The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-08-13
A HOTEL
THIEF
By LUCY X. WYNKOOP

nen fnOtnef ana went 10 the CITY
we always stopped at the Arlington no
tel. 1t was in a quiet part of town and
hotel suitable for women.
We had finished one of these sojourns
in the city. during which we had done
considerable shopping. | had packed
my trunk and gone into mothers room
to pack hers. Then ! went back to my
room. found the door ajar. which
surprised me, for | had closed 1t when
l left the room, and in the center of
the room saw man standing, look
ing rather dazed. / stood stock still,
looking at him, when he said to me:
Pardon me; must have entered the
wrong room"
He was very geDtlemanlike young
fellow and withal very handsome
nothing at all like a thief-and | was
about to say something to make him
feel more comfortable when noticed
that my trunk, which l had left closed,
stood open and the articles i had laid
in 1t carefully were much disarranged.
] ran to 1t and found certain articles
parcels recently missing.
Then / was convinced that ! had
caught thief In my room who pre-
tended that he was there by mistake.
] went to the electric button and was
about to press 1t when he seized my
wrist and said:
For heavens sake, what are you
going to do?"
Summon assistance" I didn't feel
afraid of him. Why don't know, I'M
less 1t was his manner, which was
very deferentiaI.
You don't need assistance. And if
you and / are caught here together In
your bedroom the consequences will be
unfortunate, to say the least | assure
you that l have got into the wrong
room"
"Who has robbed me?'
Robbed your"
"Yes: articles are missing from that
trunk"
He at once turned his pockets inside
out TO show me that he did not have
my property. Indeed, the lost arti-
cles were too bulky to be on his per-
son. besides being quite valueless.
was puzzled.
81 don't understand it." / said.
"Nor /. But I'm not going to remain
here to hunt for an explanation Be
lieve me, If am found here it would
reflect upon you, woman, far more
than on me- man."
60" | cried 1T is bad enough to
be robbed without any additional mis-
fortune
He slipped out of the door and left |
me standing over my trunk, bewilder-
ed. My brain was filled with conflict
Ing conjectures concerning him. He
bore the stamp Of gentleman. and yet |
surely he was a thief and by some |
trick had got away with my property.
However. there was nothing for me
to do, SO far as could see, but pocket
my loss and say nothing about It. This
course commended itself to me, be-
cause II the man were innocent I did
not wish to accuse him. The articles
lost were not of sufficient value to
make 1t worth while TO appear against
him In court, even II could find him,
which was not probable. Besides. IL
he were what he pretended to be 1t
might make trouble for me.
Some months later 1 made another
trip to the city and with me was my
mother, and while walking along the
street met the man had found In my
room in company with a lady, whose
appearance was as refined as that OF
the man I remarked to myself that
IL he were a thief he certainly had
very aristocratic looking associates.
He saw me- recognized me and turned
pale. But as we were face to face but
a moment | could not see how lasting
was his emotion.
One day when was at home ! saw
In paper an item headed Capture of
a Noted Hotel Thief" The article went
on to say that thief whose assurance
was unlimited and who was master
Of all sorts of subterfuges had been
caught In a certain hotel and had con-
fessed, turning over plumber that he
had been a long time accommodating.
Fhe description fitted the man l had I
found In my room at the Arlington.
gave up an idea of his innocence. 1t
gave me something of pang 10 do so.
and yet why l could not tell.
A few days later / received a note
from the proprietor of the Arlington. !
repeating what had read in the news {
paper and saying that packages bear. !
ing my name had been recovered !
Should he send them 10 me or would
| call for them? The latter course was
advised. | went Immediately to the
lily and to his hotel
l identified some property as belong ]
ng to me, and 1t was returned. | was
anxious to see the thief. but could not
ret sight of him without going to Jail.
which | would not do. Before left I
he landlord sent up to my room to Y
Know If / would meet him in the la G
lies parlor. went down. and there
beside the proprietor was the man I
lad found in my room.
''This is Mr. Brainard," said the pro- S
,rietor, "who desires to offer you an 2
lpology for something that occurred
n this house some time ago. Mr.. ,
3rainard is a patron of my house and y
gentleman Of the best social stand v
n.y." o
y,