The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-06


took the point d'Alencon from beneath all
observation-disclosures, and yet he no longer urged
me to buy. as if he were thinking: 1t isn't
worth my time. This woman Is no Gus
toner. She steals.
"Au insupportable heat suffused my face,
and suffered so that shut my teeth sc
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 a voice rose in me cry
ing: But then you will no longer have the
laces which have turned you into crimi-
nal. 1t is impossible for you to give them
back. You must have them, you adore
them, they are part of your flesh and blood.
| IL would be torture to tear them away
from YOU No, no. Go, hurry away, carry
them off with your And could not re-
sist. was no longer myself. l was car
ried away by monstrous instinct. ! COM
pretended nothing of what was going on
in my maddened brain, and yet recollect-
/ ed all the steps of my moral fall With
atrocious precision. / rose and said, De
cidedly you have nothing to tempt me-
81 inclined my head to the clerk and
walked slowly away through the crowd,
longing that I could dare TO run, so half
it would break, my legs trembled. the per-
/ SEPARATION rolled down my forehead, and l
tried to smile, thinking that all the people
who surrounded and pushed against me
were on the alert to discover me. At that
moment, and when only ten steps from the
door, a CLEAN of reason illumined my
brain. IL was as if a curtain separating
me from the light had been suddenly torn
| 7 oIa IL 7 foil
into a horror of myself, and turned to
/ put back the piece of lace on the counter
A second terror more intense than that
which had preceded overcame me. Sup
pose that in the instant my conscience was
/ saving me from myself / should lose All by
attempting to repair my fault? No, could
! not turn back. / must 90, l must escape
quickly, but without taking the stolen
! treasure, without remaining a thief.
! lousened the lace inside my jacket and let
it fall on the floor. Instantly a voice be-
| hind me said, Madame, you have lost
something
81 raised my eyes and stood rooted to the
spot. The clerk who had served me was
by nv side. He still smiled / stammered,
This is not my bundle Yes, pardon me,
it is yours. 1t dropped out of your jacket
eager for scandal. / cried, For PHYS
sake, not here!
"The clerk understood, bowed, and max
ing me walk before him ushered me into
a corridor. A door opened. was in the
Office of an inspector. How shall / tell you
of my fright and despair? What supplica-
ton did not poar ont 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 u.s.
Every month thousands of francs worth
of goods are stolen from us, and if we DO
not take severe measures we shall be
ruined. Who are you, madame? Kindly
give me your name and address,
Il cried out 'Never'
"'Then must give you in charge of the
commI&,ary of police
"'But your head partner-take me to see
NJ. Bontemps.'
II" 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 | saw that could obtain nothing
from this hardened slave of duty. | could
not speak TO pronounce 10Y name, hitherto
honored, but when the inspector pushed
pen and paper to me l 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 me! In
dignantly 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 fer stealing lace
81 felt the blood rush to my face like
flame, and throwing myself on the door
fed from the magasin"
Listening TO this story from the lips of
its shuddering heroine made my blood run
cold. looked at this woman, pale and
overwhelmed by her misfortune, and asked
myself if ! were not the sport of phan-
tom. ! have assisted at many touching
scenes during my financial career. Those
whom l 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 aud abandoned herself with such
sincerity that | warmed in her cause and
shared in her despair
"What did do when out OF DOORS" she
said 81 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 commissary
would have listened, and if not he. then
the project. Those men have power, have
they rot? They can take il upon them
selves to save the honor of a family, or
else what is authority worth? Oh, if |
had been led into his presence ! should
have found words should have thrown
myself at his feet-he would have saved
me. Whereas now-now there exists in
the hands of living being material, in
famous, ignominious proof of my guilt,
which may some day reveal what | have
done. | saw the Seine before me as I
thought Of this, and the desire to throw
myself into the river came into my mind
l repulsed it with horror, not from the fear
of death, but from disgust at the scan
dial which such an ignoble end would
raise. | fastened away through the TUT
leries garden, talking aloud TO myself.
weeping and so wild looking that every
one turned to look at me. At the Rue de
Rivoli took a carriage to go home, but
on the way the impossibility OF facing my
husband came upon me 50 strongly that |
shuddered. To whom could | turns | have
no friends or relations here: my father is in
Italy. When the carriage passed before
your door the sight of your name was like
a message from heaven. ! remembered
your kindness, the delicacy Of your char
4. \ L z