going on around her , much like one of Angie’s practice Mannequins. After quite easily removing the dainty jeweled pin, Angie’s subtle fingers were able to lift up and flick open the rhinestone clasp of the child’s pearled necklace. Angie than coolly waited for a prime moment before whisking away the wholly distracted young miss’s gleaming black strand of pearls from around the high ruffled collar of her yellow satin blouse.
And also, like one of her gowned and jeweled practice Mannequins, the young girl never noticed anything amiss as Angie continued on with her conversation for quite some time afterwards. It was daring, but exciting as Angie kept stealing looks at the bare front of the glossy yellow blouse where the pearls had hung down so deliciously, knowing they were in her own pocket, so close, but for the young lady, so far.. Finally she decided she was pressing her luck, and she wished the child a goodnight, before beating a hasty exit,( but not before circling back to the now deserted table and heartlessly lifted the fat, expensively made purses, of both the young girl, and her mother!)
The jeweled hummingbird pin, and string of matched black pearls, dainty and long, fetched a pawned price that left whetted Angie’s appetite for more!
So, it was after this that Angie, looking for fresher, richer challenges, decided to seek out slightly older prey in their natural habitats, proms and social teenage dances. Where real gems, usually borrowed from their mothers or Grandmothers, would be replacing rhinestones.
Still very youthful looking despite her twenty something age, Angie’s first attempt was an upscale dance she had come across while out about in a neighboring city. It was held in an old ballroom for a local boy’s prep school and their dates. Figuring the girls attending would be ripe for the picking in tight gowns and loose fitting jewels, Angie stole inside for a closer look. The only obstacle was getting one of the begowned girls away from her group long enough to make a play for something of value that she was wearing.
But, Angie came away with nothing but valuable experience on that first attempt.
And it was actually her third try before she met with success in the form of a gold bracelet. It was at a formal dance being held in a large room of a rather posh hotel called the Red Lion Inn. She had gone in for a peek, and spying a pretty young thing heading for the ladies room, fell in step behind her. She was a long brown haired girl, wearing a short silk dress, blue, forming the perfect backdrop for her mouthwatering selection of shimmering gold jewellery. Waiting in a small alcove, Angie made her move as the young lady came back out the door. Bumping against her, Angie’s right hand held onto the youngster by the waist, drawing her close, as she steadied herself, apologizing. At the same time, Angie placed her left hand on the unsuspecting mark’s left wrist, easily flicking open the clasp of the thick gold etched bracelet and slipping it off and away. The young lady, accepting Angie’s apology, went on her way, and Angie, swiftly darted for the nearest exit, securing the rather overly brite bracelet in her bosum.
Over the spring and early summer dance seasons Angie practiced, acquiring bracelets and rings down pat using her skillfully developing fingers. She soon also was having some success with necklaces, including one with a long gold chain and a flower pendent set with a diamond carpel surrounded by ruby petals that had turned a quite tidy profit.
Then there had been the night of her first big haul, at a private girl’s school homecoming in Connecticut
She had started out by finally selecting and shadowing a young lady clad a slinky black dress, draped in her mother’s diamonds. Angie was drooling over a flashy wide glittering gemmed silver bracelet that hung loosely from the young vixen’s limp wrist. She was sure it was made up of real diamond chips. As the girl squirmed past Angie heading to the dance floor, her bracelet was easily plucked off the wrist of her black elbow length satin glove and secured deep in the bosom of Angie’s dress.
It was now becoming all too easy, smirked Angie as she unflappably headed out of the exit with her trophy. But, as she crossed the street, she was stopped by a hard looking Italian thug who emerged from the shadows. Angie at first thought wanted to mug her for her earrings, but it turned out he just wanted to see a girl who was inside attending the dance . He described her, and Angie, her interest growing, agreed to locate her and give her his message to meet him outside.
Angie went inside and soon found the girl. All her wishes had been answered. The unsuspecting lass was both richly gowned and even more richly jeweled, combined with zero common sense. This fidgeting girl had been seeing the young Italian on the sly, away from her disapproving family and friends. Angie led her out the back way, the opposite side of the Dance Parlor where the Italian was waiting in an alley.
Angie pointed across the street towards an entirely different Alleyway, offering to wait with her when the girl balked about going down it. As they waited, Angie fawned over the poor, beautifully adorned young innocent. Helping her straighten her luxurious gown, and helping her primp her long hair, so she would look just right for her east end Romeo. After waiting ten minutes, Angie instructed the girl to wait, while she went out and peeked down the street to see what was keeping her lover.
As she left, Angie stole a look back at the still primping young lass, eyeing her slinky gown, and remaining jewels, before heading off down the street, looking into her palm at the pair of long Garnet and diamond earrings that lay nestled, glittering fire there. She then placed them into a secret pocket, joining them with the girl’s small, expensive matching pendent, liberated as Angie had helped her negotiate a curb with her stiletto heels. Both pieces of the lass’s jewelry shared the same pocket with the wide silver bracelet encrusted with diamond chips that Angie had taken earlier..
More than once since then, Angie wondered if the ditzy, well jeweled girl ever had made it back out of that alleyway unscathed.
The experience had even more so whetted Angie’s appetite. So, even though she was still practicing on younger females, she was now dying to ply her trade upon mature women displaying the real McCoy.
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So it was with that in mind that Angie now watched, with itching fingers, the beckoning brooch. Though Angie was still unsure enough of trying her abilities on wealthy ladies who would not be as easily distracted as young girls, the timing felt right. As the lady recklessly displaying the brooch passed, her attention lost in the arms of her lover, Angie turned and followed, getting a close look first at the brooch and its pin, noting that it was not tightly clasped onto the gowns thin material.
As the couple headed to a table they passed two wealthy dames arguing vigorously with each other. Pricey rings flashing as they pointed fingers emphatically in each other’s face. On the side of table away from the pair, but near to Angie as she was passing by, lay a small, fat silvery clutch purse . Figuring that any dames loaded down with that many gems should be carrying a healthy wad of dosh in it, Angie, on the fly, took action.
As she passed she snatched it, and slipping it under her arm turned and headed towards the ladies powder room. Just before entering Angie looked back watching as the two still argued, gemmed rings flashing she had gotten away with it! Going into a stall she scrutinized the clutch for its valuables; disappointed to find only a fiver, some loose change, and a silky laced handkerchief. How cheap can you get she thought ruefully over the wasted effort? Hiding the clutch in the folds of her satin skirt, she left the stall, passing a lady applying makeup in a mirror. She was very pretty in a fluid teal gown, wearing dazzling white pearls upon her ears, neck and wrists. Something about this lady seemed familiar, and Angie’s senses started to sound an alarm. Catching each other’s eye, Angie nodded, but the lady appeared not to recognize Angie, nor Angie her, but the feeling still lingered. Angie left ,guardedly perplexed.
Angie went to the bar to have a drink while she thought about who the lady may have been. She was in a position to see the dance floor and she soon spotted the purple clad lady with the brooch Angie had her eye on, again in a deep embrace with her lover. The Brooch would be profitable, but risky as along as she stuck close with the Boyfriend. Angie needed a way to get him out of the picture for a while. It was as she considered several options to carry out the challenge that Angie again spotted the lady in teal , dancing with a tall red headed man. . Cold prickles like ice ran down her spine, It was the pearls! She suddenly remembered who the lady, and her dance partner were!
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Only 5 days ago she had been starting her third week operating in Calgary. She had been following a rather attractive, obviously wealthy woman, wearing an eye catching purple silk dress, carrying a dress bag and some smaller parcels. Close at her side was an unheeded calfskin purse. Alongside the lady was a smaller version, obviously her daughter, a girl of about 14. She was wearing a white shiny turtleneck with an equally shiny long tiered skirt. Both of her hands were occupied with department store bags also. When the ladies darted into a swanky hotel ,Angie had followed, she always had had luck in these types of establishments. They had entered a crowded lift and Angie had worked her way in behind the pair, riding up with them in the rickety contraption. Mother and Daughter got off on 12 and Angie stayed on until 15, exiting with not only the fat wallet from the calfskin purse, but also the shiny gold herringbone necklace that had been flashing from the daughter’s throat, securely in her pocket.
Angie decided to call it a day. She had already made about 30 dollars from wallets lifted at the department store she had been working over when she had spotted the mother and daughter at the checkout. The mother was paying from a thick wad of cash, and judging from the jewelry of both were an indication of how wealthy the family was. She had followed them out onto the street and it had paid off in spades. Now, all she had to do was find an exit. She saw a stairwell next to a slightly open door with a maids cart outside. She stopped and hovered over the cart to peer inside the room. It was at that moment a door opened on the opposite side of the hallway.
A red headed man in an open tux shirt came out of a room, looking at the cart, and Angie standing next to it. Seizing the opportunity, Angie quickly asked if he needed something. I was looking for a maid; I spilled some wine on the cashmere carpet. Seeing the name Bannister above the bell, she said sweetly, certainly Mr. Bannister, I can have someone take care of that for you.. I was just coming up to let you know there is an urgent message down at the desk for you. (Quick improvisation was a special talent of Angie’s.) Why didn’t you bring it, he started to snap, than , never mind, just get a maid, and he headed towards the elevator.
Angie picked up the towels and headed cautiously into the massive suite. From the bedroom off one side she heard running water. She looked around quickly, seeing many valuable articles, but nothing small enough to quickly conceal. She took the towels into the bedroom.
Angie went into the bedroom, expertly taking everything in. A long silver lamee gown lay out on the bed. On the vanity lay a silvery purse, a pair of long silver satin gloves , a silver watch, silver necklace, a pair of long dangling silver earrings, and a small blue velvet pouch. On a side dresser laid a man’s thick gold watch and a money clip with a wad of bills, a tenner showing on top. In less than a minute after entering the room she had scooped up the money clip, watches, silver jewelry and gloves stuffing them into the purse and lifting up her long skirt hid it in one of its secret pockets. She lifted up the pouch and found it was empty. A picture on the vanity showed an attractive lady in a black dress and pearls. She briefly wondered where the pearls were, did not see any likely spot, and so had turned to make a hasty exit, when a feminine voice called out from the bathroom where a shower could be heard running. Steam was coming out from the slightly ajar door.
Dear, a refined voice stated, I have soap in my eyes and cannot find the washcloth. Angie, smelling an opportunity, peaked her head around the corner into the steamy bathroom. There was a shower stall with glass doors at the end of the long room with a double sink running along the side. From the hook by the shower hung a peach negligee and matching long robe. The door was open slightly and a very soapy femine hand was reaching out trying to feel along a towel bar, just missing a hanging washcloth.
A soapy hand from which glittered a pretty gold pinky ring set with small diamonds. Angie went over and pulling off the washcloth, rapped on the glass door , receiving a thank you dear in return as the hand reached out for it. Angie wiped off the protruding hand, and a dry voice said, no, not my hand dear, as the washcloth was plucked playfully from Angie’s grasp , and the door closed. Angie bent down and picked up the diamond pinky ring that had been slipped from the showering woman’s finger by the wash cloth, from the carpeted floor underneath the shower door. she than turned ran a hand along the satin rode, looking around. Bingo, on the counter lay a pair of sparkly long diamond earrings. Dumbstruck at her luck she grabbed them off the sink. , she was jolted back to realty when the voice again called out, are you still there dear? She scurried out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
She was at the apartment door in a flash, opening it a crack to make sure the coast was clear, it was. In the hallway Angie headed for the stairs because she knew that Bannister was far too important a man to take a stairway. She had been in the apartment less than 4 minutes, and had probably looted it of enough valuables to more than double her take so far of the last three weeks since arriving in Calgary. Leaving by a back exit she came out of a small alley. Looking over she spotted the young lady whose necklace she had lifted in the elevator kneeling down and looking in some bushes. Her shiny skirt pleasantly splayed out upon the ground around her. Angie briskly walked past her and off down the street. She made it without incident to the dingy apartment she was renting by the day. Collecting her meager belongings Angie checked out immediately. Leaving by bus for Chestermere, where at a small bank she rented a safety deposit box to stash all her ill-gotten gains for safe keeping until the heat wore down a bit.
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Now Back to the Present
Angie now knew how lucky she had been. The red headed man, Bannister, may have recognized her. Calgary was too close to Chestermere , she should have been more cautious when scoping out the receptions guests. Angie turned and headed to the bar to think the situation over.
She saw the young man whose watch she had lifted, talking to an older, pretty lady laden with pearls. Behind them stood his sister, her diamond ring sparkling as she twirled her hair. Angie circled wide, coming up behind the lad, she grabbed his shoulder, why hello there. He smiled, introducing her to his Aunt, whose jeweled fingers she took into her hand in a gracious shake. He continued talking to his Aunt, it seems that they were discussing a family matter of some importance .Angie, finding the rings were tight on the Aunt’s chubby fingers, let go of her hand and moved over to the sister, and engaged her in conversation, moving a little off so that the sister turned her back to her brother and aunt.
The sister twittered, curling her hair impishly as Angie asked her why she wasn’t dancing. No ones asked, she giggled nervously. What about the boy who has been watching you all eyeing, Angie nodded her head outwards, the girl turned , her hair flying, as she lowered her hand, which Angie took up, petting it in a conspiratorial fashion, go over and ask him, Angie suggested. Go an ask him? I don’t see him she said, but I couldn’t, and she turned back to Angie, flashing her baby blues innocently. That’s okay deary, Angie patted the girl’s hand, keeping her eyes in contact, not allowing her to break the gaze, and perhaps looking down and noticing her loose ring was now gone from her slender finger. Angie took her leave of the sister, and of girl’s annoying nervously twittering giggle. Angie, slipping the diamond ring securely away, continued on until she reached a small alcove from where she could see most of the reception hall.
She lit a cigarette, purple silk and her desirably take able brooch was still safely out of reach on the dance floor, and Bannister’s attention was all on his wife. She thought it over, weighing her options, and the risks that were now in play. The song ended, and the dancers started to head off the floor. Angie’s eyes darted, Red headed Bannister and his wife were heading off to the far side of the room, Purple silk and her partner were heading to the bar. Angie’s heart stopped, no, Purple silk was heading to the bar, her lover was off to the men’s rest room. Angie snubbed out her cigarette, rising to the bait, it was now or never. Like a feral feline, Angie began to slowly stalk her prey.
But then Angie saw her chance slip through her fingers and evaporate into nothingness, like the smoke from her crushed cigarette. For at that moment an older man bumped into the lady Angie was tailing, spilling his drink down the front of her purple silk gown. Angie retreated and watched from a distance. As the man profusely apologized he produced a silk handkerchief and help wipe down the pretty lady. As he did so, the beautiful diamond broach vanished from her bosom. He had been slicker, slicker than Angie was ( for the time being) able to be. Angie felt her heart sink. Not only had she been deprived of the broach, but the existence of another member of her trade meant that she had better scram, not wishing to cross him. She could tell by the look in the man’s eyes that this was one not to be tangled with
Giving up on any plans she had been harboring, she got up, turned her back to the dance floor, headed as quickly as she could to the far exit, keeping her gains, and cutting her (presumed) losses.
Angie reached the door without challenge, opening it, she found stairs leading into the Church above. But first she stole a look back. She observed the man suavely talking to the now brooch less lady wearing purple silk. In that second a long haired (ginger) young lady passed by him, wearing a slinking green satin dress. Angie saw the man watching her walk on bye, and then immediately took his leave of purple silk, and began following the perky girl in green satin, with her savory collection of loosely dangling silver jewelry, heavily encrusted with flickering emeralds.
Angie turned away, and while wondering how she had failed to have spotted that prime prey in green earlier, went to the stairs.
She went up the stairs, coming out into a small chapel in back of the church. A door led to the outside, which Angie took, pouting inwardly, feeling all the world like a child who had been deprived of a desirable toy. She found herself on the side leading down to the Garden from which she had entered. The Church was now in between Angie and the reception, so she felt free to move unobserved. She crossed over to the gardens entrance and headed down the hill.
In front of her was a hedgerow, on the other side, Angie knew, was the small field with benches that lay at the entrance to the gardens proper. It was coming from there that she head the voices of children playing, on the other side, but she paid no heed, her mind was on leaving the area.
As she hurried along the hedgerow she saw something sparkle expensively in the sunlight through one of the gaps in the hedges. She stopped and curiously looked through a small opening. That’s were all the young darlings have been hiding she remarked to herself, her interest peaking. Forgetting all about leaving and lost opportunity of the brooch, she now focused on the new “toy” now dangling its enticement to her. It belonged to a girl in a slithering silvery gown, with her long hair done up in a long plait. Angie eyed the girl’s sparklers, which Angie first took as all rhinestones.. But, as Angie took inventory, her eye focused on a ring that she was wearing on one of her petite fingers. It held a fiery display, diamonds and rubies. There was no way the ring was rhinestone. Looking around to access the situation, Angie decided that by hook or crook, she needed to get a better look.
Watching the colourfully gowned young ladies innocently at play, Angie mused over the golden opportunity just waiting for someone unscrupulous to acquire the jewelry they were wearing. Someone should make them aware Angie decided, surprised that no one older than 16 was watching over them. Knowing that the scene before her was too fertile an opportunity to pass up without at least a long glance, Angie looked around, making sure no adults were about unseen in the woods, or any other nook and cranny of the play area.
