Semi=weekly graphic., 1897-06-23
THIEVES IN SOCIETY,"
STORIES TOLD BY NONBEtlEVERS tN
 KLEPTOMANlA.

Old Things For New.
 "Oh, give it any name you like-bor- rowing other peoples belongings and failing ever to return them, mistaken identity as to special possessions or klep- tomania but 1 call it thieving and soihething ought to be done about it. n
 This is what the blond woman in the very smart bonnet said to her nearest Aeighbor in blue, whereupon every other woman near the tea table cut short her conversation and hold her cup in midair to hear what the discussion would bring forth
 That I do went on tho blond em. phatieally "and I've been stolen from repeatedly. No. my dear, won t take word of it back, and l am not speak ing hastily. In every instance it was plain ease of theft, and I've not up to date recovered single belonging. Why, of course if it had been gllmy fingered sneak thief, or too enterprising house. maid, most naturally would have gone to the police and detectives for p1otec. ton and assistance, but it is not quite so easy to have an individual who wears the best French gloves, whose bonnets como from an expensive importer and who sometimes asks you to share her opera box, receive ut her teas or take a lift home in her brougham, arrested and searched on suspicion.
 Well, I neverl" remarked the wom- an in hue
 "Oh, that's just because you are e dear, unsophisticated litue creature and out in your western town they don do such things The temptations are not so great but 1 can assure you that here ill our big cities, at regular intervals polite kleptomania is simply rampant and hardly q big function breaks up that half the women don't come away quite savage over the less of some pretty and especially prized belonging Evi- dcnt1y the blond was right, for all the other women nodded assent. and the hostess was apparently breathless to tell of some personal grievance on this score. when the first speaker broke ill again;
 You see, she elaborated, I've used to think tmight have been the servants fault, CT an honest error, when we found our possessions exchanged for others less valuable or simply disappearing, un. til two or three times the offenders were caught right ill the act, and then eame the awfully dismal consciousness that really no one could he trusted
 My first experience was with a very costly lace fam 1 carried to dinner [ held on to utmost aifectionately through out the evening, until somo half dozen of us went up to the hostess bedroom for our wraps There l laid if, with my yinaigrette and fan, on the dressing ta- blc, and when l turned 10 get them again the fan was gone Iprotosted the maid searched, but nothing came of it. and broken healtcdly ] went down, be wailing my less to q symputhizing fem, mine companion. We went out 10 au1 respective carriages together, but as the butler opened the hall dcor puff of wind blew her long cloak aside. and there l saw, snug in it's pocket, my pre-. cious fan. We'll, the next day | wrote her very frankly, asking for its return, suggesting of course, she had taken it by mistake, and home it came. But we have never spoken since.
 That taught me to look for higher offenders than maids in dressing rooms, who are usually accused of making way with all wraps, umbrellas, ovorshoes and what not that may be missing
 !" An, that is not my trouble, " chimed ill q debutantc across the tea table. s'Tho favorite plan is now to exchange bad for good things. I am growing almost philosophical oyer the deplorable shab- biness of my wardrobe from this con- stant swapping. Last week, on coming mp late to the dressing room from q dance, found in place of my brand new green suede carriage oyershoes two ovellmge, badly worn ones of rusty black velvet and my lace head scarf cx- changed for frayed one of soiled white chiffon. Naturally cross and sleepy, fell on the tired maid, who wept and denied, but looked as if she could tell tale
 "Only to make a test case of it l rolled my new French galochcs ill my mackin. tosh, laid my card OH top and put them ill q safe corner of the dressing room of a house where l went to luncheon the other day. But it was of no avail. The galoches had been metamorphosed into pair of muddy rubhers with holes in them when l went back, and I didn't grumble, since my pretty umbrella was left The work of the spoiler goes on ill the cloakrooms when big wedding re- captions, teas, musieales and private balls are in progress
 " At one of the big dances of the sea. son the hostess simply ordered her maid to issue cheeks for every woHms wrap, and, charming to relate, net go mnch as Il hairpin was lost, for at her daughters | wedding reception, only q week before, three mutfs got away somehow without | their rightful owners, and tho posscssor | of a $500 sable hand warmer found ( sclubby old astrallhan one ill iis place.
 That is where the fashionable klep- ! salye their cmlsciences by an exchange, you see, for rarely is anything | taken that some inferior article is not ! put ill it's place, and very rarely are ! they caught with them. Their position | in society is one of protection, and their | hctims are tee tinid or proud to trace [ a clew which tnn often leads right to ! the door of their best friends or some woman who is aiding materially ill ! helping them along ill society '-Milli- [ rent Alrowpoint in Chicago Record
 Sandals were more fashionable alnonp !