The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1902-01-03

roved 10 and fro IN a strange manner,
and she seemed bent on escape.
Madam. have been watching your
movements" | said.
Still her eyes roved hither and
thither. Then suddenly. with q
strange cry, Sire threw up her hands,
staggered 10 a sofa. and sank down
there like a person stricken with q
mortal wound. Covering her face
with her hands. she sobbed convul-
sively: .Oh, pity mel pity met" she
cried, swaying from side TO side. II
can't help it! | can't help it,"
At the time her ear were wasted
on me. felt no sympathy for her.
"Givc me what you have just taken"
i said.
"Oh yes. yes," she cried. "A thou
sand times, yes. Take them" and
reaching forward, she sought to
thrust the paper cutter and a lorg-
nette into my hand.
And those other things you have
taken.' l exclaimed.
"Oh yes, yes. yes. Come with me
to my house. / will give them all
to you. / don't know why / ever took
them" This and much more, over
and over, amid sobs and tears.
by this time my patroness, who
had heard the crying. was standing
at the drawing-room door, much
scandalized and agitated. IL was with
difficulty that / brought her TO com
prehend what she saw and heard
Both women were soon crying to-
gether.
When the tears had expended them
selves, I persisted in accompanying
| the widow home. To be frank l re
posed little faith, at first, in the gen
u~ineness of her emotion. My indig
nation had been simmering too long,
/ wanted to see her properly pun
ished.
When we reached her house she
unlocked a chest in the library ant
gave me the lost articles, and will
them several other things that hat
not come from our house. That chest
indeed. was plentifully stocked.
81 don't know why | took them
she continued 10 exclaim. Il hav'
everything ] want. But l cannot hell
it,
These articles ought to go bacl
TO the rightful owncrs." l exclaimed
indignant at what ! saw.
"Yes. yes, ! know it! l will give j
all back. | don't want 1t. i don
know why | took it," she cried again
relapsing into tears.
/ secured what / thought had com
from our house and took my leave
When / reached home my patrones
was very much moved. and besough
me TO say nothing about the matter
At first | was far from sure that thi
was the right course TO pursue. TIL
next morning the family physician
who is also the widows physician
ard a lawyer who had come on fror
New York called on me-, and succeed
ed in convincing me that we wer
dealing with an infirnity rather tina
a crime. They made it out n cas-
of kleptomania or purposcless thief
II appeared that the woman had bee
addicted to such unfortunate slips. {
intervals. all her life. She had no nj
tive for stealing. but appeared unabl
to refrain from taking small article
when exposed TO the temptation
In the opinion of the physician. tw
natures. or two distinct spheres {
consciousness seemed alternately {
dominate the behavior of this We
man: one that Of a noble, charitabl
Christian lady, the other that of
furtfve and cunning thief.
L readily consented to say nothin
of the matter Later in the day tn
woman's friends held n sorrowfl
conclavc over the chest and reds
tributed the contents. Her infirmit
was certainly a very sad one
Youths Companion.