Angie had found she had a knack for capturing young, well dressed lady’s interest, much to her amusement, and profit! It was with this in mind that Angie decided to allow herself a few precious minutes to watch from her hidden opening to see what may transpire. There were six children, four young ladies who were obviously dressed for a wedding, and the two urchin boys of about 12 and 10 she had spotted earlier. They were dressed as the local poor farm boys they obviously were. Angie quickly overheard the names of the girls as they called out to one another. .
The group were playing, appropriately enough for Angie’s point of view, a children’s standard game of cops and robbers. All Angie could think about, as she watched the boys with exuberance chasing and holding the giggling, squirming girls, was that there would hopefully be no actual robbing of jewelry as the game was played out. As each girl, Angie quickly memorizing their names, was ”captured” and taken to “prison”, Angie was able to scope them out at leisure.
The youngest Cecilia, about six, was wearing a long smooth gown of deep cream, with a midnight black bolero style jacket of velvet. From her neck was happily swaying a long silver chain with a jeweled winged beetle pendent, her jacket was home to a matching pin.
Cecilia’s older sister, 10 year old Claire, was wearing a puffy blue satin blouse with a long bow dancing down the front. Her long skirt of glistening black flowed in ripples as she ran. Also moving in ripples were the long gold herringbone chains she wore dangling from her neck, as were also her matching earrings and bracelet. A thick, expensively shiny gold ring encircled her middle finger.
Claire’s friend, Abbey, of about the same age, was wearing a longish gown of sunset pink satin, with a white satin sash encircling her waist. At the center of the sash glistened a gold pin set with pearls. Around her throat, dangling from her ears, were glimmering white pearls.
The oldest girl, the one in charge, was a fourteen year old named Amanda. Young and flighty, she kept looking up into the voluminous white clouds in the sky as if trying to see what they were forming. She was dressed in a longish slithering silver princess style gown, the style one may see flowing along the shapely figure of an actress at the moving picture awards ceremony. A fancy necklace with large garnet stones and small diamonds was flapping against her chest as she ran. The necklace matched her long earrings, bracelet, along with her pretty ring. She was wearing a flashy red jeweled head band , with strings of gold and rhinestones interwoven into her long plait of naturally wavy chestnut hair. The head band was all rhinestone, as were the garnets in the rest of her jewels. But what from a distance appeared to be small diamonds in her matching set that separated the garnets, were actually ¼ caret diamonds. Angie, upon realizing this, felt her heart burning with desire at acquiring a piece of the set being so vulnerably dangling from Amanda’s slickly attired person. But a couple of ripping gold herringbone chains, or even a jeweled beetle pendent flicked from a velvet jacket would be nice to acquire also, if only for the practice benefits.
To Angie’s secret joy, Amanda was the last girl to be captured, only because a stone lodged itself in her shoe brining her up lame. She was held by one of the boys, and lead, limping, to the other two girls. As a new game was started, she sat out. She hobbled to a nearby stone bench, brushed herself off , watching the group play before removing her shoe to find the annoying stone.
Angie started to make her move even before Amanda had made it to the stone bench. She reached her as she was shaking her shoe, slipping up alongside her on the cool bench. The girl jumped, but Angie’s special (practiced!) smile soon won her over. Angie soon enticed the young thing into casual conversation, extracting useful information as Angie, feigning a cheerful interest on the outside, while studying the girls expensive gown and drooling over the glistening garnet and diamonds that adorned it on the inside.
Angie tried to direct Amanda’s attention to her young charges, commenting about their pretty baubles, then asking who the boys were, and how well they knew them, about who suggested the game they were playing, how robbers were attracted to pretty things you know, and, were the boys playing the robbers next? Surreptitiously trying to plant seeds of distrust in the immature girls mind, and Angie could see that those seeds had found rich soil. Her intention was to keep the girl distracted long enough for a go at acquiring her necklace.
Angie, not unlike a feral cat, waited patiently for her opportunity to take the necklace from the unassuming Amanda to arise. But the girl was not cooperating; her attention on the playing girls lasting for mere seconds before focusing it back on Angie. Angie decided to use a different tactic. Angie placed an arm around girl’s silken shoulder and pointed up into the fluffy white clouds, asking her if she could see what Angie saw.
In the clouds, Amanda asked? As she leaned back into Angie who drew her close, relishing in the silky , quite scintillating feel of the child’s slick gown. No, Angie thought unkindly, you silly rich twit, the clasp of your necklace is what I see ( her fingers snaked up the backside of the sleek silver gown towards the tantalizingly easy open able clasp). The one you are about to lose to me, she continued thinking before answering the girl.
But seconds later, when Angie did answer, it was with a sweet motherly tone that dripped honey. Yes dear, in the clouds, doesn’t that one look like a soldier, or perhaps a highway man on a horse she inquired to Amanda? No, I think it’s a prince answered Amanda, and Angie thought , not for the first time, about the power of suggestion, for the mass of clouds looking like absolutely nothing but a mass of clouds to her!
But, it was an opportunity opened, and as the guileless girl was happily lost in her thoughts, Angie began to lift the clasp into position. As the necklace move up the girls chest, Angie could see its jewels, all sparkly, as the sun came back, peeking through the clouds. But Angie was not the only one who noticed, for the oldest lad who had been stalking up on the youngest sister’s hiding spot, was attracted by the sparklers now flashing around the distracted girl’s throat.
The boy headed towards them, and Angie’s fingers retreated. As the girl noticed the boy approaching, she gave a nervous giggle, and placed a hand to her throat. Angie began to rise from the bench, feeling the opportunity was slipping away, for the second time that day. But she hesitated a minute, and she was glad she did.
The boy came up and asked Amanda if she was going to play again. He was openly gawking at the necklace Amanda was nervously fiddling as he spoke, and Angie drooled to herself, you dear sweet child. For She could feel Amanda pressing hard into Angie as if seeking protection from his eyes. Angie took action, pointing out the sister the boy had been stalking. Successful diverting the boy’s attention, she sent him after the girl.
Maybe it was the things Angie had been feeding the girl about strangers and playing robbers, or pointing out the highway man in the clouds, but the attention to her necklace by the lad had had an obvious effect on Amanda. Angie, seizing the opportunity, exploited it to the fullest. With an Epiphany like thought, she knew what to say, and do next. And if it worked, then Amanda’s necklace would not be the only bauble acquired by old Angie girl.
Angie shooed the lad away, and he left, reluctantly to rejoin the game in progress. Then, in an inspired bit of deceitful storytelling, Angie related to Amanda a sad tale about an incident in her childhood, one she made up on the spot. The girl listened, still cuddling for whatever reason, as Angie stroked her enticingly attired figure down, relishing in the softness of her gown, along with admiring jewels she was so intent on acquiring. It was not often in Angie’s line of work that she was able to really check out one of her victims in this manner, and she relished every minute of it.
As Angie went full bore into her tale of woe ,she lifted up the attractive necklace from pretty girl’s chest, as she chokingly told the youngster that when she was her age she had been playing dress up in one of her mother’s gowns and had put on some of her mother’s jewelry without her permission.
Angie than took up the girl’s slender hand into hers, fingering gently the pleasingly expensive ring , seeing tin the young ladies eyes that she had struck a chord, and Amanda was totally held captivated with her story. Angie continued on… She had gone outside and over to the playground where a group of older children had convinced her to play a game of cops and robbers. When they had been done playing and Angie had gone home, she discovered some of her mother’s pretty jewelry was missing.
Angie noticed with satisfaction that as she was reaching the end of her story Amanda had stiffened, her heart started beating faster, and she started to check over her own jewelry. Your mother’s than, Angie drooled to herself, she had nailed it on the head. Carpe Diem Angie said to herself, throwing all caution to the wind.
Cops and robbers? That’s the game the boys are having us play, Amanda questioned with visible concern. As she was making this statement, Angie saw with satisfaction Amanda’s open mouth gasping as her eyes went to the boys who were now high in a tree, innocently unaware of what they were underhandedly being accused of eventually attempting to do ( steal the young girls jewelry)!
The two Boys had spotted a bird’s nest and where trying to see if it had eggs as the sisters watched them, backs to the bench where Amanda and Angie sat. Seeing the coast was clear, Angie quickly acted, before her story lost its effect over Amanda. Angie produced the purloined silver purse and pulled out the silky handkerchief. She spread the handkerchief out on Amanda’s silken covered lap, setting the purloined purse down upon her own.
I really think you should put your jewelry somewhere for safekeeping. Why don’t you wrap it up in this handkerchief, you can keep it in my purse. I’ll lend it too you if you promise to bring it back to me when you get back to the reception. Amanda nodded wisely (those earrings were very pretty Angie told herself) , Angie’s heart went to her throat, the young innocent, abroad from the reception, had swallowed Angie’s deviously luring tactic. Here, Angie promised, I’ll start, and she took of her gilded earrings and laid them gently out upon the shiny white surface of the silk handkerchief. This way I won’t lose mine either, she confided in Amanda, who looked back at Angie with her innocently wide blue eyes.
Amanda now showed no inhibitions while reaching up and removing her glittery necklace, laying it gently out upon the handkerchief. It was soon followed by rings and bracelet. Removing the headband and rhinestones chains, undoing her plait in the process, her long hair flowed down her back in curls. It curled up as she laid it upon the ever growing, sweetly glimmering, pile. Then she flung back her long hair and undid the screw backs of her flashy earrings, placing them on top of the heap. Angie’s heart began beating faster as she realized she was going to get away with this! Aw, she thought, as the last of Amanda’s expensively glittering jewels was added to the already glistening pile, wealthy children are so adorably cute when they are being gullible.
When Amanda finished, Angie looked down upon the glittering mound, unbelieving her luck. But then the unimaginable happened. Amanda, laying the handkerchief with its precious cargo on the bench next to her, stood and called back the two sisters and their young friend to the bench.
Angie held her breath as the girls, turned and dutifully ran up to her, the boys still high in the tree, paid no attention to them. Angie watched, almost salivating as the pretty darlings in their fluttering frocks came bouncing back, necklaces flinging in and out, obediently to Amanda’s call.
As they reached Amanda, she told them that they had better remove their jewelry for safe keeping. Why, Challenged Cecilia, with childish accusation? Amanda looked back at the boys in the tree, because I think you may lose them while you play, she scolded. We’re careful Cecilia retorted obstinately, as she looked from Amanda to her sister Claire. Amada looked at Claire, and lifting the girls gold necklace pointed her chin at the tree containing the two boys, and said, they will be the robber’s next game. Claire went wide eyed, and told Cecilia and Abby that they had better do as they were told.
Claire was closest, and with a nod from Amanda, unfastened her necklace and laid it out on the silky handkerchief. They were soon followed by her gold drop earrings, bracelet and ring. She started to back away still wearing her rhinestone hairclips. Don’t forget them… Angie started to say, but was cut off as Amanda told Claire to remove them, which she did promptly. Angie was glad she had been able to hold her tongue.
Cecilia was next. She approached Angie and Amanda, her long dress swishing richly as she came. She politely asked Amanda for help. Turning her back to Amanda she lifted up her long hair, Amanda remover her necklace and pin, laying them upon the growing shimmery pile. Cecilia removed her earrings and ring, happily placing them with the rest. Very pretty Angie said, admiring the dress, she lifted up the sleeve, admiring it, no bracelets, she whispered to herself, as she pulled the silky sleeve back ever so slightly.
Abby than approached, and quietly, obediently, unfastened her pearled necklace, and then removed her glistening matching earrings, and placed them all delicately upon the pile. Momma said to be careful with them, their Grand mama’s, she bleated sweetly, and Angie felt her heart skip several beats, suppressing an evil grin upon hearing those delicious words. Claire then helped Abby remove the pearled brooch from her satin sash.
Angie stood back, her heart had been pounding with cutting swords of mixed delicious pleasure and anticipation as, there on that sunlit church playground, the girls in swishy gowns, removed their valuables for “safe” keeping. She knew she now had to work fast, for there was an ever growing chance that an adult would show up from the reception and ruin Angie’s fun.
Angie than folded up the silk handkerchief, and in a classic bit of misdirection that would have made Gaston Monescu proud, appeared to place it inside the purse she was going to leave in the children’s safe keeping. But she actually palmed it, and slipped the bundle deep into her skirts pocket as she handed the purse over with her free hand. All three sets of eyes watching the purse, not what Angie’s other hand was doing.
Now go and have fun, Angie encouraged the girls as she handed the purse to Amanda. The youngsters seemed thrilled that they had an adult’s permission to keep on playing, and knowing that they would not be in danger of now being yelled at for possibly losing some of their pretty jewelry, they scurried off happily, in waves of whispery satin. Amanda stopped and gave Angie a hug before following the two sisters and their friend. The kind of hug that would have sealed the fate of any jewelry she may have still been wearing, and for which Angie did a double check for. Angie then watched Amanda run off, long gown fluttering out from behind her.
As the four girls rejoined the two boys, Angie slowly slinked away, melting into the woods. She allowed herself to smirk over how rewardingly gullible rich young girl’s in silky dresses ,wearing ripe for the plucking jewelry ,always proved to be.
Folle est l’agneau de la prune qui dans le loup avoue! She whispered to herself as she disappeared from the frolicking children’s sight.
She stopped suddenly as she reached a small clearing with the path leading to the rose covered arbor crossed. Not believing her eyes, as she unexpectedly saw below her fresh, opulently attired, prey.
A young couple was busily snogging in the garden the garden just ahead of Angie. As she looked over the pair of richly dressed pretty young things, she could not help but wonder if this couple had been in charge of watching over the children and had snuck away to be by themselves. She quickly ducked behind some bushes as the girl broke away, and with a come hither look, led her boyfriend through a rose covered arbor. Not a moment too soon, for the couple looked behind them, before crossing over the path and disappearing into the woods.
Angie cautiously snuck forward, and reaching the spot where they had disappeared into the woods, hears the girl giggling along with the unmistakable sounds of kissing. As the couple is otherwise occupied, Angie carefully moves into the woods. She spies the lad’s suit lying over some branches, and sees the shrubs moving underneath as the couple obviously have progressed now beyond kissing.
Angie spies something bright and shiny laying on the ground just in front of the shrub. She inches forward. It is the girls gown, laying spread out like a slick wet fluid purple pond , and there, in a nice neat pile, is the diamond jewelry she was wearing. Angie wonders what would have happened if some miscreant, or unscrupulous hobo were to stumble upon this scene. In her mind she reasoned that they would probably steal the jewels. So, why shouldn’t ole Angie be the one to acquire this one’s jewels also? Since she would probably be losing them anyway!
Angie reaches down and quietly pulls away the fluidly glossy gown, the silky material whispering along the grass as it moves. Angie keeps one ear on the couple just out of sight, the other listens for any noise on the path behind her that may betray her as she melts away back into the woods. Then, when she is a safe distance away, happily scoops up the girls small fiery diamonds. Picking up the gown she carried it back, hanging it from a limb just before leaving the path, she ran a hand along its enticing length, before leaving, snickering to herself the whole way.
Coup-Fourré, Angie thinks too herself as she regains the path, after carefully making sure no one else was about. Off in the distance she can just barely hear the children still at play. The purse where they innocently believed held their jewelry safe, she imagines still sitting on the bench. She thinks for a second about going back and lifting that purse, but decides not to push her luck, now that she had finally found some.
She once again pictured the beaming faces of the three young girls as they were being complimented on their shiny dresses by the pretty lady with the nice smile and gentle fingers as she carefully looked them over for anything missed that those nasty boys may try to take. Naively unaware that they had, in reality, been robbed of the precious gems that they had been convinced to remove for “safe keeping.”
Angie, for the first time, but not the last, imagined in her mind, what the children’s wide eyed astonishment would be like, they opened that sleek little purse , only to find the handkerchief had vanished! . And what the couple snogging about in the woods would make of the missing gown and jewels.
Editors notes:
Even though Angie related this story as having occurred on the same afternoon ,the chronicler felt she was keeping something back. It was never discover what, if anything had been. The answer may lie in the events unfolded above. It may be worth re-reading the story to see if anyone can pick up on it.
Folle est l’agneau de la prune qui dans le loup avoue!
Silly is the plump lamb to whom in the wolf confesses
Our Thanks to Mr Gardner for pointing out the existence of Mr. Monescu’s 1826 guide
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Courtesy of Chatwick University Archives
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A little under a year ago I posted a cell phone picture of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Nuclear Reactor (UWNR). This reactor is used for experimental work and is used to teach laboratory courses. Today we performed the last laboratory, which is the culmination of an entire year of laboratories and four years of undergraduate work, the Pulsing Lab.
During this lab a specially made control rod, called a transient rod, is ejected from the reactor core. This allows the reactor to increase in power very quickly. The power increases from basically 0 MW all the way to around 1000 MW in a few milliseconds. In relative terms, 1000 MW is about the combined horsepower of just under 450 SD40s running full out. The bright flash you see in this video is related to this exponential increase in power. In a bomb, the power would keep increasing exponentially. But in our case the power will taper from 1000 MW back to about 0 MW in a few more milliseconds. This is why this lab is called the pulsing experiment – the reactor power is "pulsed" in power.
