Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-07-25

4uplOf1u$ly u0us S<oAuSe4 SupPOS0s
my utter disgust in my face. she cried:
II can not help it You may blame
me as you will. / can not resist the
inclination to steal do try. but
when see small articles 1 must take
them. / do not want them; will give
you all have taken back again, but I
shall probably steal them again when
see an opportunity. I must do it. :"
Then took her from the ground.
and looked into her eyes, trying to
read the insanity I was sure was upon
her. She lay in my arms like child,
sobbing pitifully. repeating her asser-
ton of inability to resist the desire to
steal, till. against my own reason. in
spite of my rectitude and common
sense. found myself petting and pity
ing her, as if she were the victim of q
fever.
But would not promise to keep Sc
cret what I had discovered. Though
I was won over to most profound
pity, shrank from the idea of Car
rolls wife being thief.
It was a strange coincidence that on
the very same evening, Carroll, COM
ing home for his weekly visit, while
we were chatting in the drawing-room,
said. gravely:
Il had a very painful case presented
to me this morning. One of our lead
ing merchants wanted me to defend
his daughter, who is the victim of
kleptomania-"
felt Agnes who sat near me SILVER,
and slip an ice-cold hand into mine.
Perhaps, grandma - continued Car
roll. ''you do not know that klepto-
mania is the new name for fashionable
theft. We are old-fashioned folks here.
and have always called a thief, a thief!
flashing. Ito defend stealing because
the thief is in high social position
But" said, ''they plead the temp
tatiOn is irresistible"
$50 may any thief plead! Suppos-
ing l were to walk into a bank, and
feel an irresistible desire to run away
with few thousand dollars worth of
bank notes. Do you imagine judge Or
jury would acquit me-"
But" urged again. elf you had
dear friend a victim to this disease-if
it is a disease-would you judge her
so sternlyp"
Il would. I could far sooner forgive
a poor, starving wretch who took my
purse when driven by want to crime,
than l could thief, who, needing
nothing, robbed me. and called the
robbery kleptomania
''Bnt if it were a lady. delicate and
refined, you would not send her to
share the prison of common felons"
II would. if she had fitted herself
for their society by sharing their
crime. Indeed. should judge such
case far more severely, for there is no
shadow of excuse for it. A poor girl,
ignorant and starving, would have far
more leniency at my hands than lady
who could SO lower herself"
looked at Agnes. She was pale as
death, and in her eye was steady.
mournful look had never before seen
there.
Carroll" she said, elf you had a
dear friend who was afflicted with
kleptomania, how would you advise
her to overcome the temptation"
Something in the voice of his be-
trothed moved Carroll deeply, for he
replied, with strange solemnity:
LAS all other temptations must be
overcome-by constant struggle and
fervent prayer"
l thought the time had come for
these two to fully understand the
cuse to leave the room.
Not until I heard Carroll go up
stairs to his own apartment would re-
enter the drawing-room. Agnes was
there. deathly pale. but with certain
womanly expression new to her sweet
face.
81 have told him." she said; and her
voice sounded hollow and forced. He
will not give me up, but l have re-
solved to leave you all for a long, long
time. I will try to overcome the af-
Fiction of my life by struggle and
prayer, as Carroll advises. If con-
quer 1 will return; if not, CAROLS
wife shall never be thief.
She rose as she spoke, aud, kissing
me fondly, went to her room. 1
thought to have long talk with her,
to offer sympathy and counsel. but in
the morning we found her room va
cant. the bed undisturbed. She wrote
to me soon. telling me she had walked
to N and caught the midnight ex-
press.
81 leave home to-day" she wrote,
'.and unless can come back to you
cured I will come back no more
In her room I found all the little
trinkets I had supposed were in Han
nah's hands Carroll and / talked
often and gravely of the child he loved,
sometimes hopefully. but often, as
time wore away, sadly. For my grand
son had repented often of his harsh,
stern judgment. and was willing to
think there was really a disease in
fault.
''And yet" he would say, with
mournful eyes. eff it was kleptomania
that made Agnes take your trinkets.
why should we have sent to Sing Sing
the burglar who was caught stealing
the plate few years ago? That poor
wretch was driven to crime nv starva-