The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1902-10-24
A KLEPTOMANIAC
torigtnal.l

"You profess TO Love me- According
to your idea of love, presume you Go.
Any kind Of love will do before ma
rage, but It must be strong deyo.
ton that will stand the faults and
foibIes Of life partner"
'You Will never show a fault too
perniclous for me to bear with"
"You don't know my faults"
eff you possess all there are in the
dictionary, 1 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 condl-
ton. Suppose after marriage you
should find me suffering from some.
thing like this"
81 should do all In my power to rFo'
tect you from the consequences o:
your deficiency"
l tried to bring her to decision, but
l could not, and was obliged to leave
her without either Yes or mo"
l did not doubt that she suffered from
some such cause as she bad men-
Toned though / kncw It was not
drink md did not believe 1t to he
gambling. She had named these as
illustrations.
we were in the same summer hotel
on n beautiful lake. 1t wns to'SHrd
the end OF the season. and ~ most ri
the guests bad b.rn there for live m
six weeks we were all acquainted.
One afternoon we were listening to
music in the pArIor when the landlord
entered and announced that one Of the
puests Ind lost n valuable Jewel. The
servants had been searched and moth.
ing found Would every guest con.
sent to the same process7 The Ques-
tion was nut 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
l soon noticed that Whenever the
searcheS came ncar her she moved
awnv. After I had been searched she
came and stood beside me. felt her
hand agaust mine, and she placed
within II n small box. Then she moved
away and in "A few minutes submitted
tn no searched. evidently relieved Of
n great dread. After she had been
searched she passed BY where was
standing. giving me a supplicatIng
look other n request TINT 1 would not
he+rar her or blame her-I co%ld no;
tell which.
All was clear TO me no<y. The fault
she wonld not name was kleptomania.
II would be impossible to describe
my emotjons When felt her passing
tho NOV IL seemed as If 1 had been
hitten liz n rattlespakr, Nevertheless
for her sohe took IT and concealed 1t.
when she looked her ap1seal, l had
realized the situation-she was not
thief for gain: she stole because she
was Imnelled TO do 50, But think Of
man accepting such a defect In his
wife. entering upon matrimony know
in. thot NJ any moment she would be
linhI. II bring disgrace uDon herself,
hin tbpjr children! | turned. looked
ont tEron,,h - window nnd shook con.
yulsiycly NV soul was welded to this
woman ana | GunHFpu the EGlLle us II
IN woro olrnody my wife.
Some onc touched nv shoulder, and
turned she was looking up at me.
nar ewes fun OF gratitude and love.
ria s"srch was ended, the doors were
anon ma ma quests were leaving the
IAN Thc level had not been found.
.comn" sbn said FOR n walk"
NorhontraIIv followed her to the
,,,rrin ~ tba lake, she stepped into
MI ~ no cedar rowboats there and
cntarnd oftpr her, she taking the
t.rInr tha oars. pulled away from
IN shorc ma she steercd the boat
.rross ina lake toward a point where
ND ~ rrshcs grew higher than n
mans head. felt sure TINT she would
tgkn mo Ia some concealed spot where
she could repossess the stolen jewel.
Was + \ proclIyity Of kleptoInanIacs
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