Maybe you’re wondering why the power increase stops instead of increasing exponentially? Unlike a bomb, the UWNR is designed to stop the nuclear chain reaction as the power increases. This effect is inherently built into the fuel, meaning that no mechanical force or human interaction is needed to stop the chain reaction – it happens automatically due to its design. The weird beeping sort of sound at the end is the point where the operator took action and pushed the SCRAM button, releasing the control rods into the core, thus resetting the experiment. This action is not required, but done for standard operating procedure.
Candy: "We bring you this magnificient cardboard Domo statue!"
Sunny: "Surely you will take it into the castle!"
Stormie: "No! You tried that Trojan Domo trick last year. We did not fall for it then, why do you think it would work now?"
Candy: "We thought maybe you have become old and senile..."
Night: "No! Scram!"
It's the rewarding conclusion to the "Open Sesame!" hatching series. The Count loves things in multiples.
Please stop by The Hatchery!
BEHOLD : LONG SERIES OF SNAPS:
Palamedu, madurai, South Tamilnadu.
Please check :
www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.353222391355001.94337.2...
Though I have seen jallikattu in the screen, I had no idea that the event was held at this magnitude!
Especially Palamedu, I believe is one of the biggest event grounds compared to Alanganallur, though the later is the traditional venue.
Even around 6:30 AM, when we reached there, almost 500 bulls were “in line” eagerly waiting to enter the “Vadivaasal”. The bulls were ornate with flowers, kolusus and clothes. There was a central arena, where the ground is filled with coconut thatch (Naaru) as a field buffer.
The ground was fenced, the first narrow row is allocated for policemen (they get a better, closer view) , the next is the tractors and minilorries and then the “heavily priced” gallery. If you are lucky, who will get a better angle.
Around 10 Am, the commentator asked local organizer to coordinate and start the event. The organizers have climbed above the vadivaasal (more like a pavilion seat). The prizes cycles, godrej steel cupboards , grinders were already arranged surrounding the vaadivasal. Suddenly, from the other side some hundreds of players have arrived, all wearing green tee-shirts. The scene was engrossing.
The koilkaalai, temple bull is the first one to start the event. But, It looked a bit paavam. Followed by it, is the series of bulls and fights. Some were scary and some were scared. Some didn’t bother ;-) and few refused to come out and ran in another direction. If the bull is tamed, it was criticized as “pidi maadu”, (easy to catch). Either the prize will go the fighter or to the owner of the bull. The prize was almost thrown from top from the “organizers”. Interestingly, if the bull is not tamed, the owner has to collect the prize and run after the bull to catch it. Even if it is a steel cupboard ;-)
Besides, few bulls ran out of the ground, wounded few people and made them scram for their lives. Ironically, few bulls tried to enter into the hospital were wounded people were treated.
Call it foolish, foolhardy or uncivil, the game is very closely associated with our traditions. I was told, earlier the game was held between a single bull and a single player. The evolution had taken it to a complex format and to a controversial level.
Ash: Hey girls...need some help?
*RAUCOUS LAUGHTER from the girls*
From the crowd: I think Chicken has some work for you ...*giggles*
Ash: ....hey, really, can I help?
Fannie: Ummm...Noooo Ash, I think we got it *wink*.
Pip: Yeah, scram Ash...*mumbles under breath*...loser...
Zenderwynn: Oh ASH! Put an egg in yer shoe and beat it!
** Girly Giggles**
Ash: OK then...don't ask me for help later!
Anastasia: Oh Ash, we can't have you help, cause it's a biiiiiiig surprise - for you!
more girly giggles
Ash: *busting out chest a little more* ....Oh...well...OK girls, carry on! *walks off to take a nap*
68~365
I limped over to the edge of the GCPD building I was standing on, and glided with my cape down to the Iceberg Lounge, as I heard Crane's laugh behind me. I kicked down a window, and got into the Lounge. Blood was pouring out of my stomach, but I held it to stop the blood flow. I saw fire around me, the building was empty. The ice sculptures and structures were melting, puddles of water scattered where there weren't flames. I heard some of the fire being shot out from a launcher, and eventually found who was doing it. A man in a black suit with mechanical wings, likely the man Gordon mentioned as being a pyromaniac. I called out to him, his back was facing me.
Batman: Are you Garfield Lynns?!
He turned towards me, revealing yellow, glowing elements on his costume.
Garfield: I prefer Firefly.
Batman: Who do you work for?! Penguin, Joker? Who is it?!
Firefly: First off, why'd Oswald tell me to burn down his own building? Second, I would never work for The Joker. He gives me the creeps... And thirdly, I'm not telling you. So scram, Bats.
He fired his flamethrower towards me, but I blocked it with my cape, which is fireproof.
Batman: I'm not going to just leave you here, you know.
Firefly: Eh, had to make sure.
He grabbed a small metal disk from his pocket, and through it at the floor. It had a yellow, blinking light on the top. It started flashing faster and faster, until it burst into a flaming explosion, blasting me onto my back.
Batman: Agh!!!
Firefly: You really didn't think that was a mine? I thought you said you were smart.
Batman: I was... *cough*... Injured, physically, beforehand.
Firefly: Oh, boohoo. Go cry me a river.
Firefly blasted another burst of flame above me, but I covered myself in my cape.
Firefly: For someone regarded as this "great hero", you're not putting up much of a fight. I was hopping your fist encounter would be more fun.
Batman: You want fun? I'll give you fun.
I unfurled myself from my cape, and shot my grappling hook up at an exposed pipe in the ceiling. I grappled up, and kicked Firefly in the face in the process. I then dropped, and through a batarang at him, jamming into the back of his armor, blood dripping out from under it.
Firefly: Ach..! Alright... Whatever.
He turned around, shot up at the pipe I used with his flamethrower, setting it on fire, and steam went up from the gaps in it.
Firefly: Lemme explain to you how you just let me win. Your hook opened that pipe more, giving me access to turn that water into steam. If you look over at the wall, that cold water was what fuels the kind of A.C. this restaurant uses. The A.C. doesn't work anymore, the ice is melted... You're gonna get heat stroke, Bats. And I'm wearing this air conditioned suit, so this isn't really a fair fight, is it?
Batman: *cough*... I think you're underestimating me.
Firefly: That might be true, but can you fly?
He pressed a button on his wrist, and flew up into the air. He than flew towards me, grabbed me by the shoulders, and threw me across the room.
Batman: Ach!
Firefly fell back onto the ground, and stood over me... He shot another gun at me, which covered me in a net, sticking me to the wall and floor... He began walking off.
Batman: Hey! Get back here, Lynns!!!
Firefly: I'd rather not. Oh, right. I should give you this.
He turned back around, and through a piece of paper at me, which landed in front of me, just barely readable. I read it out loud.
Batman: "The man you're looking for lives behind an abandoned door. Behind this door, is a room, with a filthy floor. This man is dressed in green, his mind is very keen, his name starts with an E, who is he?"
Firefly: Get anything from that?
Batman: I'll think on it.
Firefly: Great...
He began floating again...
Firefly: Gotta fly.
He flew through the window, and out into the night sky.
~Madam Web
Slinking away, still smirking over how rewardingly gullible the bejeweled wealthy girls in silky dresses had proven, Angie unexpectedly came across fresh, opulently inviting, prey.
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Angelique D. at play
Angie D
Circa 1915
Case study 113 subset b
Early development: “Pickpocket” of worn Jewelry
Sub title:
What is it about rich girls that make them so lucratively gullible?
Quoted by Subject: log 1959
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What:
Along a path just outside where a departing congregation of a small church still gathered.
Where
The outskirts of Chestermere:
When:
An early fall day, in the year of our Lord 1915
Who:
An appealing lady wearing a secret smile, clad expensively in a silky top and flowing satiny ruffled skirt, a pair of gold earrings flashing merrily as she strolls.
Excerpted from Diary:
A lady in a cream silk blouse and long blue skirt was walking happily along a path on the outskirts of Chestermere. She was coming from the early Sabbath service of a local chapel, filled with the rousing words of the Parson’s homily. As Angie walked, she hummed a cheerful tune, her conscious, as always, free of any guilty feelings.
Angie was very pleased with herself, and the main source of the pleasure was now bouncing against her thigh as she briskly walked along. For deep in a small pocket hidden well below the waistline of her flowing sleek skirt, was a pretty jeweled pendent on a delicate gold chain.
Only just 15 minutes ago that jeweled pendent was still being worn by a member of a rather wealthy looking family whom had been in attendance at the same Sabbath service. Angie had scoped them out as the family had waltzed in just after the mass had started. The mother was dressed in a pretty white frock with ruffles of lace falling from her throat and wrists, along with a rather nice set of pearls. The rather formal and severe father was in a “monkey suit”, a gold pocket watch and fob stretched across his rather bulging waist. The pair had their hands full with two rambunctious , pre-adolescent twin boys, who had continually distracted them during and after the lengthy service. Which was good, from Angie’s point of view anyway, for it left the parents totally ignoring their seventeen year old daughter , at the end of the pew, standing with a sultry air about her.
The daughter was wearing a rather fancy party dress of thick red silk. Dangling down the front of the sheer red silk bodice, on a thin gold chain, was an attention grabbing deep green emerald starburst pendent that fell swaying from her dress’s high neckline. It had been the sleek dress that had whetted Angie’s interest, but it was the pendent that kept that interest focused during the entire service, delightedly eyeing the pendant’s shimmeriness in the low candle lit church. During the communion procession she had managed to slip in behind her in order to closer scrutinize the prospect, soaking in the expectations of acquiring it from the unsuspecting proper acting young lady..
As the service ended, the family joined in the stream of the departing congregation. Angie followed closely, looking for her chance. It came when the Parson stopped the father to ask a question, a group soon huddled around the mother and the twins. As everyone bent over to focus attention on the twins, including their sister, Angie circled her prey and slipped in close, hovering briefly over her back before darting in. In one fluid motion, Angie lifted with one practiced hand the chain and flicked open the thin clasp, nimbly catching the swaying pendent in her other hand as it fell, whisking the sparkling emeralds and chain away and palming it from sight. Absolutely no one noticed the flashy necklace as it vanished from the front of the sister’s silky dress. Angie had continued on her way, clutching the pendent, and headed straight out the door without looking back. Instead of heading back the short 3 miles to her hotel in the city, she decided to head out towards the woods, where she planned to lay low until dusk.
Angie now turned her head to have a look behind her at the distant chapel and the people milling about, her gold plated earrings flashing as she did so. Good, she thought, no one was following her, and she, in total security that she was out of danger, crossed off the path and went on the road.
Angie strolled along the country lane, trees lining it turning red and yellow in their autumn gowns, for quite some time, before she became aware of a band playing off in the distance.. Then turning a bend in the lane, through the thin wall of woods, she spied a wedding reception up on a hill by a white stone Church. From her vantage point she could see a multitude of colourful , richly shimmering gowns and the occasional sparkle of , she hoped , opulent jewelry.
As good luck would have it, she decides to crash the party. She was dressed for it, she was hungry, and who knows what pickings she may find inside to increase her earthly riches ,as the Parson had been saying! She walked around, skirting the woods and came across a hillside garden with rose covered arbors and bright flower lined paths. Two grubby boys of about ten and twelve were playing in the woods on the opposite side, by a small pond surrounded thickly with Rhododendron s. She entered the Garden and made her way up the winding path, coming out onto a small field with benches that lay on the opposite side of the church and the auditorium entrance to the reception.
Angie entered the crowded auditorium underneath the Church. She helped herself to the food buffet and sat outside enjoying her meal, as she watched the richly dressed crowd. A young man came up and asked her to dance, which she did happily, and just as happily lifted his gold watch and fob. And, too boot, after a few dances with him, she had become a part of his circle, happily mingling, and rubbing elbows with the obviously wealthy guests he presented her to. Including an introduction to his pretty faced teenage sister, who was sporting a pretty diamond ring on all too slender finger, that she kept waving in Angie’s face as she played with her long silky hair.
Angie soon left them and started to stalk about for a bit, noting that most of the guests were older, more mature specimens. There seemed to be a lack of young, well dressed children around, whose shiny offerings had been Angie’s main bread and butter for almost two years.. She had just come to the conclusion that she would have to settle for picking a few pockets or purses before leaving. She started to look around for the bloke with the fancy gold pocket watch who had first asked her to dance….
Then she saw her.
The lady was moving through the crowd, on the arms of a man half her age, giggling, not paying attention to anything else around her. She wore a long gown of a shimmery purple silk. But it was not the gown that had caught Angie’s eye, but the jeweled brooch that hung from the gowns cleavage, shadowed by its mistress’s ample bosom. Like the figurehead in a seagoing schooner it came, shimmering in the dazzling light of at least a hundred diamond chips, surrounded by an oval of blazing sapphires. Angie’s fingers tingled. It was time.
****************************************************
Now, it had been better than three years ago when Angie had run across an ancient, toothless Gypsy in a long black dress with a faded shawl around her shoulders, who had spoken Angie’s fortune. When she had read Angie’s palm, she looked Angie dead in the eyes, a most knowing kind of look. Then she had risen, motioning Angie to stay and came back with a rather battered old pamphlet she wanted Angie to look over. Entitled the Cutpurse: skilles, artes and Secretes of the Dip by “Gaston Monescu, 1826”, it covered the various tactics and moves used by master pickpockets. Including whole chapters on successful “Methodes” of relieving a wealthe lady of her” jeweles”.
The Gypsy Woman, who had hovering over Angie as she had read deeply into the pamphlet moved and sat back down across from her.
Angie ,who by this time in her quite young life, was already an accomplished cutpurse and picker of pockets, looked up at the gypsy, grinned, and asked if it was worth her while. The Gypsy just smiled, reached up and opened her dirty laced shawl, revealing the silvery necklace that Angie had been wearing when she had come in. Amazed she traded the necklace for the pamphlet on the spot and quickly began putting its teachings into play.
Angie soon mastered this new level of her chosen craft.
She had started on mannequins: clothing them in long silky dresses and jewelry. She had practiced for months, first in a rented studio apartment, then in a secret basement located in an isolated, deserted old barn and then its surrounding woods. Soon she felt confident enough to go out and try it in the crowded streets amongst shopping women. She met with great success, but her gains were only a pittance. Still she practiced, and had gotten so adept that she soon was moved onto more affluent hunting grounds.
She reasonably started out with weddings. For the phamplett had suggested starting out at formal parties where there would be an abundance of youngsters dressed in their best by parents wanting to show their off female issues to an adoring public( in the minds of the wealthy parents, anyway). So she went, seeking out young, easily distracted young girls who were not used to wearing the array of enticing jewels placed on them by overly enthusiastic parents.
Angie’s first time out was met with some rather sweet success. A large day time wedding reception in Nova Scotia, held in a public park by a majestic sweeping waterfall.
Late at the reception, as she was still prowling without making any formal attempts, she soon noticed that the adults at the gathering were becoming quite gay with drink, and noticeably paying less attention to their children. Said children began to wonder off in groups, exploring and starting to run about playing games, their gowns and dresses whispering a Pied Piperish tune to Angie’s ears, their shiny jewels luring her ever closer.
Angie soon started to follow a pair of young ladies who had scampered off to explore.
One was an impish girl with long black hair flowing down, drawing ones attention to the frilly white dress she was wearing. Gold chain earrings dancing merrily from her ears, as a longish gold herringbone chain shimmering brightly in the sun as it lay hanging from her silk dresses’’ high neckline.
Her partner in crime was a most fascinating subject. A charmingly bright green eyed proper young imp, a couple of years older than white dress, with a rather pronounced Welsh accent, much like Agie’s remembered her parents having. Her silken red hair lay down her back in a neat long French braid. A long thin satin gown of emerald green swished as she ran with the awkwardness of youth to keep up with her new friend. A matching satin bow was tied just below her throat, its ends trailing down to her svelte waistline. At the bows center was fastened a glittering rhinestone pin. She also was wearing a small rhinestone necklace that encircled her throat just above the bow. Her ears were home to a pretty pair of clasped rhinestone earrings that matched the pattern of her necklace. Around one short shiny green satin gloved wrist was a brite rhinestone bracelet.
The duo found the waterfall, by which a photographer had set up a camera. Angie approached the lovely pair, and easily started up a conversation, helped by the fact that as an adult, she was not scolding them for walking off. They seemed pleased that Angie was actually doing the exact opposite, like a favored auntie, she was encouraging them to explore.
Angie led them around a bend for a different view of the cascading waterfall, out of earshot of the reception. She helped the black haired lass, Basil, up to sit on a small stone wall for a better look, also helping to slip off the shiny gold herringbone necklace from her throat with an almost effortless ease in the process. As, with itching fingers, she contemplated what to do about Basil’s gold earrings, Angie started to watch Lydia.
