Semi=weekly graphic., 1897-07-10
THIEVES IN SOCIETY.
STORIES TOLD BY NoNBELtEVERs IN
 KLEPTOMkNlA.

Light Fingers In the Dressing Rooms of
 Fashioaable Entertainers Unfair Ex-
 changes wlieh May Be Called Robbery.
 Old Things For New.
 esOh, 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- t,,iiisiiiist. but cali 1t 1t tiiiie7iis5 and something ought to be done about fl. "
 This is what the blond Wonian itl the very smart bonnet said to her nearest neighbor in blue, whereupon every other woman near the tea table cut short her conversation and held her cup ill midair to hear what the discussion would bring forth
 "That do, a went on the blond em. phatieally, and I've been stolen from repeatedly No, my dear, l won't take | word of it back, and 1 am not speak ing hastily. In every instance it was plain case of theft, and I've not up to. date recovered a single belonging. Why, of course if it had been grimy fingered sneak thief, CT too enterprising house. maid, 1 most naturally would have gone tc the police and detectives for pretee- ton and assistance, but it is not quite so easy to have an individual who wears the hest French gloves, whose bonnets come from an expensive importer and 8ho sometimes asks you to share her opera box, receive at her teas or take lift heme in her brougham, arrested and searched on suspicion. ,
 Well, l reverP' remarked the wom- all in blue.
 "Oh, that's just because you are dear, unsophisticated little creature, and out iii your western town they don't do such things. The temptations are not go great, but 1 can assure you that here in our big cities, at regular intervals, polite kleptemania 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 " Eyt. dently 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 i'll again;
 You see, she elaborated, i've used to think it might have been the servants fault, or an ho1est error. when we found our possessions exchanged fer others less valuable or simply disappearing, un. til two or three times the offenders were caught right i'll the act, and then came the awfully dismal consciousness that really no one could be trusted.
 NJ flrzt experience was with very costly fan carried to . dinner. 1 held u u it most affectionately through out the evening, until some half dozen ef us went up to the hostess bedroom for our wraps. There 1 laid it, with my Yinaigrette and fan, OH the dressing ta- ble, and when l turned to get them again the fan was gone Iprotested, the maid searched, but nothing came of it, and broken heartedly 1 went down, be. wailing my loss 10 a sympathizing fem. mine companion. We went out to our respective carriages together, but as the butler opened the hall door puff oi 1 wind blew her long cloak aside, and l there l saw, snug in its pocket, my pre- cious fan We'll, the next day l wrot. her very frankly, asking for it's return suggesting, of course, she had taken i by mistake, and home 1t came. But wt 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, overshoe, and what not that may be missing
 "Ah, that is not my trouble, D chimeC in debutante across the tea table, 'Tht fayorite plan Is HOW to exchange bad for good things. l am growing almost l philosophical ever the deplorable shab. biness of my wardrobe from this con stant swapping. Last week, on coming up late to the dressing room from q dance, l found in place Of my brand new green suede carriage oyershoes two oyeTlarge, badly worn oles of rusty black velvet and my lace head scarf ex. 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 z tale
 "Only to make q test case of it Irolled my new French galoehes ill my mackin tosh, laid my card on top and put them in safe corner of the dressing room ot d house where l went to luncheon the other day. But 1t was of no avail. The i galoehes had been metamorphosed into 5 pair of muddy rubbsrs with holes in 1 them when l went back, and 1 didn' t 1 grumbie, since my pretty umbrella was l left The work of the spoiler goes en in l the cloakrooms when big wedding re- captions, teas. musicales and private balls are i'll progress.
 " At one of the big dances of the sea. 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 daughter < wedding reception, only week before, 1 three muffs got away somehow without their rightiul owners, and the possessor of $500 sable hand warmer found n 1 se1nhby old aStrakhan one iu it's place.
 That is where the fashionable klep- tomaniaes salye their couscienees by an exchange, you see, for rarely is anything taken that some inferior article is net put ill it's place, and very rarely ars they caught with them. Their position m society is one of protection, and their hetims are too timid or proud to trace