She was to choose it, and I was to pay for it, and it was to be the prettiest ribbon that money could buy.
"The shop was full; we had to wait a little before we could be served.
"Next to me, as I stood at the counter with my companion, was a gaudily-dressed woman, looking at some handkerchiefs.

The handkerchiefs were finely embroidered, but the smart lady was hard to please.

She tumbled them up disdainfully in a heap, and asked for other specimens from the stock in the shop.

The man, in clearing the handkerchiefs out of the way, suddenly missed one.

He was quite sure of it, from a peculiarity in the embroidery which made the handkerchief especially noticeable.