Oblivious to what was going on around her, the red head, Lydia, was standing next to Angie, looking over the fence which just reached her shoulders. Here dear, Angie said, after pocketing the purloined gold necklace, you’re messing up your pretty dress. Angie turned the girl towards her, reached over and said, here, let my fix your bow, darling. Lydia allowed Angie to retie it, as Basil, her back to them, happily was watching, enraptured, the splashing water. Angie finished undoing and retying Lydia’s satin bow, neatly removing the pretty rhinestone pin in the process, then as she straightened the girl’s color, Angie had her turn around. As Lydia obediently did so, Angie flicked open the rhinestone necklaces clasp, and peeled off the flashy necklace from around Lydia’s throat as she turned round. Just like that, Lydia’s rhinestone necklace went the same way of er pin, both ending up with the gold chain in a secret pocket hidden in the folds of Angie’s skirt.
Angie stood behind Lydia, placing her hands on Lydia’s slick silken covered shoulders, all three watching the waterfall. Angie’s left hand caressingly, ever so lithely inched down along Lydia’s side, reaching the girls wrist. As Angie engaged them in conversation, she slowly worked off the bracelet, leaving only the pretty earrings as her last challenge.
Angie lifted her right hand and slowly moved it up to one of the girl’s dangling earrings, sparkling in the waterfalls’ reflection.. With her left hand she pointed upstream. As both girls turned their heads to look, off came a rhinestone earring. Angie than playfully lifted Lydia’s long French braid and laid it over Lydia’s shoulder, below her now bare ear. She turned to look down, giggling, and as she did so, Angie plucked away the remaining earring; it easily came off and joined its companion with the rest of the collection of jewelry in Angie’s secret pocket. Amazed that the process of removing young Lydia’s jewels had gone off so easily, Angie almost wished Lydia had been wearing bells like one of her sleekly gowned practice mannequins. Her reasoning being that she would know if it was because her skill level was that good, or just the fact that Lydia was just an unworldly youth easily distracted. Whatever the reason, Angie, feeling fresh inspiration, looked over at the chirpy basil, and her shiny gold earrings.
Angie moved behind Basil, placing her hands upon the slippery waistline of her silk dress, then leaned forward, whispering in the girls ear, tickling it with her breath. As Basil giggled Angie reached up gently lifted the gold chain earring up from the lobe of the girl’s opposite ear lobe. Then nimbly with her thumb and index finger, flicked open the hinge clasp and neatly removed the earring, watching for any reaction from her victim. Basil never felt a thing, Lydia was still watching the waterfall, equally as oblivious. Angie kept her chin close to Basil’s ear, and the remaining earring. Cautiously she moved her fingers up, and then darting in with them, successfully repeated the maneuver. As the earring joined the rest of her collection, Angie could not help thinking that if all her future endeavors were as successful, she could end up living quite a comfortable lifestyle.
Angie stayed a few more minutes, keeping the pair distracted the whole time before she cautiously moved off, leaving the two of them there by stream. Basil happily perched on the stone wall, and Lydia bent down, busily plucking at the moss growing on the old stones. Both girls still quite fetching in their pretty gowns, both a bit less weighted down by any added trimmings.
For the next year, fueled by her early success, she started focusing entirely on wedding receptions. Honing her skills until it became almost mundane for her nimble fingers to lift a jewel, no matter where is was being worn by a squirming young lady upon her fancy dressed person. And, actually, some of her acquisitions where worth a surprising bit of dough when pawned.
Favored Case in Point:
It was in New Hampshire, on her 24th outing late during the wedding season of the following year when she came upon a rather prim young miss of about 13, clad in a long sleeved thick yellow satin blouse, a black velvet vest and matching gold and black vertical striped satin skirt. A young raven haired bumble bee with no stinger, but with pearls, black pearls in a long string dangling down along the front of her shiny back buttoned blouse. She was also wearing matched black pearled earrings, and a small, daintily jeweled pin in the shape of a humming bird on her velvet vest. She was sitting alone at a table, playing with some crayons and a book. Angie, who had been watching her for some time from a bar stool, had come up and caught the pretty little things full attention, easily capturing her interest, then, finally, suggesting they go and watch the activity on the ballroom floor from a small alcove in a corner. Liking the adventurous way Angie had suggested it, the bumble bee had eagerly followed Angie away from the table.
Angie continued making small talk as the pretty thing was watching the exquisitely gown guests on the dance floor, including the girls’ parents. She was met with youthful exuberance by the youth, who was so enthralled with the activity on the dance floor that she was as unaware of what was going on around her , much like one of Angie’s practice Mannequins. After quite easily removing the dainty jeweled pin, Angie’s subtle fingers were able to lift up and flick open the rhinestone clasp of the child’s pearled necklace. Angie than coolly waited for a prime moment before whisking away the wholly distracted young miss’s gleaming black strand of pearls from around the high ruffled collar of her yellow satin blouse.
And also, like one of her gowned and jeweled practice Mannequins, the young girl never noticed anything amiss as Angie continued on with her conversation for quite some time afterwards. It was daring, but exciting as Angie kept stealing looks at the bare front of the glossy yellow blouse where the pearls had hung down so deliciously, knowing they were in her own pocket, so close, but for the young lady, so far.. Finally she decided she was pressing her luck, and she wished the child a goodnight, before beating a hasty exit,( but not before circling back to the now deserted table and heartlessly lifted the fat, expensively made purses, of both the young girl, and her mother!)
The jeweled hummingbird pin, and string of matched black pearls, dainty and long, fetched a pawned price that left whetted Angie’s appetite for more!
So, it was after this that Angie, looking for fresher, richer challenges, decided to seek out slightly older prey in their natural habitats, proms and social teenage dances. Where real gems, usually borrowed from their mothers or Grandmothers, would be replacing rhinestones.
Still very youthful looking despite her twenty something age, Angie’s first attempt was an upscale dance she had come across while out about in a neighboring city. It was held in an old ballroom for a local boy’s prep school and their dates. Figuring the girls attending would be ripe for the picking in tight gowns and loose fitting jewels, Angie stole inside for a closer look. The only obstacle was getting one of the begowned girls away from her group long enough to make a play for something of value that she was wearing.
But, Angie came away with nothing but valuable experience on that first attempt.
And it was actually her third try before she met with success in the form of a gold bracelet. It was at a formal dance being held in a large room of a rather posh hotel called the Red Lion Inn. She had gone in for a peek, and spying a pretty young thing heading for the ladies room, fell in step behind her. She was a long brown haired girl, wearing a short silk dress, blue, forming the perfect backdrop for her mouthwatering selection of shimmering gold jewellery. Waiting in a small alcove, Angie made her move as the young lady came back out the door. Bumping against her, Angie’s right hand held onto the youngster by the waist, drawing her close, as she steadied herself, apologizing. At the same time, Angie placed her left hand on the unsuspecting mark’s left wrist, easily flicking open the clasp of the thick gold etched bracelet and slipping it off and away. The young lady, accepting Angie’s apology, went on her way, and Angie, swiftly darted for the nearest exit, securing the rather overly brite bracelet in her bosum.
Over the spring and early summer dance seasons Angie practiced, acquiring bracelets and rings down pat using her skillfully developing fingers. She soon also was having some success with necklaces, including one with a long gold chain and a flower pendent set with a diamond carpel surrounded by ruby petals that had turned a quite tidy profit.
Then there had been the night of her first big haul, at a private girl’s school homecoming in Connecticut
She had started out by finally selecting and shadowing a young lady clad a slinky black dress, draped in her mother’s diamonds. Angie was drooling over a flashy wide glittering gemmed silver bracelet that hung loosely from the young vixen’s limp wrist. She was sure it was made up of real diamond chips. As the girl squirmed past Angie heading to the dance floor, her bracelet was easily plucked off the wrist of her black elbow length satin glove and secured deep in the bosom of Angie’s dress.
It was now becoming all too easy, smirked Angie as she unflappably headed out of the exit with her trophy. But, as she crossed the street, she was stopped by a hard looking Italian thug who emerged from the shadows. Angie at first thought wanted to mug her for her earrings, but it turned out he just wanted to see a girl who was inside attending the dance . He described her, and Angie, her interest growing, agreed to locate her and give her his message to meet him outside.
Angie went inside and soon found the girl. All her wishes had been answered. The unsuspecting lass was both richly gowned and even more richly jeweled, combined with zero common sense. This fidgeting girl had been seeing the young Italian on the sly, away from her disapproving family and friends. Angie led her out the back way, the opposite side of the Dance Parlor where the Italian was waiting in an alley.
Angie pointed across the street towards an entirely different Alleyway, offering to wait with her when the girl balked about going down it. As they waited, Angie fawned over the poor, beautifully adorned young innocent. Helping her straighten her luxurious gown, and helping her primp her long hair, so she would look just right for her east end Romeo. After waiting ten minutes, Angie instructed the girl to wait, while she went out and peeked down the street to see what was keeping her lover.
As she left, Angie stole a look back at the still primping young lass, eyeing her slinky gown, and remaining jewels, before heading off down the street, looking into her palm at the pair of long Garnet and diamond earrings that lay nestled, glittering fire there. She then placed them into a secret pocket, joining them with the girl’s small, expensive matching pendent, liberated as Angie had helped her negotiate a curb with her stiletto heels. Both pieces of the lass’s jewelry shared the same pocket with the wide silver bracelet encrusted with diamond chips that Angie had taken earlier..
More than once since then, Angie wondered if the ditzy, well jeweled girl ever had made it back out of that alleyway unscathed.
The experience had even more so whetted Angie’s appetite. So, even though she was still practicing on younger females, she was now dying to ply her trade upon mature women displaying the real McCoy.
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So it was with that in mind that Angie now watched, with itching fingers, the beckoning brooch. Though Angie was still unsure enough of trying her abilities on wealthy ladies who would not be as easily distracted as young girls, the timing felt right. As the lady recklessly displaying the brooch passed, her attention lost in the arms of her lover, Angie turned and followed, getting a close look first at the brooch and its pin, noting that it was not tightly clasped onto the gowns thin material.
As the couple headed to a table they passed two wealthy dames arguing vigorously with each other. Pricey rings flashing as they pointed fingers emphatically in each other’s face. On the side of table away from the pair, but near to Angie as she was passing by, lay a small, fat silvery clutch purse . Figuring that any dames loaded down with that many gems should be carrying a healthy wad of dosh in it, Angie, on the fly, took action.
As she passed she snatched it, and slipping it under her arm turned and headed towards the ladies powder room. Just before entering Angie looked back watching as the two still argued, gemmed rings flashing she had gotten away with it! Going into a stall she scrutinized the clutch for its valuables; disappointed to find only a fiver, some loose change, and a silky laced handkerchief. How cheap can you get she thought ruefully over the wasted effort? Hiding the clutch in the folds of her satin skirt, she left the stall, passing a lady applying makeup in a mirror. She was very pretty in a fluid teal gown, wearing dazzling white pearls upon her ears, neck and wrists. Something about this lady seemed familiar, and Angie’s senses started to sound an alarm. Catching each other’s eye, Angie nodded, but the lady appeared not to recognize Angie, nor Angie her, but the feeling still lingered. Angie left ,guardedly perplexed.
Angie went to the bar to have a drink while she thought about who the lady may have been. She was in a position to see the dance floor and she soon spotted the purple clad lady with the brooch Angie had her eye on, again in a deep embrace with her lover. The Brooch would be profitable, but risky as along as she stuck close with the Boyfriend. Angie needed a way to get him out of the picture for a while. It was as she considered several options to carry out the challenge that Angie again spotted the lady in teal , dancing with a tall red headed man. . Cold prickles like ice ran down her spine, It was the pearls! She suddenly remembered who the lady, and her dance partner were!
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Only 5 days ago she had been starting her third week operating in Calgary. She had been following a rather attractive, obviously wealthy woman, wearing an eye catching purple silk dress, carrying a dress bag and some smaller parcels. Close at her side was an unheeded calfskin purse. Alongside the lady was a smaller version, obviously her daughter, a girl of about 14. She was wearing a white shiny turtleneck with an equally shiny long tiered skirt. Both of her hands were occupied with department store bags also. When the ladies darted into a swanky hotel ,Angie had followed, she always had had luck in these types of establishments. They had entered a crowded lift and Angie had worked her way in behind the pair, riding up with them in the rickety contraption. Mother and Daughter got off on 12 and Angie stayed on until 15, exiting with not only the fat wallet from the calfskin purse, but also the shiny gold herringbone necklace that had been flashing from the daughter’s throat, securely in her pocket.
Angie decided to call it a day. She had already made about 30 dollars from wallets lifted at the department store she had been working over when she had spotted the mother and daughter at the checkout. The mother was paying from a thick wad of cash, and judging from the jewelry of both were an indication of how wealthy the family was. She had followed them out onto the street and it had paid off in spades. Now, all she had to do was find an exit. She saw a stairwell next to a slightly open door with a maids cart outside. She stopped and hovered over the cart to peer inside the room. It was at that moment a door opened on the opposite side of the hallway.
A red headed man in an open tux shirt came out of a room, looking at the cart, and Angie standing next to it. Seizing the opportunity, Angie quickly asked if he needed something. I was looking for a maid; I spilled some wine on the cashmere carpet. Seeing the name Bannister above the bell, she said sweetly, certainly Mr. Bannister, I can have someone take care of that for you.. I was just coming up to let you know there is an urgent message down at the desk for you. (Quick improvisation was a special talent of Angie’s.) Why didn’t you bring it, he started to snap, than , never mind, just get a maid, and he headed towards the elevator.
Angie picked up the towels and headed cautiously into the massive suite. From the bedroom off one side she heard running water. She looked around quickly, seeing many valuable articles, but nothing small enough to quickly conceal. She took the towels into the bedroom.
Angie went into the bedroom, expertly taking everything in. A long silver lamee gown lay out on the bed. On the vanity lay a silvery purse, a pair of long silver satin gloves , a silver watch, silver necklace, a pair of long dangling silver earrings, and a small blue velvet pouch. On a side dresser laid a man’s thick gold watch and a money clip with a wad of bills, a tenner showing on top. In less than a minute after entering the room she had scooped up the money clip, watches, silver jewelry and gloves stuffing them into the purse and lifting up her long skirt hid it in one of its secret pockets. She lifted up the pouch and found it was empty. A picture on the vanity showed an attractive lady in a black dress and pearls. She briefly wondered where the pearls were, did not see any likely spot, and so had turned to make a hasty exit, when a feminine voice called out from the bathroom where a shower could be heard running. Steam was coming out from the slightly ajar door.
Dear, a refined voice stated, I have soap in my eyes and cannot find the washcloth. Angie, smelling an opportunity, peaked her head around the corner into the steamy bathroom. There was a shower stall with glass doors at the end of the long room with a double sink running along the side. From the hook by the shower hung a peach negligee and matching long robe. The door was open slightly and a very soapy femine hand was reaching out trying to feel along a towel bar, just missing a hanging washcloth.
A soapy hand from which glittered a pretty gold pinky ring set with small diamonds. Angie went over and pulling off the washcloth, rapped on the glass door , receiving a thank you dear in return as the hand reached out for it. Angie wiped off the protruding hand, and a dry voice said, no, not my hand dear, as the washcloth was plucked playfully from Angie’s grasp , and the door closed. Angie bent down and picked up the diamond pinky ring that had been slipped from the showering woman’s finger by the wash cloth, from the carpeted floor underneath the shower door. she than turned ran a hand along the satin rode, looking around. Bingo, on the counter lay a pair of sparkly long diamond earrings. Dumbstruck at her luck she grabbed them off the sink. , she was jolted back to realty when the voice again called out, are you still there dear? She scurried out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
She was at the apartment door in a flash, opening it a crack to make sure the coast was clear, it was. In the hallway Angie headed for the stairs because she knew that Bannister was far too important a man to take a stairway. She had been in the apartment less than 4 minutes, and had probably looted it of enough valuables to more than double her take so far of the last three weeks since arriving in Calgary. Leaving by a back exit she came out of a small alley. Looking over she spotted the young lady whose necklace she had lifted in the elevator kneeling down and looking in some bushes. Her shiny skirt pleasantly splayed out upon the ground around her. Angie briskly walked past her and off down the street. She made it without incident to the dingy apartment she was renting by the day. Collecting her meager belongings Angie checked out immediately. Leaving by bus for Chestermere, where at a small bank she rented a safety deposit box to stash all her ill-gotten gains for safe keeping until the heat wore down a bit.
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Now Back to the Present
Angie now knew how lucky she had been. The red headed man, Bannister, may have recognized her. Calgary was too close to Chestermere , she should have been more cautious when scoping out the receptions guests. Angie turned and headed to the bar to think the situation over.
She saw the young man whose watch she had lifted, talking to an older, pretty lady laden with pearls. Behind them stood his sister, her diamond ring sparkling as she twirled her hair. Angie circled wide, coming up behind the lad, she grabbed his shoulder, why hello there. He smiled, introducing her to his Aunt, whose jeweled fingers she took into her hand in a gracious shake. He continued talking to his Aunt, it seems that they were discussing a family matter of some importance .Angie, finding the rings were tight on the Aunt’s chubby fingers, let go of her hand and moved over to the sister, and engaged her in conversation, moving a little off so that the sister turned her back to her brother and aunt.
