The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-08-22
GET TING RID OF LIZZIE

$3.50 - -
rupted my wife. that she can't hep
/ stealing"
Can't help ito" I asked in surprise.
| why, you don't think she's been at it
| SO long, do you, that she can't break
| the habit? She's only a child yet, re-
And thievery with her is not
/ habit" retorted my wife. Don't you
] understand what's the matter with here
| She can't stop stealing any more than
you or ] can stop eating or sleeping or
! breathing.
You mean that the thing is a part
! Of aer-reeAy In 1er blood?
! She nodded
Il mean that she is a kleptomaniac
! she answered. She can't help stealing.
| She's got to steal"
] j considered this suggestion in silence.
had not thought that Lizzie's Grim
/ inality might he As deep-seated as this.
| And now the possibility that my wife
/ nad struck 1T the truth OF the matter
/ came with anything but a pleasant
/ shock TO me.
What makes gu think that it is
/ kleptOmania, and not simply a tempo
! raTv departure from the straight and
/ narrow path that has made Lizzie steal
/ from us2" 1 asked.
/ why she replied, everything points
/ To that one conclusion. In the first
/ place. look at the things she had in her
I trunk when she came to US. Would she
! have stolen the radiator fixtures, towels
/ and bedding from the vessel for their
Value2"
Wei, they weren't worth much. of
| course
! of course. they weren't! She stole
| the things simply because stealing with
| her is mania-she can't help it.
Perhaps you're right,"I sighed
/ Certainly I am she responded
promptly. Why, she didn't even take
] ~ gr.~- IL
/ for Ctto-stole TO give the proceeds of
/ her u1ievery TO him"
He must have her hypnotized, this
/ Otto Schwenke,' I remarked His sys-
/ tenn Of enslaying young girls hearts GER
/ tatnly brands him gay LOthaTio.
Foolish child" my wife shook her
leac Il feel really sorry for her when
! ! think Of her thtevery being devoted TO
such purpose. Imagine the silly girl
/ turning over ali our va1uabes TO that
awful man-ughi" she shuddered.
He's slick worker, / persisted. Il
/ tell you. Otto is a star and no mistake,
/ when he can win Lizzie TO the point Of
I getting her TO steal for him after
( courtship lasting fer single trip
! across the ocean.
We'll she would have stolen, Of
/ course. without him." said my wife
/ 'KleptomaniacS don't need urging TO
rob-
We were interrupted by a ring at the
! doorbelI
Who do you suppose that is?'' asked
/ my wife, somewhat timidly
IN tell you better when I 90 and
! see, I answered. rising and going out
/ into the hall. I threw open the front
door And there stood Durgin. The post
man who covers our route from the
! Spraycliffe postofilce.
Good evenfn', Mr. Norris" he greet
/ ed me. Just stepped around to leave
a parcel for you This belongs TO you,
He brought to light from behind his
/ back q loosely tied package. I reached
/ out my hand for it.
Yes. it's mine,'' / answered, looking
at the fat side Of the mauilla-wrapped
/ bundle, whicn bore the address, written
in fine German script:
Otto SchWenke Mr..
In the united states
Give TO him This
please.
II was the package lizzie had made
Of our VaiuableS. and was so incOm-
pletely addressed that its delivery was
impossible AS l had thought-and
/ hoped for-the postoffice had held up
the package. but, without any means of
/ Identifying its owner, how had they
returned IL TO me I wondered.
Yes, Durgin" I repeated slowly.
] this does belong 10 rue. But--er-but
/ Office, he ans wered ofhGnd.
: 'Oh. we opened IL down to the post
office" he answred offhand
Ny heart began beating q little I'M
{ 0tf-a0Aifs 1t the EBHADluCt dNLnQflIltc-
who IN a way were connected with the
Government and the law-and opened
/ this package, might they not understand
from It's contents that the Valuables
+ had been stolen? They would know
! that my wife and ] would never send
/ our silveTWare and jewelTy through the
mail, so insecurity packed as had been
this buDdle-might IL not arouse their
suspicious OF Lizzie and me- I must
I go slowly now, or a slip or the tongue
might DFTTET me.
IL suppose you were surprised when
YOU opened this uD2' I said with a
light smile and found all this-this
stuff inside"
We'll" Durgin answered slowly, at
! did look kind . funny 10 see such a
/ lot uf silver and things bein' sent
through The mail. But when we knew
Z II was yours, why We thought maybe
/ that new servant girl-the Dutch one
/ had made some kind of a mistake, so
we sent the things back TO you"
News travels fast in suburb of the
I size of SprayCliff. Every one in the VIII
/ lage knew that Lizzie was with US.
/ But how had the authorities identified
+ the things as ours"
How did YOU know this stun
/ belonged here. Durgin?' I put the
/ queston into WORDS.
/ ooh, that was easy" he replied with
/ a grin, as he turned. down the steps.
The inside Of the wrapper had your
Wifes name and address on It You
/ see the paper used was from a de-
partment store in town that came
around some other bundle. Good night,
I sir"
/ I brought the package of LiZzies
! plumber back into the library.
! There's All our stuff" ] announced,
dropping the bundle on the table be
/ fore her. That's the second time
/ something's been stolen In this house
! and returned. Tn not going 10 wait
] for tho third time 70 arrive. I'm go
! ing 10 take no l1oTe chances. I'm
going TO begin scheming now on an
original servant problem. How TO get
/ rid Of Lizzie"
/ The Continuation of This story VIII
/ BE Found in TOmOrrOxv's
Issue of The Times.