Amador ledger., 1908-03-06
He Loved a Thief.


A number of happenings conspired to
give me my beloved Cecilc, ana the
strangest Of all of them was that n
man whom I never saw or heard of
should have crossed my path twice
Queer. isn't it, that one should he in
debted to n thief for the inestimablc
treasure of good wife, a wife of rare
common sense. Il wife capable Of max
ing wise decision without time for
consideration.
entered my hotel in the dusk of the
evening, went upstairs and was STR
prised to see the door Of my room
aiar. Quickly entering | saw young,
we'll dressed woman standing In the
center of the room. Near her was my
trunk opcn-I had left it locked--and
much Of It's contents scattered over the
floor
Caught in the act!" said to her.
She was as white as sheet, and
feared she would faint. | started to
push the electric button to summon
others. but she caught my hand in Il
viselike grip. Then, putting her other
hand to her heart. she tried to speak.
Finally she succeeded in doing so in Il
whisper:
Don't! For heavens sake, don't! l
can't go to Jail. couldn't endure it.
It would kill me. Spare me. am
innocent"
The last three words angered me.
Innocent" exclaimed. you are
adding lie to n theft"
Her grip frightened spasmodically on
my wrist.
81 confess" she said presently. "Let
me 60"
There had been nothing Of especial
value in the trunk. If | should have
the girl arrested l would be put to a
great deal of trouble. Besides, l 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
a private carriage.
"Who are those ladies% l asked of
the clerk of the hotel.
mime. Crawshaw and her daugh-
ter"
do you know anything about
thcmT
II should say so. They always stop
here Wien they come to the city; have
stopped here for years"
1t occurred to me that the girl was
either kleptomaniac or one Of those
people who support a 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. 1 tried to dismiss it,
but 1t would not be dismissed If the
girl had not been a thief should have
suspected that l 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
a 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 rifled. | cared nothing for
it, but would not the arrest of this
man throw some light on the girl Who
had robbed me? Doubtless she was
the mans accomplice. | took train
Mt once and on my arrival went to the
police office There We're the book and
several other articles of mine.
| was permitted to interview the
burglar, and he told me that he had
CultlCu iOOll at INC lOlNls OptlNA
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 l had been robbed and
ask for the address of Nine. Craw-
shaw. In due time l received it and
one morning called ut 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 a chair.
Don't fear me. | 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 rihed have