The Springdale news., 1889-08-23

cret what 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:
 ''I had 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 shiver, and slip an ice-cold hand into mine
 Perhaps, grandma" continued Car rolA you do not know that klepto- mania is the new name for fashionable theft. We are old fashioned folks here. and have always called thief, thief, It is monstrous,n he said, his eyes flashing. ito defend stealing because the thief is in high social position
 But" l said, they plead the temp tatiOn is irresistible"
 'So may any thief plead. Suppos- ing l were to walk into 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" l urged again, "if you had d dear friend a victim to this disease If it is a disease would you judge her so sternly?"
 II would. could far sooner forgive a poor, starving wretch who took my purse when driven by want to crime, than 1 could thief, who, needing nothing, robbed me, and called the robbery kleptomania."
 ''But if it were lady. delicate and re4hed, you would not send her to share the prison of common felons"
 Fl would, if she had fitted herself for their society by sharing their crime. Indeed, l should judge such a case far moro severely, for there is no shadow of excuse for it. A poor girl, ignorant and starving, would have far more lenicncy at my hands than a iadp who could so lower herself"
 looked at Agnes She was pale as death, and in her eye was a steady, mournful look had never before seen there.
 Carroll, she said, If 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 a strange solcmnity:
 "As 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 painful position, and made some cx- cuse to leave the room
 Not until l heard Carroll 90 up stairs to his own apartment would re- enter the drawing Agnes was there, deathly pale, but with certain womanly expression new to her sweet face
 "I have told him" shc 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. l will try to overcome the af- niction Of my life by struggle and prayer, as Carroll advises. If con- quer l will return; if not, Carroll 5 wife shall never be thief
 She rose as she spoke, and, kissing me fondly, went 10 her room l 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.
 'l leave homo today" she wrote, "and unless l can come back to you cured will come back no more."
 In her room found an the little trinkets had supposed were in Han- nah's hands. Carroll and 1 talked often and gravcly 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 disease in fault.
 And yet" he would say, with mournful eyes, ''if 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 by starva- tion, but there was no scntimentality in his lawyers plea. He was merely a thief, and received the punishment of thief
 And you would send Agnes to Sing Sing?"
 "Heaven forbid. I can not cease to love her and pray that she may come back to us as she promised.
 So two years wore away and we thought Agnes was lost to us. Carroll came every week, as usual, to spend Sunday with me, and we talked of his betrothed as we talk of the dearly loved dead.
 One Saturday afternoon was in my own room sewing when a knock upon my door was followed by the entrance of a lady, a little lady, who stood he's itating about entering till l said:
 Agnes. dear child, weIcomer'
 Then she nestled in my arms in the old loving way. But in her face I read the truth I longed to see, the princi- pie that had overcome her temptation, the triumph of prayerful effort.
 The baby look was gone and the violet eyes, retaining all their sweet ness, were full of gentle dignity. The baby manner, too. had vanished in a quiet, lady like department, very graceful and winsome.
 My dear. dear child" l said, taking of her hat and sacque, you are more than welcome"
 You will believe me then" she said. earnestly, when l tell you that