The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1907-12-20
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
He Loved a Thief,
IOriginal.1


should have crossed my path twice.
Queer, isn't 1t, that one should be In
debted to a thief for the inestlmable
| treasure of good wife, wife of rare
common sense, wife capable Of MAX
| ing a wise decision without time for
| consideration.
/ entered my hotel in the dusk of the
evening, went upstairs and was sur
prised to see the door of my room
ajar Quickly entering, saw a young,
well dressed woman standing in the
center of the room. Near her was my
trunk open-I had left 1t locked-and
much of its contents scattered over the
| floor.
Caught in the actr' | said to her.
| She was as white as a sheet, and
| feared she would faint. l started to
push the electric button to summon
others, but she caught my hand in a
viselike grip. Then, putting her other
hand to her heart she tried to speak.
Finally she succeeded in doing so in a
whisper:
Don't! For heavens sake, don't!
can't go to jail. l couldn't endure it..
1t would kill me. Spare me. l am
innocent"
The last three words angered me-
'Innocentw | exclaimed. you are
adding a lie to a theft"
Her grip frightened spasmodically on
my wrist.
81 confess" she said presently. "Let
me CO."
There had been nothing of especial
value in the trunk. If l should have
the girl arrested 1 would be put to a
| great deal of trouble. Besides, had
not the heart to send her to prison.
GO" said pointing to the door,
| She raised the wrist she held, kissed
my hand and rushed from the room.
| What was my surprise the next
morning to see her leave the hotel in
company with an elderly lady of ap-
parent responsibility, both getting into
private carriage.
"Who are those ladiesT' l asked Of
the clerk of the hotel.
mime. Crawshaw and her daugh-
ter"
"Do you know anything about
| themW
81 should say so. They always stop
here when they come to the city; have
stopped here for years"
! 1t occurred to me that the girl was
either a kleptomaniac or one of those
people who support respectable sta
| ton by theft. The former supposition
could not be correct, for only an ex-
| pert could have picked the lock Of my
| trunk. The case was so mysterious
| that it occupied my mind to the ex-
clusion of everything else. The last
object l saw before going to bed at
night and the first thing on awakening
| in the morning was that terrified, i'm
ploring face. | tried to dismiss it.,
| but it would not be dismissed. If the
girl had not been thief should have
suspected that I had fallen in love
with her.
| Three years passed l had not ceas-
| ed to wonder about the girl who had
robbed me. Indeed, | had become in
fatuated with either the mystery at
tending the case or something remem-
bered In her personality, l could not
determine which. One day | received
letter from the chief of police of IL
distant city stating that burglar had
| been arrested in whose lair was found
many stolen articles. One was book
with my name and address on the fly
leaf. The collection was open to my
| inspection.
| The book had been in the trunk that
had been rifed. l cared nothing for
it, but would not the arrest of this
had robbed me? Doubtless she was
the mans accomplice. l took a train
at once and on my arrival went to the
police office. There were the book and
several other articles of mine.
was permitted to interview the
burglar, and he told me that he had
entered my room at the hotel, opened
my trunk and taken what he wanted.
| He left without being discovered. He
| knew nothing of the girl / had found
in my room and had no accomplice.
My next move was to write to the
hotel where I had been robbed and
ask for the address of Nine. Craw-
shaw. In due time l received it and
one morning called at an eminently re-
spectacle residence and sent up my
card to Miss Crawshaw. When she
came down and saw me she paled and
caught at the back of chair.
Don't fear me. l have called to say
that am convinced of your innocence.
The man who robbed me has been ar
rested, and in his possession articles of
| mine contained in the trunk rifled have
been found. 1 am here to right a
wrong. And now will you explain
your presence in my room?
She clasped her hands, raised her
eyes and exclaimed, my God, I thank
thee!'
At the moment she appeared to me
very beautiful, but I know not If my
long interest in her had not begotten
love and love had not made me see her
as 1 did. Then she gave me the expla-
nation, which was very simple. In go,
| ing to her room, which was next to
mine, she had entered mine instead Of
her own. She was looking about her
bewildered when entered. Realizing
her situation, she was appalled,. Be-
lieving that to confess and throw her.
self ON my mercy would be her best
chance, she did so, In this she was
right.
This is how came to know Cecile
and know Of that ability for quick,
wise decisions which she has since so