Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1896-04-11
MISS DINKER'S THEFT.

No one knew how it was first discov-
cred that Miss Dinker wss a klepto
maniac, but it was fact, and people
made the best of it. Old Miss Dinker
was tolerably well off, or her habit OF
appropriating other peoples property
would have got her into trouble. But
Cumminseed was used to Miss Dinker.
When she visited the village store and
put piece of tape up her sleeve the
watchful shopman added its price to her
bill. When she took neig hbor's forks
the neighbor sent a polite message to
Miss Jane Dinker to have them restored,
and Miss Jane, who was old Miss Din
ker's neice, would find them up chimney
or down cellar and restore them.
Old Miss Dinker knew that she was
deserving Of blame in thus indulging
her desire for stolen fruit, but as she
often remarked when reasoned with, she
couldn't help it."
She was generous old lady, too, and
kindly, and ii she taught Jane that man
was a deceiver and that spinsterhood
was blessed, she meant we'll
Capt Richard Murphy told another
story when his ship lay in port and he
himself rested at little hotel in Cum
minseed And Jane, won over by his
merry voice and jolly ways, forgot her
aunt's precepts and one day ran away
with him, leaving a penitent little note
for her aunt and begging her forgive.
ness.
The old lady was naturally indignant,
but when, three days later, the captain
brought Jane back under his arm, estab,
lished her in a beautiful little house
which he had purchased, and sent for
the old lady to make up, Miss Dinker
relented, took tea with her neice, and
deigned to approve of her choice, and
SO the village scandal was sienced for
awhile and people called on Mrs. Capt.
Murphy
They lived together for FIVE years in
great contentment, and little boy was
was born to them, and all went on pros
peronsly; but at the end of that time the
sword that always hangs by hair over
the head OF seafaring mans wife fell
at last The captains vessel was a
wreck and the captain and crew persisted
in mid ocean, and Jane, after hoping
against hope, and refusing to believe
when no one else doubted, and listening
night and day for step that came not
and could never come, accepted the
truth Stlast and put on her Widows cap
and took the awful truth Ia place of sus.
pense, and tried to live and bear it for
her boys sake Then there came from
some far-off place man who proved
himself the captains brother, and who
claimed the property, alleging that Jane
Dinker had never been married to him
at all Jane was furious, but she could
only vow that clergyman of the Epis-
copal church had married her She
could not remember the name of the
church nor Of its pastor, nor had she
what the brother called "'er lines" The
marriage certificate, as she declared, the
captain always kept among his private
papers and had taken to sea with him.
She advertised in New York paper
for the clergyman who had performed
the sarNira bt,t M aps,rar car,a 49,
finally the law and popular opinion de-
ciared that the widow had never been a
wife, and she was left poverty stricken
and helpless, and not a friend in the
world but old Miss Dinker. She came
out nobly, though Jane had been away
With The captain to New York and was
not TO be accounted for for three DAYS
and though she could not prove her
marriage old Miss Dinker insisted upon
it that "she couldn't help being decent
with her bringing up
Alas! all the rest of Cumminseed held
a contrary opinion They remembered
"haying thought it wasn't right They
shnddered at the thought of having as
ISOLATED with such a creature, and won.
deere how She had dared to impose upon
them so. They sent her to Coventry
and tabooed her. think some of the
dear creatures would have tarred and
feathered her if they could. Jane Dinker
had the comfortable Yankee pride Of re-
sPectability in its Yankee sense strong
within her soul. and this scorn quite
crushed her. She hid herself from hu.
man eyes as much as possible and went
home with old Miss Dink. r,
whose income had grown smaller in
these years aud who really showed great
generosity in taking her disgraced niece
% her boom.
But lane, thankful as she felt, could
not be glad to go. The old home seemed
5loomier than ever, and the change was |
errible. Then, after having plenty and |
o spare, to be apoor dependent was very, |
iery hard TO have nothing for her little |
BOYS amusement and to know that She
would never be able to dress him as She
loped all this was hard to bear, though
nothing like the hame and disgrace of
Ter position, and, to add to her unhap
'iness, Miss Dinker's popularity had
developed itself immensely. And now
hat she had eountenanced poor Jane
md opened her house 10 her sbe aI.o