The sister twittered, curling her hair impishly as Angie asked her why she wasn’t dancing. No ones asked, she giggled nervously. What about the boy who has been watching you all eyeing, Angie nodded her head outwards, the girl turned , her hair flying, as she lowered her hand, which Angie took up, petting it in a conspiratorial fashion, go over and ask him, Angie suggested. Go an ask him? I don’t see him she said, but I couldn’t, and she turned back to Angie, flashing her baby blues innocently. That’s okay deary, Angie patted the girl’s hand, keeping her eyes in contact, not allowing her to break the gaze, and perhaps looking down and noticing her loose ring was now gone from her slender finger. Angie took her leave of the sister, and of girl’s annoying nervously twittering giggle. Angie, slipping the diamond ring securely away, continued on until she reached a small alcove from where she could see most of the reception hall.
She lit a cigarette, purple silk and her desirably take able brooch was still safely out of reach on the dance floor, and Bannister’s attention was all on his wife. She thought it over, weighing her options, and the risks that were now in play. The song ended, and the dancers started to head off the floor. Angie’s eyes darted, Red headed Bannister and his wife were heading off to the far side of the room, Purple silk and her partner were heading to the bar. Angie’s heart stopped, no, Purple silk was heading to the bar, her lover was off to the men’s rest room. Angie snubbed out her cigarette, rising to the bait, it was now or never. Like a feral feline, Angie began to slowly stalk her prey.
But then Angie saw her chance slip through her fingers and evaporate into nothingness, like the smoke from her crushed cigarette. For at that moment an older man bumped into the lady Angie was tailing, spilling his drink down the front of her purple silk gown. Angie retreated and watched from a distance. As the man profusely apologized he produced a silk handkerchief and help wipe down the pretty lady. As he did so, the beautiful diamond broach vanished from her bosom. He had been slicker, slicker than Angie was ( for the time being) able to be. Angie felt her heart sink. Not only had she been deprived of the broach, but the existence of another member of her trade meant that she had better scram, not wishing to cross him. She could tell by the look in the man’s eyes that this was one not to be tangled with
Giving up on any plans she had been harboring, she got up, turned her back to the dance floor, headed as quickly as she could to the far exit, keeping her gains, and cutting her (presumed) losses.
Angie reached the door without challenge, opening it, she found stairs leading into the Church above. But first she stole a look back. She observed the man suavely talking to the now brooch less lady wearing purple silk. In that second a long haired (ginger) young lady passed by him, wearing a slinking green satin dress. Angie saw the man watching her walk on bye, and then immediately took his leave of purple silk, and began following the perky girl in green satin, with her savory collection of loosely dangling silver jewelry, heavily encrusted with flickering emeralds.
Angie turned away, and while wondering how she had failed to have spotted that prime prey in green earlier, went to the stairs.
She went up the stairs, coming out into a small chapel in back of the church. A door led to the outside, which Angie took, pouting inwardly, feeling all the world like a child who had been deprived of a desirable toy. She found herself on the side leading down to the Garden from which she had entered. The Church was now in between Angie and the reception, so she felt free to move unobserved. She crossed over to the gardens entrance and headed down the hill.
In front of her was a hedgerow, on the other side, Angie knew, was the small field with benches that lay at the entrance to the gardens proper. It was coming from there that she head the voices of children playing, on the other side, but she paid no heed, her mind was on leaving the area.
As she hurried along the hedgerow she saw something sparkle expensively in the sunlight through one of the gaps in the hedges. She stopped and curiously looked through a small opening. That’s were all the young darlings have been hiding she remarked to herself, her interest peaking. Forgetting all about leaving and lost opportunity of the brooch, she now focused on the new “toy” now dangling its enticement to her. It belonged to a girl in a slithering silvery gown, with her long hair done up in a long plait. Angie eyed the girl’s sparklers, which Angie first took as all rhinestones.. But, as Angie took inventory, her eye focused on a ring that she was wearing on one of her petite fingers. It held a fiery display, diamonds and rubies. There was no way the ring was rhinestone. Looking around to access the situation, Angie decided that by hook or crook, she needed to get a better look.
Watching the colourfully gowned young ladies innocently at play, Angie mused over the golden opportunity just waiting for someone unscrupulous to acquire the jewelry they were wearing. Someone should make them aware Angie decided, surprised that no one older than 16 was watching over them. Knowing that the scene before her was too fertile an opportunity to pass up without at least a long glance, Angie looked around, making sure no adults were about unseen in the woods, or any other nook and cranny of the play area.
Angie had found she had a knack for capturing young, well dressed lady’s interest, much to her amusement, and profit! It was with this in mind that Angie decided to allow herself a few precious minutes to watch from her hidden opening to see what may transpire. There were six children, four young ladies who were obviously dressed for a wedding, and the two urchin boys of about 12 and 10 she had spotted earlier. They were dressed as the local poor farm boys they obviously were. Angie quickly overheard the names of the girls as they called out to one another. .
The group were playing, appropriately enough for Angie’s point of view, a children’s standard game of cops and robbers. All Angie could think about, as she watched the boys with exuberance chasing and holding the giggling, squirming girls, was that there would hopefully be no actual robbing of jewelry as the game was played out. As each girl, Angie quickly memorizing their names, was ”captured” and taken to “prison”, Angie was able to scope them out at leisure.
The youngest Cecilia, about six, was wearing a long smooth gown of deep cream, with a midnight black bolero style jacket of velvet. From her neck was happily swaying a long silver chain with a jeweled winged beetle pendent, her jacket was home to a matching pin.
Cecilia’s older sister, 10 year old Claire, was wearing a puffy blue satin blouse with a long bow dancing down the front. Her long skirt of glistening black flowed in ripples as she ran. Also moving in ripples were the long gold herringbone chains she wore dangling from her neck, as were also her matching earrings and bracelet. A thick, expensively shiny gold ring encircled her middle finger.
Claire’s friend, Abbey, of about the same age, was wearing a longish gown of sunset pink satin, with a white satin sash encircling her waist. At the center of the sash glistened a gold pin set with pearls. Around her throat, dangling from her ears, were glimmering white pearls.
The oldest girl, the one in charge, was a fourteen year old named Amanda. Young and flighty, she kept looking up into the voluminous white clouds in the sky as if trying to see what they were forming. She was dressed in a longish slithering silver princess style gown, the style one may see flowing along the shapely figure of an actress at the moving picture awards ceremony. A fancy necklace with large garnet stones and small diamonds was flapping against her chest as she ran. The necklace matched her long earrings, bracelet, along with her pretty ring. She was wearing a flashy red jeweled head band , with strings of gold and rhinestones interwoven into her long plait of naturally wavy chestnut hair. The head band was all rhinestone, as were the garnets in the rest of her jewels. But what from a distance appeared to be small diamonds in her matching set that separated the garnets, were actually ¼ caret diamonds. Angie, upon realizing this, felt her heart burning with desire at acquiring a piece of the set being so vulnerably dangling from Amanda’s slickly attired person. But a couple of ripping gold herringbone chains, or even a jeweled beetle pendent flicked from a velvet jacket would be nice to acquire also, if only for the practice benefits.
To Angie’s secret joy, Amanda was the last girl to be captured, only because a stone lodged itself in her shoe brining her up lame. She was held by one of the boys, and lead, limping, to the other two girls. As a new game was started, she sat out. She hobbled to a nearby stone bench, brushed herself off , watching the group play before removing her shoe to find the annoying stone.
Angie started to make her move even before Amanda had made it to the stone bench. She reached her as she was shaking her shoe, slipping up alongside her on the cool bench. The girl jumped, but Angie’s special (practiced!) smile soon won her over. Angie soon enticed the young thing into casual conversation, extracting useful information as Angie, feigning a cheerful interest on the outside, while studying the girls expensive gown and drooling over the glistening garnet and diamonds that adorned it on the inside.
Angie tried to direct Amanda’s attention to her young charges, commenting about their pretty baubles, then asking who the boys were, and how well they knew them, about who suggested the game they were playing, how robbers were attracted to pretty things you know, and, were the boys playing the robbers next? Surreptitiously trying to plant seeds of distrust in the immature girls mind, and Angie could see that those seeds had found rich soil. Her intention was to keep the girl distracted long enough for a go at acquiring her necklace.
Angie, not unlike a feral cat, waited patiently for her opportunity to take the necklace from the unassuming Amanda to arise. But the girl was not cooperating; her attention on the playing girls lasting for mere seconds before focusing it back on Angie. Angie decided to use a different tactic. Angie placed an arm around girl’s silken shoulder and pointed up into the fluffy white clouds, asking her if she could see what Angie saw.
In the clouds, Amanda asked? As she leaned back into Angie who drew her close, relishing in the silky , quite scintillating feel of the child’s slick gown. No, Angie thought unkindly, you silly rich twit, the clasp of your necklace is what I see ( her fingers snaked up the backside of the sleek silver gown towards the tantalizingly easy open able clasp). The one you are about to lose to me, she continued thinking before answering the girl.
But seconds later, when Angie did answer, it was with a sweet motherly tone that dripped honey. Yes dear, in the clouds, doesn’t that one look like a soldier, or perhaps a highway man on a horse she inquired to Amanda? No, I think it’s a prince answered Amanda, and Angie thought , not for the first time, about the power of suggestion, for the mass of clouds looking like absolutely nothing but a mass of clouds to her!
But, it was an opportunity opened, and as the guileless girl was happily lost in her thoughts, Angie began to lift the clasp into position. As the necklace move up the girls chest, Angie could see its jewels, all sparkly, as the sun came back, peeking through the clouds. But Angie was not the only one who noticed, for the oldest lad who had been stalking up on the youngest sister’s hiding spot, was attracted by the sparklers now flashing around the distracted girl’s throat.
The boy headed towards them, and Angie’s fingers retreated. As the girl noticed the boy approaching, she gave a nervous giggle, and placed a hand to her throat. Angie began to rise from the bench, feeling the opportunity was slipping away, for the second time that day. But she hesitated a minute, and she was glad she did.
The boy came up and asked Amanda if she was going to play again. He was openly gawking at the necklace Amanda was nervously fiddling as he spoke, and Angie drooled to herself, you dear sweet child. For She could feel Amanda pressing hard into Angie as if seeking protection from his eyes. Angie took action, pointing out the sister the boy had been stalking. Successful diverting the boy’s attention, she sent him after the girl.
Maybe it was the things Angie had been feeding the girl about strangers and playing robbers, or pointing out the highway man in the clouds, but the attention to her necklace by the lad had had an obvious effect on Amanda. Angie, seizing the opportunity, exploited it to the fullest. With an Epiphany like thought, she knew what to say, and do next. And if it worked, then Amanda’s necklace would not be the only bauble acquired by old Angie girl.
Angie shooed the lad away, and he left, reluctantly to rejoin the game in progress. Then, in an inspired bit of deceitful storytelling, Angie related to Amanda a sad tale about an incident in her childhood, one she made up on the spot. The girl listened, still cuddling for whatever reason, as Angie stroked her enticingly attired figure down, relishing in the softness of her gown, along with admiring jewels she was so intent on acquiring. It was not often in Angie’s line of work that she was able to really check out one of her victims in this manner, and she relished every minute of it.
As Angie went full bore into her tale of woe ,she lifted up the attractive necklace from pretty girl’s chest, as she chokingly told the youngster that when she was her age she had been playing dress up in one of her mother’s gowns and had put on some of her mother’s jewelry without her permission.
Angie than took up the girl’s slender hand into hers, fingering gently the pleasingly expensive ring , seeing tin the young ladies eyes that she had struck a chord, and Amanda was totally held captivated with her story. Angie continued on… She had gone outside and over to the playground where a group of older children had convinced her to play a game of cops and robbers. When they had been done playing and Angie had gone home, she discovered some of her mother’s pretty jewelry was missing.
Angie noticed with satisfaction that as she was reaching the end of her story Amanda had stiffened, her heart started beating faster, and she started to check over her own jewelry. Your mother’s than, Angie drooled to herself, she had nailed it on the head. Carpe Diem Angie said to herself, throwing all caution to the wind.
Cops and robbers? That’s the game the boys are having us play, Amanda questioned with visible concern. As she was making this statement, Angie saw with satisfaction Amanda’s open mouth gasping as her eyes went to the boys who were now high in a tree, innocently unaware of what they were underhandedly being accused of eventually attempting to do ( steal the young girls jewelry)!
The two Boys had spotted a bird’s nest and where trying to see if it had eggs as the sisters watched them, backs to the bench where Amanda and Angie sat. Seeing the coast was clear, Angie quickly acted, before her story lost its effect over Amanda. Angie produced the purloined silver purse and pulled out the silky handkerchief. She spread the handkerchief out on Amanda’s silken covered lap, setting the purloined purse down upon her own.
I really think you should put your jewelry somewhere for safekeeping. Why don’t you wrap it up in this handkerchief, you can keep it in my purse. I’ll lend it too you if you promise to bring it back to me when you get back to the reception. Amanda nodded wisely (those earrings were very pretty Angie told herself) , Angie’s heart went to her throat, the young innocent, abroad from the reception, had swallowed Angie’s deviously luring tactic. Here, Angie promised, I’ll start, and she took of her gilded earrings and laid them gently out upon the shiny white surface of the silk handkerchief. This way I won’t lose mine either, she confided in Amanda, who looked back at Angie with her innocently wide blue eyes.
Amanda now showed no inhibitions while reaching up and removing her glittery necklace, laying it gently out upon the handkerchief. It was soon followed by rings and bracelet. Removing the headband and rhinestones chains, undoing her plait in the process, her long hair flowed down her back in curls. It curled up as she laid it upon the ever growing, sweetly glimmering, pile. Then she flung back her long hair and undid the screw backs of her flashy earrings, placing them on top of the heap. Angie’s heart began beating faster as she realized she was going to get away with this! Aw, she thought, as the last of Amanda’s expensively glittering jewels was added to the already glistening pile, wealthy children are so adorably cute when they are being gullible.
When Amanda finished, Angie looked down upon the glittering mound, unbelieving her luck. But then the unimaginable happened. Amanda, laying the handkerchief with its precious cargo on the bench next to her, stood and called back the two sisters and their young friend to the bench.
Angie held her breath as the girls, turned and dutifully ran up to her, the boys still high in the tree, paid no attention to them. Angie watched, almost salivating as the pretty darlings in their fluttering frocks came bouncing back, necklaces flinging in and out, obediently to Amanda’s call.
As they reached Amanda, she told them that they had better remove their jewelry for safe keeping. Why, Challenged Cecilia, with childish accusation? Amanda looked back at the boys in the tree, because I think you may lose them while you play, she scolded. We’re careful Cecilia retorted obstinately, as she looked from Amanda to her sister Claire. Amada looked at Claire, and lifting the girls gold necklace pointed her chin at the tree containing the two boys, and said, they will be the robber’s next game. Claire went wide eyed, and told Cecilia and Abby that they had better do as they were told.
Claire was closest, and with a nod from Amanda, unfastened her necklace and laid it out on the silky handkerchief. They were soon followed by her gold drop earrings, bracelet and ring. She started to back away still wearing her rhinestone hairclips. Don’t forget them… Angie started to say, but was cut off as Amanda told Claire to remove them, which she did promptly. Angie was glad she had been able to hold her tongue.
Cecilia was next. She approached Angie and Amanda, her long dress swishing richly as she came. She politely asked Amanda for help. Turning her back to Amanda she lifted up her long hair, Amanda remover her necklace and pin, laying them upon the growing shimmery pile. Cecilia removed her earrings and ring, happily placing them with the rest. Very pretty Angie said, admiring the dress, she lifted up the sleeve, admiring it, no bracelets, she whispered to herself, as she pulled the silky sleeve back ever so slightly.
Abby than approached, and quietly, obediently, unfastened her pearled necklace, and then removed her glistening matching earrings, and placed them all delicately upon the pile. Momma said to be careful with them, their Grand mama’s, she bleated sweetly, and Angie felt her heart skip several beats, suppressing an evil grin upon hearing those delicious words. Claire then helped Abby remove the pearled brooch from her satin sash.
Angie stood back, her heart had been pounding with cutting swords of mixed delicious pleasure and anticipation as, there on that sunlit church playground, the girls in swishy gowns, removed their valuables for “safe” keeping. She knew she now had to work fast, for there was an ever growing chance that an adult would show up from the reception and ruin Angie’s fun.
Angie than folded up the silk handkerchief, and in a classic bit of misdirection that would have made Gaston Monescu proud, appeared to place it inside the purse she was going to leave in the children’s safe keeping. But she actually palmed it, and slipped the bundle deep into her skirts pocket as she handed the purse over with her free hand. All three sets of eyes watching the purse, not what Angie’s other hand was doing.
Now go and have fun, Angie encouraged the girls as she handed the purse to Amanda. The youngsters seemed thrilled that they had an adult’s permission to keep on playing, and knowing that they would not be in danger of now being yelled at for possibly losing some of their pretty jewelry, they scurried off happily, in waves of whispery satin. Amanda stopped and gave Angie a hug before following the two sisters and their friend. The kind of hug that would have sealed the fate of any jewelry she may have still been wearing, and for which Angie did a double check for. Angie then watched Amanda run off, long gown fluttering out from behind her.
