The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-02-28

30 give it any name you like. bor-
rowing other peoples belongings and
falling ever to return them. mistaken
identity as to special possessions, or
kleptomania, but I call it thieving. and
something ought to be done about it.
This is what the blonde woman in the
very smart bonnet said to her nearest
neiChbor in blue whereupon every
other woman near the table cut short
her conversation and held her cup in
mid air to hear what the discussion
would bring forth.
That 1 do" went on the blonde. en-
phatically, and I've been stolen from
repeatedly. No. my dear. I won't take
q word of it back, and I'm not ~ king
hastily. In every instance it was a
plain case of theft, and I've not up TO
date recovered a single belonging
Why, Of course. if it had been 8 grimy-
fingered sneak thief. or a too-enterpris-
ing house maid most naturally would
have gone to the police and detectives
for protection and assistance but il is
not quite so easy to have an individual
who wears the hest French gloves.
whose bonnets comes from an eX-
pensive importers and who sometimes
asks you 10 share her opera box. re-
ceive at her teas or take a lift home in
her brougham, arrested and searched
on suspicion"
We'll, never!" remarked the woman
IN blue.
20 that's Just because you are a dear
unsophisticated little creature. and out
in your western towns 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, po-
lite 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 priced belonging" Evidently
the blonde 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 in again
You see" she elaborated. I'VE used
10 think it might have been the
servants fault. or an honest error,
when we found our possessions ex-
changed for others less valua BILE. or
simply disappearing, until two or three
times the offenders were caught rieht
in the act, and then came the awfully
dismal consciousness that -eally no one
could be trusted.
my first experience was with a very
costly lace fan / carried to a dinner.
held on to it most affectionately
.I1rOuGnOul the evening" until some
Fhalf-dozen of US went up to the hostess
bedroom for our wraps. There laid it,
with my vinagrette and fan, on the
dressing table, and when I turned 10
get them again the fan was gone.
protested. the maid searched. but moth
ing came of ii. and broken heartedly /
went down, bewailing my loss to a
sympathizing feminine companion. We
went out to our respective carriages to-
gethar. but as the butler opened the
hall door a puff of wind blew her long
cloak aside, and there I saw, snug in
her pocket, my precious fan. Well, the
next day wrote her very frankly. ask
ing for its return, suggesting, of course,
she had taken II by mistake, and home
If 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. over
shoes and what not that may be miss
ing.
IN debutante across the tea table.