Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-11-25

tomtr. She steals
IN insupportable heat suffnsed my face.
md suffered 50 Tint shut my teeth a.
q mol 70 cry ont. was on the point Of
throwing down the lace on the counter and
sHyinT. y ally wanted to see II you would
miss i Dut then voice rose il me cry.
lng;' Bat then yen will no longer have the
laces which have turned you into crinii,
nni. it IS impossible for you to give them
back You must have them, you adore
them, they are part Of your flesh and blood.
y would be torture to tear them away
from you. NO, mol Go, hurry away. carry
| them off with your And / could not =.
sist was no longer myself. was car.
riesSaway by monstrous instinct com
pretended nothing Of what was going on
in my maddened brain, and vet recollect.
ed 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 md
walked slowly away through the crowd.
longing that | could dare to RIM, SO half
dead was with fear. Ny heart beat as II
It would break, my legs trerbDed. the per
SEPARATION rolled down my forehead, and l
tried to smile, thinking that all the people
VINO surrounded and pushed against me
were on the alert to discover me- At that
moment, and when only ten steps from the
door, CLEAN OF reason illumined nv
Drain. 1t WAS ~ u u curtain separating
me from the light had been suddenly torn
away. saw my conduct clearly. fell
into horror VI 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. SIM.
pose that In the instant my conscience WIS
saving me frosn myself should lose ali by
attempting to repair my fault? No, / could
not turn back. must 20, must escape
quickly. but without taking the stolen
treasure, without remaining thief /
loosened the lace inside my Jacket and let
it fall on tile floor. Instantly a voice he
hind me said. Madame. you have los,
something
Il raised my eyes and stood rooted to the
| spot. The clerk who had served me was
by my side He still smiled stammered,
This Is not my bundle.' Yes, pardon me.
It is yours. 1t dropped out Of your jacket. )
Curious faces we're already gathered round,
eager for scandal. l cried, For PHYS
sake, not here!'
The clerk understood, bowed, and max
Ing me walk before him ushered me into
a corridor. 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
l rtN0r J. fhrtrs 1, .f fun ~
of goods are stolen from us, and if we dc
not take severe measures we shall be
ruined Who are you, madamef Kindly
give me your name and address,
81 cried out, 'Neverr
"'Then ! must give you in charge of the
commissary of police
".But your head partner--take me to SET
M. Bontemps.'
"'lmpossible! That is expressly forbid
den. M. Bontemps cannot lose his time
listening to the ridiculous stories of.all thu
shoplifters whom we CATCH This happens
here ten times a day. Come, madame, de
eide. Your name and address or the polics
office.
"Then saw that could obtain nothing
from this hardened slave of duty. l coult
not speak to pronounce my name, hitherto
! honored, but when the inspector pushet
pen and paper to me | wrote with on,
; movement what he asked for He looked
at the signature, and in his eyes read tn
suspicion of false name. And had no
/, even thought that he would doubt me! In
dignantly drew out my card case and al
most flung a card in his face. He smilet
to see himself SO we'll understood, ant
bending down wrote under my name, il
the large and regular hand of veteran
lieutenant, Arrested for stealing lace
81 felt the blood rush to my face like
. fame, and throwing myself On the door
fled from the magasinT
Listening to this story from the lips o
its shuddering heroine made my blood rul
9 : cold | looked at this woman, pale ant
i overwhelmed by her misfortune, and aske.
myself if were not the sport of phan
> tom. | have assisted at many touching
scenes during my financial career. Thos
whom have helped have been ungratefu
none of those whom | have refused to as
sist has killed himself, as he threatened t1
so that | am little inclined to soften. Blu
this Italian gil1 was SO beautiful in he
distress and abandoned herself with sue
sincerity that warmed in her cause an
shared in her despair
"What dld 90 Wnen OUT oI uooTS! 81
, said. 81 felt that | had utterly throw
II myself away. should not have yielded
y That man could not have given me up t
the police, and if he had the commissar
would have listened, and if not he, the
the project. Those men have power, hay
c. they not? They can take it upon then
70 selves to save the honor of family, {
else what is authority worths Oh, II
had been led into his presence / shout
7 have found words-I should have throw
myself at his feet-he would have save
8, ma Whereas now-now there exists
l. the hands of living being material, il
$. famous, ignominious proof of my gun
II which may some day reveal what hay
E. done. | saw the Seine before me as
., Thought of this, and the desire to thro
IS myself into the river came into my MIN
a repulsed it with horror, not from the fe'
a. of death, but from disgust at the sea
lie dial which such an ignoble end won
I, raise. | FASTENED away through the Tu
y leries garden, talking aloud to mysel
le weeping and so wild looking that eve
d. one turned to look at me. At the Rue
ia Riyol / took carriage to go home, d
ne ON the way the impossibility OF facing II
u, husband came upon me so strongly that
es shuddered. To whom could | turny ha
I'd no friends or relations here; my father is
W Italy When the carriage passed oe1o
'e your door the sight of your name was IL
ST a message from heaven. remember
4, your kindness, the delicacy OF your cha
! acter, the exceptional probity OF your rep
II tation-what more can ! sayf came ne
no -, ,oit for Won I have told you all, al