As the four girls rejoined the two boys, Angie slowly slinked away, melting into the woods. She allowed herself to smirk over how rewardingly gullible rich young girl’s in silky dresses ,wearing ripe for the plucking jewelry ,always proved to be.
Folle est l’agneau de la prune qui dans le loup avoue! She whispered to herself as she disappeared from the frolicking children’s sight.
She stopped suddenly as she reached a small clearing with the path leading to the rose covered arbor crossed. Not believing her eyes, as she unexpectedly saw below her fresh, opulently attired, prey.
A young couple was busily snogging in the garden the garden just ahead of Angie. As she looked over the pair of richly dressed pretty young things, she could not help but wonder if this couple had been in charge of watching over the children and had snuck away to be by themselves. She quickly ducked behind some bushes as the girl broke away, and with a come hither look, led her boyfriend through a rose covered arbor. Not a moment too soon, for the couple looked behind them, before crossing over the path and disappearing into the woods.
Angie cautiously snuck forward, and reaching the spot where they had disappeared into the woods, hears the girl giggling along with the unmistakable sounds of kissing. As the couple is otherwise occupied, Angie carefully moves into the woods. She spies the lad’s suit lying over some branches, and sees the shrubs moving underneath as the couple obviously have progressed now beyond kissing.
Angie spies something bright and shiny laying on the ground just in front of the shrub. She inches forward. It is the girls gown, laying spread out like a slick wet fluid purple pond , and there, in a nice neat pile, is the diamond jewelry she was wearing. Angie wonders what would have happened if some miscreant, or unscrupulous hobo were to stumble upon this scene. In her mind she reasoned that they would probably steal the jewels. So, why shouldn’t ole Angie be the one to acquire this one’s jewels also? Since she would probably be losing them anyway!
Angie reaches down and quietly pulls away the fluidly glossy gown, the silky material whispering along the grass as it moves. Angie keeps one ear on the couple just out of sight, the other listens for any noise on the path behind her that may betray her as she melts away back into the woods. Then, when she is a safe distance away, happily scoops up the girls small fiery diamonds. Picking up the gown she carried it back, hanging it from a limb just before leaving the path, she ran a hand along its enticing length, before leaving, snickering to herself the whole way.
Coup-Fourré, Angie thinks too herself as she regains the path, after carefully making sure no one else was about. Off in the distance she can just barely hear the children still at play. The purse where they innocently believed held their jewelry safe, she imagines still sitting on the bench. She thinks for a second about going back and lifting that purse, but decides not to push her luck, now that she had finally found some.
She once again pictured the beaming faces of the three young girls as they were being complimented on their shiny dresses by the pretty lady with the nice smile and gentle fingers as she carefully looked them over for anything missed that those nasty boys may try to take. Naively unaware that they had, in reality, been robbed of the precious gems that they had been convinced to remove for “safe keeping.”
Angie, for the first time, but not the last, imagined in her mind, what the children’s wide eyed astonishment would be like, they opened that sleek little purse , only to find the handkerchief had vanished! . And what the couple snogging about in the woods would make of the missing gown and jewels.
Editors notes:
Even though Angie related this story as having occurred on the same afternoon ,the chronicler felt she was keeping something back. It was never discover what, if anything had been. The answer may lie in the events unfolded above. It may be worth re-reading the story to see if anyone can pick up on it.
Folle est l’agneau de la prune qui dans le loup avoue!
Silly is the plump lamb to whom in the wolf confesses
Our Thanks to Mr Gardner for pointing out the existence of Mr. Monescu’s 1826 guide
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Courtesy of Chatwick University Archives
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I took some senior portraits last night. We had to scram to get to the location before the sun set. When we got there, it just set :/ But we got a few good shots. This one was my favorite though :)
For more, go to my photography page
I also had another senior portrait session today. I probably won't post those on Flickr, so look for those on my facebook page!
Slinking away, still smirking over how rewardingly gullible the bejeweled wealthy girls in silky dresses had proven, Angie unexpectedly came across fresh, opulently inviting, prey.
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Angelique D. at play
Angie D
Circa 1915
Case study 113 subset b
Early development: “Pickpocket” of worn Jewelry
Sub title:
What is it about rich girls that make them so lucratively gullible?
Quoted by Subject: log 1959
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What:
Along a path just outside where a departing congregation of a small church still gathered.
Where
The outskirts of Chestermere:
When:
An early fall day, in the year of our Lord 1915
Who:
An appealing lady wearing a secret smile, clad expensively in a silky top and flowing satiny ruffled skirt, a pair of gold earrings flashing merrily as she strolls.
Excerpted from Diary:
A lady in a cream silk blouse and long blue skirt was walking happily along a path on the outskirts of Chestermere. She was coming from the early Sabbath service of a local chapel, filled with the rousing words of the Parson’s homily. As Angie walked, she hummed a cheerful tune, her conscious, as always, free of any guilty feelings.
Angie was very pleased with herself, and the main source of the pleasure was now bouncing against her thigh as she briskly walked along. For deep in a small pocket hidden well below the waistline of her flowing sleek skirt, was a pretty jeweled pendent on a delicate gold chain.
Only just 15 minutes ago that jeweled pendent was still being worn by a member of a rather wealthy looking family whom had been in attendance at the same Sabbath service. Angie had scoped them out as the family had waltzed in just after the mass had started. The mother was dressed in a pretty white frock with ruffles of lace falling from her throat and wrists, along with a rather nice set of pearls. The rather formal and severe father was in a “monkey suit”, a gold pocket watch and fob stretched across his rather bulging waist. The pair had their hands full with two rambunctious , pre-adolescent twin boys, who had continually distracted them during and after the lengthy service. Which was good, from Angie’s point of view anyway, for it left the parents totally ignoring their seventeen year old daughter , at the end of the pew, standing with a sultry air about her.
The daughter was wearing a rather fancy party dress of thick red silk. Dangling down the front of the sheer red silk bodice, on a thin gold chain, was an attention grabbing deep green emerald starburst pendent that fell swaying from her dress’s high neckline. It had been the sleek dress that had whetted Angie’s interest, but it was the pendent that kept that interest focused during the entire service, delightedly eyeing the pendant’s shimmeriness in the low candle lit church. During the communion procession she had managed to slip in behind her in order to closer scrutinize the prospect, soaking in the expectations of acquiring it from the unsuspecting proper acting young lady..
As the service ended, the family joined in the stream of the departing congregation. Angie followed closely, looking for her chance. It came when the Parson stopped the father to ask a question, a group soon huddled around the mother and the twins. As everyone bent over to focus attention on the twins, including their sister, Angie circled her prey and slipped in close, hovering briefly over her back before darting in. In one fluid motion, Angie lifted with one practiced hand the chain and flicked open the thin clasp, nimbly catching the swaying pendent in her other hand as it fell, whisking the sparkling emeralds and chain away and palming it from sight. Absolutely no one noticed the flashy necklace as it vanished from the front of the sister’s silky dress. Angie had continued on her way, clutching the pendent, and headed straight out the door without looking back. Instead of heading back the short 3 miles to her hotel in the city, she decided to head out towards the woods, where she planned to lay low until dusk.
Angie now turned her head to have a look behind her at the distant chapel and the people milling about, her gold plated earrings flashing as she did so. Good, she thought, no one was following her, and she, in total security that she was out of danger, crossed off the path and went on the road.
Angie strolled along the country lane, trees lining it turning red and yellow in their autumn gowns, for quite some time, before she became aware of a band playing off in the distance.. Then turning a bend in the lane, through the thin wall of woods, she spied a wedding reception up on a hill by a white stone Church. From her vantage point she could see a multitude of colourful , richly shimmering gowns and the occasional sparkle of , she hoped , opulent jewelry.
As good luck would have it, she decides to crash the party. She was dressed for it, she was hungry, and who knows what pickings she may find inside to increase her earthly riches ,as the Parson had been saying! She walked around, skirting the woods and came across a hillside garden with rose covered arbors and bright flower lined paths. Two grubby boys of about ten and twelve were playing in the woods on the opposite side, by a small pond surrounded thickly with Rhododendron s. She entered the Garden and made her way up the winding path, coming out onto a small field with benches that lay on the opposite side of the church and the auditorium entrance to the reception.
Angie entered the crowded auditorium underneath the Church. She helped herself to the food buffet and sat outside enjoying her meal, as she watched the richly dressed crowd. A young man came up and asked her to dance, which she did happily, and just as happily lifted his gold watch and fob. And, too boot, after a few dances with him, she had become a part of his circle, happily mingling, and rubbing elbows with the obviously wealthy guests he presented her to. Including an introduction to his pretty faced teenage sister, who was sporting a pretty diamond ring on all too slender finger, that she kept waving in Angie’s face as she played with her long silky hair.
Angie soon left them and started to stalk about for a bit, noting that most of the guests were older, more mature specimens. There seemed to be a lack of young, well dressed children around, whose shiny offerings had been Angie’s main bread and butter for almost two years.. She had just come to the conclusion that she would have to settle for picking a few pockets or purses before leaving. She started to look around for the bloke with the fancy gold pocket watch who had first asked her to dance….
Then she saw her.
The lady was moving through the crowd, on the arms of a man half her age, giggling, not paying attention to anything else around her. She wore a long gown of a shimmery purple silk. But it was not the gown that had caught Angie’s eye, but the jeweled brooch that hung from the gowns cleavage, shadowed by its mistress’s ample bosom. Like the figurehead in a seagoing schooner it came, shimmering in the dazzling light of at least a hundred diamond chips, surrounded by an oval of blazing sapphires. Angie’s fingers tingled. It was time.
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Now, it had been better than three years ago when Angie had run across an ancient, toothless Gypsy in a long black dress with a faded shawl around her shoulders, who had spoken Angie’s fortune. When she had read Angie’s palm, she looked Angie dead in the eyes, a most knowing kind of look. Then she had risen, motioning Angie to stay and came back with a rather battered old pamphlet she wanted Angie to look over. Entitled the Cutpurse: skilles, artes and Secretes of the Dip by “Gaston Monescu, 1826”, it covered the various tactics and moves used by master pickpockets. Including whole chapters on successful “Methodes” of relieving a wealthe lady of her” jeweles”.
The Gypsy Woman, who had hovering over Angie as she had read deeply into the pamphlet moved and sat back down across from her.
Angie ,who by this time in her quite young life, was already an accomplished cutpurse and picker of pockets, looked up at the gypsy, grinned, and asked if it was worth her while. The Gypsy just smiled, reached up and opened her dirty laced shawl, revealing the silvery necklace that Angie had been wearing when she had come in. Amazed she traded the necklace for the pamphlet on the spot and quickly began putting its teachings into play.
Angie soon mastered this new level of her chosen craft.
She had started on mannequins: clothing them in long silky dresses and jewelry. She had practiced for months, first in a rented studio apartment, then in a secret basement located in an isolated, deserted old barn and then its surrounding woods. Soon she felt confident enough to go out and try it in the crowded streets amongst shopping women. She met with great success, but her gains were only a pittance. Still she practiced, and had gotten so adept that she soon was moved onto more affluent hunting grounds.
She reasonably started out with weddings. For the phamplett had suggested starting out at formal parties where there would be an abundance of youngsters dressed in their best by parents wanting to show their off female issues to an adoring public( in the minds of the wealthy parents, anyway). So she went, seeking out young, easily distracted young girls who were not used to wearing the array of enticing jewels placed on them by overly enthusiastic parents.
Angie’s first time out was met with some rather sweet success. A large day time wedding reception in Nova Scotia, held in a public park by a majestic sweeping waterfall.
Late at the reception, as she was still prowling without making any formal attempts, she soon noticed that the adults at the gathering were becoming quite gay with drink, and noticeably paying less attention to their children. Said children began to wonder off in groups, exploring and starting to run about playing games, their gowns and dresses whispering a Pied Piperish tune to Angie’s ears, their shiny jewels luring her ever closer.
Angie soon started to follow a pair of young ladies who had scampered off to explore.
One was an impish girl with long black hair flowing down, drawing ones attention to the frilly white dress she was wearing. Gold chain earrings dancing merrily from her ears, as a longish gold herringbone chain shimmering brightly in the sun as it lay hanging from her silk dresses’’ high neckline.
Her partner in crime was a most fascinating subject. A charmingly bright green eyed proper young imp, a couple of years older than white dress, with a rather pronounced Welsh accent, much like Agie’s remembered her parents having. Her silken red hair lay down her back in a neat long French braid. A long thin satin gown of emerald green swished as she ran with the awkwardness of youth to keep up with her new friend. A matching satin bow was tied just below her throat, its ends trailing down to her svelte waistline. At the bows center was fastened a glittering rhinestone pin. She also was wearing a small rhinestone necklace that encircled her throat just above the bow. Her ears were home to a pretty pair of clasped rhinestone earrings that matched the pattern of her necklace. Around one short shiny green satin gloved wrist was a brite rhinestone bracelet.
The duo found the waterfall, by which a photographer had set up a camera. Angie approached the lovely pair, and easily started up a conversation, helped by the fact that as an adult, she was not scolding them for walking off. They seemed pleased that Angie was actually doing the exact opposite, like a favored auntie, she was encouraging them to explore.
Angie led them around a bend for a different view of the cascading waterfall, out of earshot of the reception. She helped the black haired lass, Basil, up to sit on a small stone wall for a better look, also helping to slip off the shiny gold herringbone necklace from her throat with an almost effortless ease in the process. As, with itching fingers, she contemplated what to do about Basil’s gold earrings, Angie started to watch Lydia.
Oblivious to what was going on around her, the red head, Lydia, was standing next to Angie, looking over the fence which just reached her shoulders. Here dear, Angie said, after pocketing the purloined gold necklace, you’re messing up your pretty dress. Angie turned the girl towards her, reached over and said, here, let my fix your bow, darling. Lydia allowed Angie to retie it, as Basil, her back to them, happily was watching, enraptured, the splashing water. Angie finished undoing and retying Lydia’s satin bow, neatly removing the pretty rhinestone pin in the process, then as she straightened the girl’s color, Angie had her turn around. As Lydia obediently did so, Angie flicked open the rhinestone necklaces clasp, and peeled off the flashy necklace from around Lydia’s throat as she turned round. Just like that, Lydia’s rhinestone necklace went the same way of er pin, both ending up with the gold chain in a secret pocket hidden in the folds of Angie’s skirt.
Angie stood behind Lydia, placing her hands on Lydia’s slick silken covered shoulders, all three watching the waterfall. Angie’s left hand caressingly, ever so lithely inched down along Lydia’s side, reaching the girls wrist. As Angie engaged them in conversation, she slowly worked off the bracelet, leaving only the pretty earrings as her last challenge.
Angie lifted her right hand and slowly moved it up to one of the girl’s dangling earrings, sparkling in the waterfalls’ reflection.. With her left hand she pointed upstream. As both girls turned their heads to look, off came a rhinestone earring. Angie than playfully lifted Lydia’s long French braid and laid it over Lydia’s shoulder, below her now bare ear. She turned to look down, giggling, and as she did so, Angie plucked away the remaining earring; it easily came off and joined its companion with the rest of the collection of jewelry in Angie’s secret pocket. Amazed that the process of removing young Lydia’s jewels had gone off so easily, Angie almost wished Lydia had been wearing bells like one of her sleekly gowned practice mannequins. Her reasoning being that she would know if it was because her skill level was that good, or just the fact that Lydia was just an unworldly youth easily distracted. Whatever the reason, Angie, feeling fresh inspiration, looked over at the chirpy basil, and her shiny gold earrings.
Angie moved behind Basil, placing her hands upon the slippery waistline of her silk dress, then leaned forward, whispering in the girls ear, tickling it with her breath. As Basil giggled Angie reached up gently lifted the gold chain earring up from the lobe of the girl’s opposite ear lobe. Then nimbly with her thumb and index finger, flicked open the hinge clasp and neatly removed the earring, watching for any reaction from her victim. Basil never felt a thing, Lydia was still watching the waterfall, equally as oblivious. Angie kept her chin close to Basil’s ear, and the remaining earring. Cautiously she moved her fingers up, and then darting in with them, successfully repeated the maneuver. As the earring joined the rest of her collection, Angie could not help thinking that if all her future endeavors were as successful, she could end up living quite a comfortable lifestyle.
Angie stayed a few more minutes, keeping the pair distracted the whole time before she cautiously moved off, leaving the two of them there by stream. Basil happily perched on the stone wall, and Lydia bent down, busily plucking at the moss growing on the old stones. Both girls still quite fetching in their pretty gowns, both a bit less weighted down by any added trimmings.
For the next year, fueled by her early success, she started focusing entirely on wedding receptions. Honing her skills until it became almost mundane for her nimble fingers to lift a jewel, no matter where is was being worn by a squirming young lady upon her fancy dressed person. And, actually, some of her acquisitions where worth a surprising bit of dough when pawned.
