Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-10-16
DAILY SHORT STORY
A kleptomaniac.
IOriginal.l

rage, but ii must be strong deVo-
ton that will stand the faults and>I
foibles of life partner"
You will never show a fault too
pernicious for me to bear with"
You don't know my faults
"If YOU possess all there are in the
dictionary, | shall still love you al
ways"
There are faults that come from
physical defect. One may have pas
sion for gambling, for drink, for
number of vices, any one of which is
excited by an abnormal brain cOndi-
ton. Suppose after marriage you
should find me suffering from some
thing like this"
Il should do all in my power to pro-
tect you from the consequences OF
your deficiency"
tried to bring her to Il decision, but
l could not and 1 was obliged to leave
her without either q Yes or a No"
1 did not doubt that she suffered from
some such cause as she had men,
toned, though 1 knew it was not
drink and L did not believe it to be
gambling. She had named these as
Illustrations.
We were in the same summer hotel
on Il beautiful lake. 1t was toward
the end of the season, and as most OF
| the guests had been there for five or
| six weeks we were all acquainted.
| One afternoon we We're listening to
music in the parlor when the landlord
entered and announced that one of the
guests had lost valuable jewel. The
servants had been searched and moth
ing found. Would every guest con
sent to the same process? The ques
ton was put to a vote and carried
unanimously.
The doors were locked, and the
searching began. While it was going
on my eyes fell on the girl loved. and
| soon noticed that whenever the
| searchers came near her she moved
away. After had been searched she
came and stood beside me. 1 felt her
hand against mine, and she placed
within it small box. Then she moved
away and in Il few minutes submitted
to be searched, evidently relieved of
great dread. After she had been
searched she passed by where was
standing. giving me supplicating
look, either a request that 1 would not
betray her or blame her-I could not
tell which.
Ill was clear to me now. The fault
she would not name was kleptomania.
1t would be impossible to describe
my emotions. When l felt her passing
the box, it seemed as if 1 had been
bitten by Il rattlesnake. Nevertheless
| for her sake took it and concealed it.
When she looked her appeal. 1 had
realized the situation-she was not a
thief for gain; she stole because she
was impelled to do so. But think of Il
man accepting such defect in his
wife, entering upon matrimony know
| ing that ut any moment she would be
liable to bring disgrace upon herself.
him, their children! l turned. looked
out through n window and shook con-
vulsively. My soul was welded to this
woman. and l suffered the same as if
she were already my wife.
Some one touched my shoulder, and
1 turned. She was looking up at me,
her eyes full of gratitude and love.
The search was ended, the doors We're
open, and the guests We're leaving the
room. The jewel had not been found.
Come" she said, ''for n walk
Mechanically L followed her to the
margin of the lake. She stepped into
one of the cedar rowboats there, and
entered after her, she taking the
tiller, the oars. 1 pulled away from
| the shore, and she Steered the boat
across the lake toward n point where
bed of rushes grew higher than
mans head. 1 felt sure that she would
take me to some concealed spot where
she could repossess the stolen jewel.
Was it n proclivity of kleptomaniacs
to wish to keep what they stole?
Presently 1 heard the boats nose
penetrate the rushes, and in another
moment we were in their midst, COM
pletely concealed. Then she said to
me:
You have repeatedly asked me to
be your wife, and 1 have repeatedly
declined to say Yes Now that you
know what 1 am, do you still wish to
marry me?"
She was lounging back in her seat,
toying with one of the tiller ropes.
She was simply dressed in pure white,
her neck and arms uncovered, I'M
adorned except by rose in her hair.
AS she asked the question she booked
up at me with an honest look that as
sured me she was innocent at least of
sense of guilt. 1t was for me to de-
eide then and there, once and forever,
! if l would take her with her physical
defect or resign her. Looking steadily
into her honest eyes, L said:
Yes
An expression of supreme happiness
passed over her face.
"Give me the box" she said.
took it from my pocket and handed
n hnr ,fr,r hnx ha
opened it and turned it so that could
plainly see the inside.
1t was empty.
l sat for a moment scarcely under
standing what 1t meant, but her face
soon broke into q smile that revealed
the trap into which she had led me.