The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1896-06-25
EXTRAVAGANCE A FACTOR
OF CRIME.

the door OF an apartment occupied by
a young man, his wife and child. In
the air were the fumes of gas. The
child was dead, the man and the wom-
an were dying. Near by was pack
age of stolen goods.
Two years previous, when that young
man was counting the girl who subse-
quently became his wife, they were as
fair couple as you shall see for many
day. lie was strong and reliant, and
she was comely and true. Employed
as clerk in large ablishment, he
was earning sufficient to support his
bride. Though there was no luxury,
there was enough and to spare for
necessaries. They took modest little
flat, furnished it prettily if economic
ally, and were happy as only two peo-
pie can be who are all the world to
each other. But in every Eden there
is serpent. The subtle gradations
by which that young couple acquired
tastes foreign to their natural atmos-
phere have not at my command the
space to describe. Suffice to say
that money which should have gone
to the coal-dealer was squandered one
night in orchestra stalls. Then to the
girl came new conceptions of dress,
and to her husband visions of larger
life. The poison of cocktail aiding,
he would set out for what is termed "a
good time" Presently accounts which
hitherto had been promptly met fell in
arrears. There was debt where there
had been credit, perjury where there
had been plenty, and on the first of the
month, when salaries are paid, the
money was no longer put by for house
keeping purposes-it went where it
did the least good. Barring windfalls,
an existence of that kind cannot en-
dure overlong; there are judgments,
sheriffs, dismissal, disgrace. In avoid
ance of such things, to preserve the
little home, to continue that miserable
! 'good time" the young man returned
one night with his pockets bullying
out. On the morrow his pockets
bulged still more. With the proceeds
of the sale of the contents the noisiest
bills were paid; then by the same proc
ess the others were stilled, the good
time continued. Where the money
had come from there was more, until
one day his employers questioned him
he saw that he was suspected; saw, too
no doubt, though too late, that as a
thief he was not very adroit; saw that
in the embarrassment of his answers
he was converting suspicion into con.
viction; saw something worse than
judgments and sheriffs and any dis
grace that debt may bring; saw him.
self not homeless but housed, behind
bars at that; saw not only ruin but pris'
on; saw his wife an outcast, his child a
waif-the end forever of that miserable
"good time" That night when his
wife was asleep, the child at her side
he closed the doors, turned on the gas
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In it's salient features this is by nc
means an exceptional case. Similar
episodes are reported almost every day
Many and many young man, not
alone in New York but in every com
mercial center throughout the globe
falls into that fatal error of thinking
that sin pays; that he can disregard
the mandate, Thou shalt not; that hi
won't be found out, and can enjoy hi:
"good time" But, however trite il
may sound, none the less is it true, tina
for every transgression there is pen
atty, one which is never RENTED, ont
which turns past enjoyment into {
} torture too keen to be borne. L
needs to be reiterated, though, for thu
old forget and the young have no
learned.-Collier's Weekly.
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