Favored Case in Point:
It was in New Hampshire, on her 24th outing late during the wedding season of the following year when she came upon a rather prim young miss of about 13, clad in a long sleeved thick yellow satin blouse, a black velvet vest and matching gold and black vertical striped satin skirt. A young raven haired bumble bee with no stinger, but with pearls, black pearls in a long string dangling down along the front of her shiny back buttoned blouse. She was also wearing matched black pearled earrings, and a small, daintily jeweled pin in the shape of a humming bird on her velvet vest. She was sitting alone at a table, playing with some crayons and a book. Angie, who had been watching her for some time from a bar stool, had come up and caught the pretty little things full attention, easily capturing her interest, then, finally, suggesting they go and watch the activity on the ballroom floor from a small alcove in a corner. Liking the adventurous way Angie had suggested it, the bumble bee had eagerly followed Angie away from the table.
Angie continued making small talk as the pretty thing was watching the exquisitely gown guests on the dance floor, including the girls’ parents. She was met with youthful exuberance by the youth, who was so enthralled with the activity on the dance floor that she was as unaware of what was going on around her , much like one of Angie’s practice Mannequins. After quite easily removing the dainty jeweled pin, Angie’s subtle fingers were able to lift up and flick open the rhinestone clasp of the child’s pearled necklace. Angie than coolly waited for a prime moment before whisking away the wholly distracted young miss’s gleaming black strand of pearls from around the high ruffled collar of her yellow satin blouse.
And also, like one of her gowned and jeweled practice Mannequins, the young girl never noticed anything amiss as Angie continued on with her conversation for quite some time afterwards. It was daring, but exciting as Angie kept stealing looks at the bare front of the glossy yellow blouse where the pearls had hung down so deliciously, knowing they were in her own pocket, so close, but for the young lady, so far.. Finally she decided she was pressing her luck, and she wished the child a goodnight, before beating a hasty exit,( but not before circling back to the now deserted table and heartlessly lifted the fat, expensively made purses, of both the young girl, and her mother!)
The jeweled hummingbird pin, and string of matched black pearls, dainty and long, fetched a pawned price that left whetted Angie’s appetite for more!
So, it was after this that Angie, looking for fresher, richer challenges, decided to seek out slightly older prey in their natural habitats, proms and social teenage dances. Where real gems, usually borrowed from their mothers or Grandmothers, would be replacing rhinestones.
Still very youthful looking despite her twenty something age, Angie’s first attempt was an upscale dance she had come across while out about in a neighboring city. It was held in an old ballroom for a local boy’s prep school and their dates. Figuring the girls attending would be ripe for the picking in tight gowns and loose fitting jewels, Angie stole inside for a closer look. The only obstacle was getting one of the begowned girls away from her group long enough to make a play for something of value that she was wearing.
But, Angie came away with nothing but valuable experience on that first attempt.
And it was actually her third try before she met with success in the form of a gold bracelet. It was at a formal dance being held in a large room of a rather posh hotel called the Red Lion Inn. She had gone in for a peek, and spying a pretty young thing heading for the ladies room, fell in step behind her. She was a long brown haired girl, wearing a short silk dress, blue, forming the perfect backdrop for her mouthwatering selection of shimmering gold jewellery. Waiting in a small alcove, Angie made her move as the young lady came back out the door. Bumping against her, Angie’s right hand held onto the youngster by the waist, drawing her close, as she steadied herself, apologizing. At the same time, Angie placed her left hand on the unsuspecting mark’s left wrist, easily flicking open the clasp of the thick gold etched bracelet and slipping it off and away. The young lady, accepting Angie’s apology, went on her way, and Angie, swiftly darted for the nearest exit, securing the rather overly brite bracelet in her bosum.
Over the spring and early summer dance seasons Angie practiced, acquiring bracelets and rings down pat using her skillfully developing fingers. She soon also was having some success with necklaces, including one with a long gold chain and a flower pendent set with a diamond carpel surrounded by ruby petals that had turned a quite tidy profit.
Then there had been the night of her first big haul, at a private girl’s school homecoming in Connecticut
She had started out by finally selecting and shadowing a young lady clad a slinky black dress, draped in her mother’s diamonds. Angie was drooling over a flashy wide glittering gemmed silver bracelet that hung loosely from the young vixen’s limp wrist. She was sure it was made up of real diamond chips. As the girl squirmed past Angie heading to the dance floor, her bracelet was easily plucked off the wrist of her black elbow length satin glove and secured deep in the bosom of Angie’s dress.
It was now becoming all too easy, smirked Angie as she unflappably headed out of the exit with her trophy. But, as she crossed the street, she was stopped by a hard looking Italian thug who emerged from the shadows. Angie at first thought wanted to mug her for her earrings, but it turned out he just wanted to see a girl who was inside attending the dance . He described her, and Angie, her interest growing, agreed to locate her and give her his message to meet him outside.
Angie went inside and soon found the girl. All her wishes had been answered. The unsuspecting lass was both richly gowned and even more richly jeweled, combined with zero common sense. This fidgeting girl had been seeing the young Italian on the sly, away from her disapproving family and friends. Angie led her out the back way, the opposite side of the Dance Parlor where the Italian was waiting in an alley.
Angie pointed across the street towards an entirely different Alleyway, offering to wait with her when the girl balked about going down it. As they waited, Angie fawned over the poor, beautifully adorned young innocent. Helping her straighten her luxurious gown, and helping her primp her long hair, so she would look just right for her east end Romeo. After waiting ten minutes, Angie instructed the girl to wait, while she went out and peeked down the street to see what was keeping her lover.
As she left, Angie stole a look back at the still primping young lass, eyeing her slinky gown, and remaining jewels, before heading off down the street, looking into her palm at the pair of long Garnet and diamond earrings that lay nestled, glittering fire there. She then placed them into a secret pocket, joining them with the girl’s small, expensive matching pendent, liberated as Angie had helped her negotiate a curb with her stiletto heels. Both pieces of the lass’s jewelry shared the same pocket with the wide silver bracelet encrusted with diamond chips that Angie had taken earlier..
More than once since then, Angie wondered if the ditzy, well jeweled girl ever had made it back out of that alleyway unscathed.
The experience had even more so whetted Angie’s appetite. So, even though she was still practicing on younger females, she was now dying to ply her trade upon mature women displaying the real McCoy.
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So it was with that in mind that Angie now watched, with itching fingers, the beckoning brooch. Though Angie was still unsure enough of trying her abilities on wealthy ladies who would not be as easily distracted as young girls, the timing felt right. As the lady recklessly displaying the brooch passed, her attention lost in the arms of her lover, Angie turned and followed, getting a close look first at the brooch and its pin, noting that it was not tightly clasped onto the gowns thin material.
As the couple headed to a table they passed two wealthy dames arguing vigorously with each other. Pricey rings flashing as they pointed fingers emphatically in each other’s face. On the side of table away from the pair, but near to Angie as she was passing by, lay a small, fat silvery clutch purse . Figuring that any dames loaded down with that many gems should be carrying a healthy wad of dosh in it, Angie, on the fly, took action.
As she passed she snatched it, and slipping it under her arm turned and headed towards the ladies powder room. Just before entering Angie looked back watching as the two still argued, gemmed rings flashing she had gotten away with it! Going into a stall she scrutinized the clutch for its valuables; disappointed to find only a fiver, some loose change, and a silky laced handkerchief. How cheap can you get she thought ruefully over the wasted effort? Hiding the clutch in the folds of her satin skirt, she left the stall, passing a lady applying makeup in a mirror. She was very pretty in a fluid teal gown, wearing dazzling white pearls upon her ears, neck and wrists. Something about this lady seemed familiar, and Angie’s senses started to sound an alarm. Catching each other’s eye, Angie nodded, but the lady appeared not to recognize Angie, nor Angie her, but the feeling still lingered. Angie left ,guardedly perplexed.
Angie went to the bar to have a drink while she thought about who the lady may have been. She was in a position to see the dance floor and she soon spotted the purple clad lady with the brooch Angie had her eye on, again in a deep embrace with her lover. The Brooch would be profitable, but risky as along as she stuck close with the Boyfriend. Angie needed a way to get him out of the picture for a while. It was as she considered several options to carry out the challenge that Angie again spotted the lady in teal , dancing with a tall red headed man. . Cold prickles like ice ran down her spine, It was the pearls! She suddenly remembered who the lady, and her dance partner were!
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Only 5 days ago she had been starting her third week operating in Calgary. She had been following a rather attractive, obviously wealthy woman, wearing an eye catching purple silk dress, carrying a dress bag and some smaller parcels. Close at her side was an unheeded calfskin purse. Alongside the lady was a smaller version, obviously her daughter, a girl of about 14. She was wearing a white shiny turtleneck with an equally shiny long tiered skirt. Both of her hands were occupied with department store bags also. When the ladies darted into a swanky hotel ,Angie had followed, she always had had luck in these types of establishments. They had entered a crowded lift and Angie had worked her way in behind the pair, riding up with them in the rickety contraption. Mother and Daughter got off on 12 and Angie stayed on until 15, exiting with not only the fat wallet from the calfskin purse, but also the shiny gold herringbone necklace that had been flashing from the daughter’s throat, securely in her pocket.
Angie decided to call it a day. She had already made about 30 dollars from wallets lifted at the department store she had been working over when she had spotted the mother and daughter at the checkout. The mother was paying from a thick wad of cash, and judging from the jewelry of both were an indication of how wealthy the family was. She had followed them out onto the street and it had paid off in spades. Now, all she had to do was find an exit. She saw a stairwell next to a slightly open door with a maids cart outside. She stopped and hovered over the cart to peer inside the room. It was at that moment a door opened on the opposite side of the hallway.
A red headed man in an open tux shirt came out of a room, looking at the cart, and Angie standing next to it. Seizing the opportunity, Angie quickly asked if he needed something. I was looking for a maid; I spilled some wine on the cashmere carpet. Seeing the name Bannister above the bell, she said sweetly, certainly Mr. Bannister, I can have someone take care of that for you.. I was just coming up to let you know there is an urgent message down at the desk for you. (Quick improvisation was a special talent of Angie’s.) Why didn’t you bring it, he started to snap, than , never mind, just get a maid, and he headed towards the elevator.
Angie picked up the towels and headed cautiously into the massive suite. From the bedroom off one side she heard running water. She looked around quickly, seeing many valuable articles, but nothing small enough to quickly conceal. She took the towels into the bedroom.
Angie went into the bedroom, expertly taking everything in. A long silver lamee gown lay out on the bed. On the vanity lay a silvery purse, a pair of long silver satin gloves , a silver watch, silver necklace, a pair of long dangling silver earrings, and a small blue velvet pouch. On a side dresser laid a man’s thick gold watch and a money clip with a wad of bills, a tenner showing on top. In less than a minute after entering the room she had scooped up the money clip, watches, silver jewelry and gloves stuffing them into the purse and lifting up her long skirt hid it in one of its secret pockets. She lifted up the pouch and found it was empty. A picture on the vanity showed an attractive lady in a black dress and pearls. She briefly wondered where the pearls were, did not see any likely spot, and so had turned to make a hasty exit, when a feminine voice called out from the bathroom where a shower could be heard running. Steam was coming out from the slightly ajar door.
Dear, a refined voice stated, I have soap in my eyes and cannot find the washcloth. Angie, smelling an opportunity, peaked her head around the corner into the steamy bathroom. There was a shower stall with glass doors at the end of the long room with a double sink running along the side. From the hook by the shower hung a peach negligee and matching long robe. The door was open slightly and a very soapy femine hand was reaching out trying to feel along a towel bar, just missing a hanging washcloth.
A soapy hand from which glittered a pretty gold pinky ring set with small diamonds. Angie went over and pulling off the washcloth, rapped on the glass door , receiving a thank you dear in return as the hand reached out for it. Angie wiped off the protruding hand, and a dry voice said, no, not my hand dear, as the washcloth was plucked playfully from Angie’s grasp , and the door closed. Angie bent down and picked up the diamond pinky ring that had been slipped from the showering woman’s finger by the wash cloth, from the carpeted floor underneath the shower door. she than turned ran a hand along the satin rode, looking around. Bingo, on the counter lay a pair of sparkly long diamond earrings. Dumbstruck at her luck she grabbed them off the sink. , she was jolted back to realty when the voice again called out, are you still there dear? She scurried out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
She was at the apartment door in a flash, opening it a crack to make sure the coast was clear, it was. In the hallway Angie headed for the stairs because she knew that Bannister was far too important a man to take a stairway. She had been in the apartment less than 4 minutes, and had probably looted it of enough valuables to more than double her take so far of the last three weeks since arriving in Calgary. Leaving by a back exit she came out of a small alley. Looking over she spotted the young lady whose necklace she had lifted in the elevator kneeling down and looking in some bushes. Her shiny skirt pleasantly splayed out upon the ground around her. Angie briskly walked past her and off down the street. She made it without incident to the dingy apartment she was renting by the day. Collecting her meager belongings Angie checked out immediately. Leaving by bus for Chestermere, where at a small bank she rented a safety deposit box to stash all her ill-gotten gains for safe keeping until the heat wore down a bit.
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Now Back to the Present
Angie now knew how lucky she had been. The red headed man, Bannister, may have recognized her. Calgary was too close to Chestermere , she should have been more cautious when scoping out the receptions guests. Angie turned and headed to the bar to think the situation over.
She saw the young man whose watch she had lifted, talking to an older, pretty lady laden with pearls. Behind them stood his sister, her diamond ring sparkling as she twirled her hair. Angie circled wide, coming up behind the lad, she grabbed his shoulder, why hello there. He smiled, introducing her to his Aunt, whose jeweled fingers she took into her hand in a gracious shake. He continued talking to his Aunt, it seems that they were discussing a family matter of some importance .Angie, finding the rings were tight on the Aunt’s chubby fingers, let go of her hand and moved over to the sister, and engaged her in conversation, moving a little off so that the sister turned her back to her brother and aunt.
The sister twittered, curling her hair impishly as Angie asked her why she wasn’t dancing. No ones asked, she giggled nervously. What about the boy who has been watching you all eyeing, Angie nodded her head outwards, the girl turned , her hair flying, as she lowered her hand, which Angie took up, petting it in a conspiratorial fashion, go over and ask him, Angie suggested. Go an ask him? I don’t see him she said, but I couldn’t, and she turned back to Angie, flashing her baby blues innocently. That’s okay deary, Angie patted the girl’s hand, keeping her eyes in contact, not allowing her to break the gaze, and perhaps looking down and noticing her loose ring was now gone from her slender finger. Angie took her leave of the sister, and of girl’s annoying nervously twittering giggle. Angie, slipping the diamond ring securely away, continued on until she reached a small alcove from where she could see most of the reception hall.
She lit a cigarette, purple silk and her desirably take able brooch was still safely out of reach on the dance floor, and Bannister’s attention was all on his wife. She thought it over, weighing her options, and the risks that were now in play. The song ended, and the dancers started to head off the floor. Angie’s eyes darted, Red headed Bannister and his wife were heading off to the far side of the room, Purple silk and her partner were heading to the bar. Angie’s heart stopped, no, Purple silk was heading to the bar, her lover was off to the men’s rest room. Angie snubbed out her cigarette, rising to the bait, it was now or never. Like a feral feline, Angie began to slowly stalk her prey.
But then Angie saw her chance slip through her fingers and evaporate into nothingness, like the smoke from her crushed cigarette. For at that moment an older man bumped into the lady Angie was tailing, spilling his drink down the front of her purple silk gown. Angie retreated and watched from a distance. As the man profusely apologized he produced a silk handkerchief and help wipe down the pretty lady. As he did so, the beautiful diamond broach vanished from her bosom. He had been slicker, slicker than Angie was ( for the time being) able to be. Angie felt her heart sink. Not only had she been deprived of the broach, but the existence of another member of her trade meant that she had better scram, not wishing to cross him. She could tell by the look in the man’s eyes that this was one not to be tangled with
Giving up on any plans she had been harboring, she got up, turned her back to the dance floor, headed as quickly as she could to the far exit, keeping her gains, and cutting her (presumed) losses.
Angie reached the door without challenge, opening it, she found stairs leading into the Church above. But first she stole a look back. She observed the man suavely talking to the now brooch less lady wearing purple silk. In that second a long haired (ginger) young lady passed by him, wearing a slinking green satin dress. Angie saw the man watching her walk on bye, and then immediately took his leave of purple silk, and began following the perky girl in green satin, with her savory collection of loosely dangling silver jewelry, heavily encrusted with flickering emeralds.
Angie turned away, and while wondering how she had failed to have spotted that prime prey in green earlier, went to the stairs.
She went up the stairs, coming out into a small chapel in back of the church. A door led to the outside, which Angie took, pouting inwardly, feeling all the world like a child who had been deprived of a desirable toy. She found herself on the side leading down to the Garden from which she had entered. The Church was now in between Angie and the reception, so she felt free to move unobserved. She crossed over to the gardens entrance and headed down the hill.
In front of her was a hedgerow, on the other side, Angie knew, was the small field with benches that lay at the entrance to the gardens proper. It was coming from there that she head the voices of children playing, on the other side, but she paid no heed, her mind was on leaving the area.
