Semi=weekly graphic., 1897-04-14

Light Fingers In the Dressing Rooms of
 Fashionable Entertainers Unfair Ex-
 changes Which nIay Be Called Robbery.
 Old Things For New.
 ''Oh, give it any name you ike-bor- rowing other peoples belongings and failing ever to return them, mistaken identity as to special possessions or klep- tomania, but 1 call 1t thieying, and something ought 10 be done about it. .
 This is what the blond woman in the very smart bonnet said to her nearest neighbor ill blue, whereupon every other woman near the tea table cut short her conversation and held her cup in midair to hear what the discussion would bring forth
 That do, went on the blond em- phatically, and I've been stolen from repeatedly. No, my dear, l won't take word of 1t back, and am not speak ing hastily. In every instance it was a plain ease of theft, and I've not up to date recovered Q single belonging. Why, of course if 1t had been 8 grimy fingered sneak thief, or too enterprising house maid, 1 most naturally would have gone to the police and detectives for protee- tion and assistance, but it is not quite so easy to have an individual who wears the best French gloves, whose bonnets come from an expensive importer and who som etimes asks you to share her opera box, receive at her teas or take Q lift home in her brougham, arrested and searched on suspicion. /"
 Well, I neverl" remarked the wom- an in blue.
 "Oh, that's just because you are dear, unsophistieated little creature, and out in your western town they don t do such things The temptations are not so great, but can assure you that here in our big cities, at regular intervals, polite kleptomania is simply rampant, and hardly a big function breaks up that half the women don't come away quite savage over the loss of some pretty and especially prized belonging Evi- dently the blond was right, for all the other women nodded assent, and the hostess was apparently breathIess to tell of some personal grievance on this score, when the first speaker broke in again:
 You see, '' she elaborated, five used 10 think it might have been the servants fault, or 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 in the act, and then came the awfully dismal consciousness that really no one could be trusted.
 My first experience was with very costly lace fan carried to dinner. I held on to it most affectionately through out the evening, until some half dozen of us went up to the hostess bedroom for our wraps. There I laid it, with my vinaigFette and fan, on the dressing ta- ble, and when I turned to get them again the fan was gone. protested the maid searched, but nothing came of 1t, and broken heartedIy I went down, be- wailing my loss to a sympathizing fem mine companion. We went out to our respective carriages together, but as the butler opened the hall door 8 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 I wrote her very frankly, asking for its return, suggesting, of course, she had taken it by mistake, and home 1t 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, oyershoes and what not that may be missing. ''
 An, that is not my trouble, y chimed in debutante across the tea table "The fayorite plan is now to exchange bad for good things. l am growing almost philosophical over the deplorable shab- biness of my wardrobe from this con stant swapping. Last week, on coming up late to the dressing room from a dance, I found in place of my brand new green suede carriage oyershoes two oyerlarge, badly worn ones of rusty black velvet and my lace head scarf ex- changed for frayed one of soiled whito chiffon. Naturally cross and sleepy, I fell on the tired maid, who wept and denied, but looked as if she could tell a tale.
 Only to make a test case of 1t I rolled my new French galoches in my maokin- tosh, laid my card on top and put them in safe corner of the dressing room of a house where went to luncheon the other day. But it was of no avail. The galoehes had been metamorphosed into pair of muddy rubbers 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 in the cloakrooms when big wedding re- captions, teas, musicales and private balls are ill progress.
 At one of the big dances of the seq son the hostess simply ordered her maid to issue checks for every woman,s wrap. and charming to relate, not so much as hairpin was lost, for at her daughters wedding receptioa1 enly | week before. three muffs got away somehow without their rightfuI owners, and the possessor of $500 sable hand warmer found a seuhby old astralhan one in it's place.
 That is where the fashionable klep- tomaniaes salYe their conseienees by an exchange, you see, for rarely is anything taken that some inferior article is not put in it's place, and very rarely are they caught with them Tbeir noeifia,,