THE DILLARDS THIEF-- in San Antonio, Texas
> > Clutching their Dillard's shopping bags, Ellen and
Kay
> > woefully gazed
> > down at a dead cat in the mall parking lot.
Obviously a
> > recent hit---no
> > flies, no smell. "What business could that poor
kitty have
> > had here?"
> > murmured Ellen. "Come on, Ellen, let's just go..."
But Ellen
> > had already
> > grabbed her shopping bag and was explaining, "I'll
just put
> > my things in
> > your bag, and then I'll take the tissue." She
dumped her
> > purchases into
> > Kay's bag and then used the tissue paper to cradle
and lower
> > the former
> > feline into her own Dillard's bag and cover it.
> > They continued the short trek to the car in
silence,
> > stashing their
> > goods in the trunk. But it occurred to both of
them that if
> > they left
> > Ellen's burial bag in the trunk, warmed by the
Texas
> > sunshine while they
> > ate, Kay's Lumina would soon lose that new-car
smell. They
> > decided to
> > leave the bag on top of the trunk, and they headed
over to
> > Luby's
> > Cafeteria.
> > After they cleared the serving line and sat down
at a window
> > table, they
> > had a view of Kay's Chevy with the Dillard's bag
still on
> > the trunk. BUT
> > not for long. As they ate, they noticed a
black-haired woman
> > in a red
> > gingham shirt stroll by their car, look quickly
this way and
> > that, and
> > then hook the Dillard's bag without
> > breaking stride. She quickly walked out of their
line of
> > vision. Kay and
> > Ellen shot each other a wide-eyed look of
amazement. It all
> > happened so
> > fast that neither of them could think how to
respond. "Can
> > you imagine?"
> > finally sputtered Ellen. "The nerve of that
woman!" Kay
> > sympathized with
> > Ellen, but inwardly a laugh was building as she
thought
> > about the grand
> > surprise awaiting the red-gingham thief. Just when
she
> > thought she'd
> > have to giggle into her napkin, she noticed
Ellen's eyes
> > freeze in the
> > direction of the serving line. Following her gaze,
Kay
> > recognized with a
> > shock the black-haired woman with the Dillard's
bag, THE
> > Dillard's bag,
> > hanging from her arm, brazenly pushing her tray
toward the
> > cashier.
> > Helplessly they watched the scene unfold: After
clearing the
> > register,
> > the woman settled at a table across from theirs,
put the bag
> > on an empty
> > chair and began to eat. After a few bites of baked
whitefish
> > and green
> > beans, she casually lifted the bag into her lap to
survey
> > her treasure.
> > Looking from side to side, but not far enough to
notice her
> > rapt
> > audience three tables over, she pulled out the
tissue paper
> > and peered
> > into the bag. Her eyes widened, and she began to
make a sort
> > of gasping
> > noise. The noise grew. The bag slid from her lap
as she sank
> > to the
> > floor, wheezing and clutching her upper chest. The
beverage
> > attendant quickly recognized a customer in trouble
and sent
> > the busboy
> > to call 911, while she administered the Heimlich
maneuver. A
> > crowd
> > quickly gathered that did not include Ellen and
Kay, who
> > remained
> > riveted to their chairs for seven whole minutes
until the
> > ambulance
> > arrived. In a matter of minutes the curly-haired
woman
> > emerged from the
> > crowd, still gasping, strapped securely on a
gurney. Two
> > well-trained
> > EMS volunteers steered her to the waiting
ambulance, while a
> > third
> > scooped up her belongings. The last they saw of
the
> > distressed
> > cat-burglar, she disappeared behind the ambulance
doors, the
> > Dillard's
> > bag perched on her stomach.
> > Clutching their Dillard's shopping bags, Ellen and
Kay
> > woefully gazed
> > down at a dead cat in the mall parking lot.
Obviously a
> > recent hit---no
> > flies, no smell. "What business could that poor
kitty have
> > had here?"
> > murmured Ellen. "Come on, Ellen, let's just go..."
But Ellen
> > had already
> > grabbed her shopping bag and was explaining, "I'll
just put
> > my things in
> > your bag, and then I'll take the tissue." She
dumped her
> > purchases into
> > Kay's bag and then used the tissue paper to cradle
and lower
> > the former
> > feline into her own Dillard's bag and cover it.
> > They continued the short trek to the car in
silence,
> > stashing their
> > goods in the trunk. But it occurred to both of
them that if
> > they left
> > Ellen's burial bag in the trunk, warmed by the
Texas
> > sunshine while they
> > ate, Kay's Lumina would soon lose that new-car
smell. They
> > decided to
> > leave the bag on top of the trunk, and they headed
over to
> > Luby's
> > Cafeteria.
> > After they cleared the serving line and sat down
at a window
> > table, they
> > had a view of Kay's Chevy with the Dillard's bag
still on
> > the trunk. BUT
> > not for long. As they ate, they noticed a
black-haired woman
> > in a red
> > gingham shirt stroll by their car, look quickly
this way and
> > that, and
> > then hook the Dillard's bag without
> > breaking stride. She quickly walked out of their
line of
> > vision. Kay and
> > Ellen shot each other a wide-eyed look of
amazement. It all
> > happened so
> > fast that neither of them could think how to
respond. "Can
> > you imagine?"
> > finally sputtered Ellen. "The nerve of that
woman!" Kay
> > sympathized with
> > Ellen, but inwardly a laugh was building as she
thought
> > about the grand
> > surprise awaiting the red-gingham thief. Just when
she
> > thought she'd
> > have to giggle into her napkin, she noticed
Ellen's eyes
> > freeze in the
> > direction of the serving line. Following her gaze,
Kay
> > recognized with a
> > shock the black-haired woman with the Dillard's
bag, THE
> > Dillard's bag,
> > hanging from her arm, brazenly pushing her tray
toward the
> > cashier.
> > Helplessly they watched the scene unfold: After
clearing the
> > register,
> > the woman settled at a table across from theirs,
put the bag
> > on an empty
> > chair and began to eat. After a few bites of baked
whitefish
> > and green
> > beans, she casually lifted the bag into her lap to
survey
> > her treasure.
> > Looking from side to side, but not far enough to
notice her
> > rapt
> > audience three tables over, she pulled out the
tissue paper
> > and peered
> > into the bag. Her eyes widened, and she began to
make a sort
> > of gasping
> > noise. The noise grew. The bag slid from her lap
as she sank
> > to the
> > floor, wheezing and clutching her upper chest. The
beverage
> > attendant quickly recognized a customer in trouble
and sent
> > the busboy
> > to call 911, while she administered the Heimlich
maneuver. A
> > crowd
> > quickly gathered that did not include Ellen and
Kay, who
> > remained
> > riveted to their chairs for seven whole minutes
until the
> > ambulance
> > arrived. In a matter of minutes the curly-haired
woman
> > emerged from the
> > crowd, still gasping, strapped securely on a
gurney. Two
> > well-trained
> > EMS volunteers steered her to the waiting
ambulance, while a
> > third
> > scooped up her belongings. The last they saw of
the
> > distressed
> > cat-burglar, she disappeared behind the ambulance
doors, the
> > Dillard's
> > bag perched on her stomach.