As she hurried along the hedgerow she saw something sparkle expensively in the sunlight through one of the gaps in the hedges. She stopped and curiously looked through a small opening. That’s were all the young darlings have been hiding she remarked to herself, her interest peaking. Forgetting all about leaving and lost opportunity of the brooch, she now focused on the new “toy” now dangling its enticement to her. It belonged to a girl in a slithering silvery gown, with her long hair done up in a long plait. Angie eyed the girl’s sparklers, which Angie first took as all rhinestones.. But, as Angie took inventory, her eye focused on a ring that she was wearing on one of her petite fingers. It held a fiery display, diamonds and rubies. There was no way the ring was rhinestone. Looking around to access the situation, Angie decided that by hook or crook, she needed to get a better look.
Watching the colourfully gowned young ladies innocently at play, Angie mused over the golden opportunity just waiting for someone unscrupulous to acquire the jewelry they were wearing. Someone should make them aware Angie decided, surprised that no one older than 16 was watching over them. Knowing that the scene before her was too fertile an opportunity to pass up without at least a long glance, Angie looked around, making sure no adults were about unseen in the woods, or any other nook and cranny of the play area.
Angie had found she had a knack for capturing young, well dressed lady’s interest, much to her amusement, and profit! It was with this in mind that Angie decided to allow herself a few precious minutes to watch from her hidden opening to see what may transpire. There were six children, four young ladies who were obviously dressed for a wedding, and the two urchin boys of about 12 and 10 she had spotted earlier. They were dressed as the local poor farm boys they obviously were. Angie quickly overheard the names of the girls as they called out to one another. .
The group were playing, appropriately enough for Angie’s point of view, a children’s standard game of cops and robbers. All Angie could think about, as she watched the boys with exuberance chasing and holding the giggling, squirming girls, was that there would hopefully be no actual robbing of jewelry as the game was played out. As each girl, Angie quickly memorizing their names, was ”captured” and taken to “prison”, Angie was able to scope them out at leisure.
The youngest Cecilia, about six, was wearing a long smooth gown of deep cream, with a midnight black bolero style jacket of velvet. From her neck was happily swaying a long silver chain with a jeweled winged beetle pendent, her jacket was home to a matching pin.
Cecilia’s older sister, 10 year old Claire, was wearing a puffy blue satin blouse with a long bow dancing down the front. Her long skirt of glistening black flowed in ripples as she ran. Also moving in ripples were the long gold herringbone chains she wore dangling from her neck, as were also her matching earrings and bracelet. A thick, expensively shiny gold ring encircled her middle finger.
Claire’s friend, Abbey, of about the same age, was wearing a longish gown of sunset pink satin, with a white satin sash encircling her waist. At the center of the sash glistened a gold pin set with pearls. Around her throat, dangling from her ears, were glimmering white pearls.
The oldest girl, the one in charge, was a fourteen year old named Amanda. Young and flighty, she kept looking up into the voluminous white clouds in the sky as if trying to see what they were forming. She was dressed in a longish slithering silver princess style gown, the style one may see flowing along the shapely figure of an actress at the moving picture awards ceremony. A fancy necklace with large garnet stones and small diamonds was flapping against her chest as she ran. The necklace matched her long earrings, bracelet, along with her pretty ring. She was wearing a flashy red jeweled head band , with strings of gold and rhinestones interwoven into her long plait of naturally wavy chestnut hair. The head band was all rhinestone, as were the garnets in the rest of her jewels. But what from a distance appeared to be small diamonds in her matching set that separated the garnets, were actually ¼ caret diamonds. Angie, upon realizing this, felt her heart burning with desire at acquiring a piece of the set being so vulnerably dangling from Amanda’s slickly attired person. But a couple of ripping gold herringbone chains, or even a jeweled beetle pendent flicked from a velvet jacket would be nice to acquire also, if only for the practice benefits.
To Angie’s secret joy, Amanda was the last girl to be captured, only because a stone lodged itself in her shoe brining her up lame. She was held by one of the boys, and lead, limping, to the other two girls. As a new game was started, she sat out. She hobbled to a nearby stone bench, brushed herself off , watching the group play before removing her shoe to find the annoying stone.
Angie started to make her move even before Amanda had made it to the stone bench. She reached her as she was shaking her shoe, slipping up alongside her on the cool bench. The girl jumped, but Angie’s special (practiced!) smile soon won her over. Angie soon enticed the young thing into casual conversation, extracting useful information as Angie, feigning a cheerful interest on the outside, while studying the girls expensive gown and drooling over the glistening garnet and diamonds that adorned it on the inside.
Angie tried to direct Amanda’s attention to her young charges, commenting about their pretty baubles, then asking who the boys were, and how well they knew them, about who suggested the game they were playing, how robbers were attracted to pretty things you know, and, were the boys playing the robbers next? Surreptitiously trying to plant seeds of distrust in the immature girls mind, and Angie could see that those seeds had found rich soil. Her intention was to keep the girl distracted long enough for a go at acquiring her necklace.
Angie, not unlike a feral cat, waited patiently for her opportunity to take the necklace from the unassuming Amanda to arise. But the girl was not cooperating; her attention on the playing girls lasting for mere seconds before focusing it back on Angie. Angie decided to use a different tactic. Angie placed an arm around girl’s silken shoulder and pointed up into the fluffy white clouds, asking her if she could see what Angie saw.
In the clouds, Amanda asked? As she leaned back into Angie who drew her close, relishing in the silky , quite scintillating feel of the child’s slick gown. No, Angie thought unkindly, you silly rich twit, the clasp of your necklace is what I see ( her fingers snaked up the backside of the sleek silver gown towards the tantalizingly easy open able clasp). The one you are about to lose to me, she continued thinking before answering the girl.
But seconds later, when Angie did answer, it was with a sweet motherly tone that dripped honey. Yes dear, in the clouds, doesn’t that one look like a soldier, or perhaps a highway man on a horse she inquired to Amanda? No, I think it’s a prince answered Amanda, and Angie thought , not for the first time, about the power of suggestion, for the mass of clouds looking like absolutely nothing but a mass of clouds to her!
But, it was an opportunity opened, and as the guileless girl was happily lost in her thoughts, Angie began to lift the clasp into position. As the necklace move up the girls chest, Angie could see its jewels, all sparkly, as the sun came back, peeking through the clouds. But Angie was not the only one who noticed, for the oldest lad who had been stalking up on the youngest sister’s hiding spot, was attracted by the sparklers now flashing around the distracted girl’s throat.
The boy headed towards them, and Angie’s fingers retreated. As the girl noticed the boy approaching, she gave a nervous giggle, and placed a hand to her throat. Angie began to rise from the bench, feeling the opportunity was slipping away, for the second time that day. But she hesitated a minute, and she was glad she did.
The boy came up and asked Amanda if she was going to play again. He was openly gawking at the necklace Amanda was nervously fiddling as he spoke, and Angie drooled to herself, you dear sweet child. For She could feel Amanda pressing hard into Angie as if seeking protection from his eyes. Angie took action, pointing out the sister the boy had been stalking. Successful diverting the boy’s attention, she sent him after the girl.
Maybe it was the things Angie had been feeding the girl about strangers and playing robbers, or pointing out the highway man in the clouds, but the attention to her necklace by the lad had had an obvious effect on Amanda. Angie, seizing the opportunity, exploited it to the fullest. With an Epiphany like thought, she knew what to say, and do next. And if it worked, then Amanda’s necklace would not be the only bauble acquired by old Angie girl.
Angie shooed the lad away, and he left, reluctantly to rejoin the game in progress. Then, in an inspired bit of deceitful storytelling, Angie related to Amanda a sad tale about an incident in her childhood, one she made up on the spot. The girl listened, still cuddling for whatever reason, as Angie stroked her enticingly attired figure down, relishing in the softness of her gown, along with admiring jewels she was so intent on acquiring. It was not often in Angie’s line of work that she was able to really check out one of her victims in this manner, and she relished every minute of it.
As Angie went full bore into her tale of woe ,she lifted up the attractive necklace from pretty girl’s chest, as she chokingly told the youngster that when she was her age she had been playing dress up in one of her mother’s gowns and had put on some of her mother’s jewelry without her permission.
Angie than took up the girl’s slender hand into hers, fingering gently the pleasingly expensive ring , seeing tin the young ladies eyes that she had struck a chord, and Amanda was totally held captivated with her story. Angie continued on… She had gone outside and over to the playground where a group of older children had convinced her to play a game of cops and robbers. When they had been done playing and Angie had gone home, she discovered some of her mother’s pretty jewelry was missing.
Angie noticed with satisfaction that as she was reaching the end of her story Amanda had stiffened, her heart started beating faster, and she started to check over her own jewelry. Your mother’s than, Angie drooled to herself, she had nailed it on the head. Carpe Diem Angie said to herself, throwing all caution to the wind.
Cops and robbers? That’s the game the boys are having us play, Amanda questioned with visible concern. As she was making this statement, Angie saw with satisfaction Amanda’s open mouth gasping as her eyes went to the boys who were now high in a tree, innocently unaware of what they were underhandedly being accused of eventually attempting to do ( steal the young girls jewelry)!
The two Boys had spotted a bird’s nest and where trying to see if it had eggs as the sisters watched them, backs to the bench where Amanda and Angie sat. Seeing the coast was clear, Angie quickly acted, before her story lost its effect over Amanda. Angie produced the purloined silver purse and pulled out the silky handkerchief. She spread the handkerchief out on Amanda’s silken covered lap, setting the purloined purse down upon her own.
I really think you should put your jewelry somewhere for safekeeping. Why don’t you wrap it up in this handkerchief, you can keep it in my purse. I’ll lend it too you if you promise to bring it back to me when you get back to the reception. Amanda nodded wisely (those earrings were very pretty Angie told herself) , Angie’s heart went to her throat, the young innocent, abroad from the reception, had swallowed Angie’s deviously luring tactic. Here, Angie promised, I’ll start, and she took of her gilded earrings and laid them gently out upon the shiny white surface of the silk handkerchief. This way I won’t lose mine either, she confided in Amanda, who looked back at Angie with her innocently wide blue eyes.
Amanda now showed no inhibitions while reaching up and removing her glittery necklace, laying it gently out upon the handkerchief. It was soon followed by rings and bracelet. Removing the headband and rhinestones chains, undoing her plait in the process, her long hair flowed down her back in curls. It curled up as she laid it upon the ever growing, sweetly glimmering, pile. Then she flung back her long hair and undid the screw backs of her flashy earrings, placing them on top of the heap. Angie’s heart began beating faster as she realized she was going to get away with this! Aw, she thought, as the last of Amanda’s expensively glittering jewels was added to the already glistening pile, wealthy children are so adorably cute when they are being gullible.
When Amanda finished, Angie looked down upon the glittering mound, unbelieving her luck. But then the unimaginable happened. Amanda, laying the handkerchief with its precious cargo on the bench next to her, stood and called back the two sisters and their young friend to the bench.
Angie held her breath as the girls, turned and dutifully ran up to her, the boys still high in the tree, paid no attention to them. Angie watched, almost salivating as the pretty darlings in their fluttering frocks came bouncing back, necklaces flinging in and out, obediently to Amanda’s call.
As they reached Amanda, she told them that they had better remove their jewelry for safe keeping. Why, Challenged Cecilia, with childish accusation? Amanda looked back at the boys in the tree, because I think you may lose them while you play, she scolded. We’re careful Cecilia retorted obstinately, as she looked from Amanda to her sister Claire. Amada looked at Claire, and lifting the girls gold necklace pointed her chin at the tree containing the two boys, and said, they will be the robber’s next game. Claire went wide eyed, and told Cecilia and Abby that they had better do as they were told.
Claire was closest, and with a nod from Amanda, unfastened her necklace and laid it out on the silky handkerchief. They were soon followed by her gold drop earrings, bracelet and ring. She started to back away still wearing her rhinestone hairclips. Don’t forget them… Angie started to say, but was cut off as Amanda told Claire to remove them, which she did promptly. Angie was glad she had been able to hold her tongue.
Cecilia was next. She approached Angie and Amanda, her long dress swishing richly as she came. She politely asked Amanda for help. Turning her back to Amanda she lifted up her long hair, Amanda remover her necklace and pin, laying them upon the growing shimmery pile. Cecilia removed her earrings and ring, happily placing them with the rest. Very pretty Angie said, admiring the dress, she lifted up the sleeve, admiring it, no bracelets, she whispered to herself, as she pulled the silky sleeve back ever so slightly.
Abby than approached, and quietly, obediently, unfastened her pearled necklace, and then removed her glistening matching earrings, and placed them all delicately upon the pile. Momma said to be careful with them, their Grand mama’s, she bleated sweetly, and Angie felt her heart skip several beats, suppressing an evil grin upon hearing those delicious words. Claire then helped Abby remove the pearled brooch from her satin sash.
Angie stood back, her heart had been pounding with cutting swords of mixed delicious pleasure and anticipation as, there on that sunlit church playground, the girls in swishy gowns, removed their valuables for “safe” keeping. She knew she now had to work fast, for there was an ever growing chance that an adult would show up from the reception and ruin Angie’s fun.
Angie than folded up the silk handkerchief, and in a classic bit of misdirection that would have made Gaston Monescu proud, appeared to place it inside the purse she was going to leave in the children’s safe keeping. But she actually palmed it, and slipped the bundle deep into her skirts pocket as she handed the purse over with her free hand. All three sets of eyes watching the purse, not what Angie’s other hand was doing.
Now go and have fun, Angie encouraged the girls as she handed the purse to Amanda. The youngsters seemed thrilled that they had an adult’s permission to keep on playing, and knowing that they would not be in danger of now being yelled at for possibly losing some of their pretty jewelry, they scurried off happily, in waves of whispery satin. Amanda stopped and gave Angie a hug before following the two sisters and their friend. The kind of hug that would have sealed the fate of any jewelry she may have still been wearing, and for which Angie did a double check for. Angie then watched Amanda run off, long gown fluttering out from behind her.
As the four girls rejoined the two boys, Angie slowly slinked away, melting into the woods. She allowed herself to smirk over how rewardingly gullible rich young girl’s in silky dresses ,wearing ripe for the plucking jewelry ,always proved to be.
Folle est l’agneau de la prune qui dans le loup avoue! She whispered to herself as she disappeared from the frolicking children’s sight.
She stopped suddenly as she reached a small clearing with the path leading to the rose covered arbor crossed. Not believing her eyes, as she unexpectedly saw below her fresh, opulently attired, prey.
A young couple was busily snogging in the garden the garden just ahead of Angie. As she looked over the pair of richly dressed pretty young things, she could not help but wonder if this couple had been in charge of watching over the children and had snuck away to be by themselves. She quickly ducked behind some bushes as the girl broke away, and with a come hither look, led her boyfriend through a rose covered arbor. Not a moment too soon, for the couple looked behind them, before crossing over the path and disappearing into the woods.
Angie cautiously snuck forward, and reaching the spot where they had disappeared into the woods, hears the girl giggling along with the unmistakable sounds of kissing. As the couple is otherwise occupied, Angie carefully moves into the woods. She spies the lad’s suit lying over some branches, and sees the shrubs moving underneath as the couple obviously have progressed now beyond kissing.
Angie spies something bright and shiny laying on the ground just in front of the shrub. She inches forward. It is the girls gown, laying spread out like a slick wet fluid purple pond , and there, in a nice neat pile, is the diamond jewelry she was wearing. Angie wonders what would have happened if some miscreant, or unscrupulous hobo were to stumble upon this scene. In her mind she reasoned that they would probably steal the jewels. So, why shouldn’t ole Angie be the one to acquire this one’s jewels also? Since she would probably be losing them anyway!
Angie reaches down and quietly pulls away the fluidly glossy gown, the silky material whispering along the grass as it moves. Angie keeps one ear on the couple just out of sight, the other listens for any noise on the path behind her that may betray her as she melts away back into the woods. Then, when she is a safe distance away, happily scoops up the girls small fiery diamonds. Picking up the gown she carried it back, hanging it from a limb just before leaving the path, she ran a hand along its enticing length, before leaving, snickering to herself the whole way.
Coup-Fourré, Angie thinks too herself as she regains the path, after carefully making sure no one else was about. Off in the distance she can just barely hear the children still at play. The purse where they innocently believed held their jewelry safe, she imagines still sitting on the bench. She thinks for a second about going back and lifting that purse, but decides not to push her luck, now that she had finally found some.
She once again pictured the beaming faces of the three young girls as they were being complimented on their shiny dresses by the pretty lady with the nice smile and gentle fingers as she carefully looked them over for anything missed that those nasty boys may try to take. Naively unaware that they had, in reality, been robbed of the precious gems that they had been convinced to remove for “safe keeping.”
Angie, for the first time, but not the last, imagined in her mind, what the children’s wide eyed astonishment would be like, they opened that sleek little purse , only to find the handkerchief had vanished! . And what the couple snogging about in the woods would make of the missing gown and jewels.
Editors notes:
Even though Angie related this story as having occurred on the same afternoon ,the chronicler felt she was keeping something back. It was never discover what, if anything had been. The answer may lie in the events unfolded above. It may be worth re-reading the story to see if anyone can pick up on it.
Folle est l’agneau de la prune qui dans le loup avoue!
Silly is the plump lamb to whom in the wolf confesses
Our Thanks to Mr Gardner for pointing out the existence of Mr. Monescu’s 1826 guide
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Courtesy of Chatwick University Archives
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