Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1898-09-14
STOLEN
EVIDENCE

| l. covered tnat MISS DlHheI WIS u
kleptomaniac; but it was q fact, and
people made the best Of it. Old Miss
Dinker was tolerably well of, or her
habit Of appropriating other peoples
property would have got her into trou-
BILE. But Cumminseed was used to
Miss Dinker. When she visited the
village store, and put apiece OF tape up
her sleeve, the watchful shopman add
cd it's price to her bill. WheE she
took her neighbor's forks the neighbor
sent polite message to Miss Jane
Dinker to have them restored; and Miss
Jane, who was old Miss Dinker' niece,
would find them up chimney or down
cellar, and restore them
Old Miss Dinker knew she was de-
serving Of blame in thus indulging her
desire for stolen fruit, but as she often
remarked when reasoned with, "she
couldn't help it,
She was generous old lady, too,
and kindly, and if she taught Jane that
man was a deceiver, and that spinster-
hood was blessed, she meant well.
Capt. Richard Murphy told another
story when his ship lay in port, and he
himself rested at little hotel in Cum
minseed. And Jane, won over by his
merry voice and jolly ways, forgot her
aunt's precepts, and one day ran away
with him, leaving penitent little note
for her aunt and begging her forgive
ness.
The old lady was naturally indignant,
but when, thee days after, the Captain
brought Jane back under his arms, es-
tabhshed her in beautiful little house,
which he had purchased, and sent for
"the old lady to make up Miss Dinker
reiented, took tea with her niece and
deigned to approve of her choice, and
SO the village scandal was silenced for
awhile, and the people called on Mrs,
Capt. Murphy.
They lived together for five years in
great contentment and little boy was
born to them, andall went prosperously,
but at the end OF that time the sword
that always hangs by hair over the
head OF seafaring mans life fell at
last. The Captains vessel was a wreck,
and the Captain and crew persisted in
midocean, and Jane after hoping against
hope, and refusing to believe when no
one else doubted, and listening night
and day for step that came not and
could never come, accepted the truth at
last and put on her widows cap and
took the awful truth in place of sus-
pense, and tried TO live and bear it for
her boys sake.
Then there came from some far-off
place man who proved himself the
Captains brother and who claimed his
property, alleging that Jane Dinker had
never been married to John at all.
Jane was furious, but she could only
row that the clergyman of the Episco-
pal church had married her. She could
not remember the name Of the church
nor of its pastor, nor had sic what the
brother called Ger lines" The mar
riagc certjf cate, as she declared, the
Captain always kept among his private
papers and had taken them to sea with
him. She advertised in New York
pope1 for the clergyman who had per-
formed the service, butt answer came,
and finally the law andpopular opinion
declared that the widow had ne ger
been a wife, and she was left poverty
stricken and helpless, and not a friend
in the world but old Miss Dinker. She
came out nobly.
Alas, all the rest Of Cumminseed held
contrary opinion. They shuddered
at the thought of having associated
with such creature, and wondered how
she had dared to impose upon them So
They sent her to Coventry and tabooed
her | think some of the dearest crea-
lures would have tarrod and feathered
her if they could Jane Dinker had
the comfortable Yankee pride OF ere
spectability' in its Yankee sense strong
within her soul, and this scorn quite
crushed her She hid herself from
human eyes as much as possible, and
went thankfully home with old Miss
Dinker, whose income had grown
smaller in these years, and who really
showed great generosity in taking her
dis graced niece to her bosom.
And now that she had countenanced
poor Jane, aud opened her house to
hon che oloo bod loet hor friends. and