Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-02-03

But the other insisting, after excusing
himself to me he quilted his place for a
momen ut. That moment sufficed me-
When he returned the piece of point
d'Alencon was beneath my jacket.
His eyes seemed to me to fix themselves
on my visage with sarcastic insistence and
the tone of his voice changed. | noted the
diHere nee. Had he OWNED that | was a
thief? He could not have seen me- as |
took the point d'Alencon from beneath ali
theNaienciennes, and yet he no longer urged
me TO buy, as il he were thinking: 1t isn't
worth my time. This woman is no Gus
toner. She steals
IAN insupportable heat fused my face,
and l suffered so that | shut my teeth so
as not to cry out. was on the point of
throwing down the lace on the counter and
saying, i only wanted to see if you would
miss it But then voice rose in me cry
ing; But then you will no longer have the
laces which have turned you into a crimi-
nal. 1t is impossible for you to give them
back. lou must have them, you adore
them, they are part of your flesh and blood
1t would be torture to tear them away
from you. No, TO! Go. hurry away, carry
them OF with your And | could not re-
slst. was no longer myself. / was car
RED away by 4 monstrouS instinct. / COM
pretended nothing of what was going on
in my II addened brain, and yet recoIlect-
Ell all the steps of my moral fall with
atrocious precision. rose and said, De
cidedly You have nothing to tempt me-
Il inclined my head TO the clerk and
walked slowly away through the crowd
longing that | could dare to run, so half
dead l was with fear. My heart beat as if
It would break, my legs treD.Jled, the per
SEPARATION rolled down my forehead, and |
tried To smile, thinking that all the people
who surrounded and pushed against me
were Oh the alert to discover me At that
moment, and when only ten steps from the
door, CLEAN OF reason iIlamiucd my
brain. Il WAS Il, if a curtain separating.
NE from The light had been suddenly torn
away. | saw my couduct clearly. | fell
into a horror of myself, and turned to
pat back the piece of lace on the counter.
second terror more intense than that
which had preceded overcame me. Sup
pose that IN Chc Instant my conscience was
saving mt from myself should lose all by
attempting TO repair my fault; No, could
not turn lack. | must go, must escape
Grlckiy, but without taking the stolen
treasure, without remaining "a thief |
iousened the lace inside my jacket and let
II ialI on the floor. Instantly "A voice. b..
hlad me said. 'NadaIne. you have los,
something
i raised my eyes and stood rooted to the
spot. The clerk who had served me was
by my side He still SMILED. | sf.rnnered
This is noo my bundle Yes, pardon me.
1t Is yours. II dropped out of your Jacket
Curious faces were already gathered round,
eager for scandal / cried, For PHYS
sake, not here"
The clerk understood, bowed, and max
ing me walk before him ushered me into
corridor. y door opened. was in the
office of an inspector. How shall tell YOU
OF my fright and despair? What supplica-
ton did not pour out to this man who
held in his hands my honor, my life and
the future Of those dearest to me? He list
ened coldly, and to all my prayers and
tears answered in the harshest terms:
Yes, yes, we know all that. It's the
old story; we hear it every day PRAY be
assured that it no longer deceives US
Every month thousands of francs worth
of goods are stolen from us, and If we do
not take severe measures we shall toe
ruined. Who are you, madames Kindly
give me your name and address.
Il cried out, Never
Then ! must give you in charge Of the
commlssary of police
But your head partner-take me to see
M Bontemps.'
Impossible! That Is expressly forbid
den NJ. Bontemps cannot lose his time
listening to the ridiculous stories Of all the
shoplifters whom we catch. This happens
here ten times day. Come, madame, de-
eide. Your name and address or the police
Office
Then l saw that could obtain nothing
from this hardened slave of duty. | could
not speak to pronounce my name, hitherto
honored but when the inspector pushed
pen and paper to me | wrote with one
movement what he asked for. He looked
at the signature, and in his eyes read the
suspicion of false name. And had not
even thought that he would doubt mel In
dlgnantly drew out my card case and al
most flung a card in his face. He smiled
to see himself so well understood, and
bending down wrote under my name, in
the large and regular hand of a veteran
lieutenant, Arrested for stealing lace
Il felt the blood rush to my face like a
flame, and throwing myself on the door
fled from the magasin."
Listening to this story from the lin. of
Its shuddering heroine made my blood run
cold. | looked at this woman. pale and
overwhelmed ty her misfortune. and asked
myself II l were not the sport of phan-
tom. l have assisted at many touching
scenes during my financial career Those
whom have helped have been ungrateful,
none of those whom have refused to as
sist has killed himself, as he threatened to,
so that | am little inclined to soften. But
this Italian girl was so beautiful in her
distress and abandoned herself with such
that ] warmed in her cause and
shared in her despair
What did / do when out of doors9' she
said. Il felt that l had utterly thrown
myself away. / should not have yielded.
That man could not have given me up to
the police, and if he had the comnissary
would have listened and if not he, then
the project. Those men have power. have
they not? They can take it upon them
selves TO save the honor of a family. or
else what is authority worth? Oh, if
had been led into his presence l should
have found woros-l should have thrown
myself at his feet-he would have saved