The Indianapolis journal., 1896-12-27
THIEVING IN SOCIETY.
Persons i'm High Life who "ApprO-
pirate" Property of others.


Every one knows the story of the man
who, leaving a dance late, found In the
dressing room only an assortment of shah
by hats.
How is thiS? he asked his host. MY
hat was new.
His host laughed My dear fellow, aft
er II o'clock there are no more new hats
1t sounds like an exaggeration. Or one
might even believe that such things hap
pen at a public ball. but in "A private house
why how absurd.
But those who entertain extensively do
not say: How absurd so readily. They
know that human nature is very uncer-
No matter how exclusive one is, un-
pleasant contretemps will arise con-
Stantly.
Here is an example-small. yet inexpli-
cable. A dinner dance was given for a
certain bud. Only thirty persons were
asked, and they were all well known to
the hostess But when the bud came to
go home her brand new fur carriage boots
had been exchanged for shabby old
hs bad ane dapefny placed % all her wraps
together in an out OF the way corner
when she came and the mystery OF those
There was another story-a tale of a
Newport luncheon-which leaked out In
the pretty tea room on Flfth avenue
longing to a young woman who is de-
cidedly lin society" There were but
twelve guests at this luncheon, ana when
the owner of the sablescMiss Il let US
call her-came TO look for her wrap 1t
was gone. and in it's stead was n very or
dinary mink chpe Sdf itb ana his cape are' in hand
and saw walking down the drive on the
figure of one of the guests the Identical
missing set of sableS.
a great amount of courage To go up 10 a
woman with, whom you have juSt oeen
wrap" which no matter how pnrased. is
what it amounts to. But. backed by her
friend Miss X. gracefully accomplished
Quite coolIy the woman replied that Miss
" was mistaken. The sables were her
own. The young women were almost par
the evidences OF their own senses. but.
rallyng. Miss X. insisted that the furs
were hers. -, GOV, ,osor;,e
the lining and tell you the makers name "
The womans braNado held out while
but nay sEe p sbe he
article And this happened in Newport.
A well-known matron told her most IN
innate friend in strict confidence; AND the
latter i'm turn told hers. who told theirs,
a tale which required Mortified exclama-
tions and almost bated breath. Alter her
dauChter's wedding some bureau silver ana
a few trifies of that kind were missing.
A detectives services were called into red
uisition. o;a
to the amazement of the host and hostess
When it was shown him he ran ms nnger
down the list until he came 20 the name
We've had our eyes on him for some
time said the detective. Wherever ne
goes something is always missed after
It is needless to say the articles were
She mania for collection has been an
other trial of hostesses, Disgusting, as 1t
does. urder euphonious name. what is
usually called theft. And the universal Gus
tom of bribinS ones guests, Seheraly
known as favor-giving, has made lnVoiun-
tary shoplifters of perfectly honorable peo-
pie. ,.
81 always keep my eye on my bonDon
dishes" remarked young woman VINO mas
some beautifully enameled ones, Tor al
most always some guest taxes theni iof
souvenirs and tells me | am really shame
fully extravagant to give. away Such ex-
quisite things. SO wouio oe IL oio give
them away.
instance occurred 1t was at one or the
regular social meetings, and the members.
as usual laid aside their wraps for the
afternoon. Now 1t happened that tnere
were two sealskin jackets identically alike
in the lining shape. newness and maker 5
name One belonged to Mrs Jones-Smltn-
or-Brown, who. happening to be the last
to leave. got what the other leIt-not ne her =
own. She discovered this because she hed
mn n memorandum book. or some SUCH
Thing in her Jacket pocket, ana IL was not
there when she put her wrap on. Inn
media tely her blood-whoSe boiling point IS
very low-rose and she was resolved TO
hiring the offender to judgment. According
lv she insulted every member OF her club
by sending TO each postal card, delicately
worded:
take. kindly return it TO me-"
The other party to the Involuntary ex-
change had discovered her mistake. but
knew no way of identifying the owner or
the Garment until she received the postal.
Then the proper exchange was made