The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-08-23

siSt IN violating the law, as they are
constantly doing, the government can't
do otherwise than humiliate them. Well
you all know what happened to Mrs.
rockingham Drake. Her necklace was
found in the lining of her hat and was
con6scated, and in lieu of prison SEN
tence the lady was let of with a fine
Of 5000. She doubtless thought, and
still thinks, she was badly treated. /
am sure she found it humiliating to
read about herself and her misbehavior
in the morning papers, but in my hum
Bile judgment she got off mighty easily
OF course, $4,000 is a good deal Of
money for some people to lose, but sup
pose that in order to make stunning
example of other women inclined to
evade their duties and to stamp out
that particular kind of smuggling, the
government had sent Mrs. rockingham
! Drake to a Federal prison for FIVE
. years."
"Oh, Mr.. Rawson," interjected Mrs.
Scoyille, protestingly. The govern
ment couldn't surely do anything so
outrageous as that!"
Outrageous, madam" said Rawson.
Why outrageous The law sends a
starving woman to jail for stealing a
loaf OF bread. Why should it discrim-
mate in favor of the well-fed woman
Of society who practically steals thirty
or forty thousand dollars from the
United States Treasury"
'Well-but-you-yo don't think il
ever would do such a thing. do you?
Do your" queried Mrs. Scoville, glanc-
ing at Rawson keenly through her
lorgnettes, which trembled slightly.
Since you ask the question so di-
rectly. madam" said Rawson, gravely,
81 will tell you that they not only
would, but | happen to know that they
intend to do just that very thing the
next time a Mrs. rockingham Drake
undertakes to play that particular
game"
Mrs. Scoville famed herself vigor-
ously, and her somewhat pasty, highly
mercerized complexion took on a faint
tinge of color.
Well" Scoville PUT In, Il guess the
rockingham Drake case has acted as
deterrent already-hasn't it? There
isn't as much of that sort of thing as
there was, is there"
There was a strange note in Scoville's
voice-a silent suggestion OF an uneasy
whine, which | fancy would have sur
prised great many people who really
thought they knew him.
There's enough of il left" said Raw
son. TO make the government feel that
the time for leniency has passed and
that somebody must be made an exam
pie OF. and OF course the more conSpIc-
uous the offender may be socially the
deeper the impression made by drastic
punishment. The trouble with the wom-
en- seems to be that they think they
only have to change their methods. Be-
cause Mrs rockingham Drake 81
caught smuggling her pearls through in
the lining of her hat they deduce that
the lining OF a hat is no longer useful
reforming. she turns 70 other means,
and fools herself by thinking that be-
cause she does the thing differently she
is safe. She hides gems in oranges A
lot OF rubies came in last year hidden
inside an apparently unopened bottle OF
olives-one ruby in each olive. Another
woman will bring a handful OF pearls
hidden inside the pnicushion in her van
ity bag-and so it goes. Why, my dear
ladies" he added. turning to a group
of women on his left, "let me show you
one specific case that came TO my notice
only the other day BY the merest
chance it happens that | am able TO give
you right here and now a practical dem
onstration OF how foolish woman has
imperiled her name, her position, and
her liberty by trying to save what would
have been to her a paltry sum by a
perfectly obvious subterfuge which.
hasn't fooled the government for min
ute"
Rawson put his hand into the side
pocket of his dinner Jacket and extract
ed therefrom the little red ball OF
Scotch furze yarn. At sight OF II Miss
Scoville gasped and clutched the side
of her chair. while her mother sat erect.
stiff, as a ramrod. her face rigid and
white and her eyes fixed with a burn
ing intensity upon the object RawSon
held in his hand.
This looks like very innocent little
thing" said Rawson. tossing the ball in
the air casually and catching it as 1t
came down. 1T came through from
London the other day by mail, addressed
to a woman whose name is Very we'll
known to every one of us. and who is
ulSllCQ nom OliS Cl4N "a NllS NONAAA-
try to the other for her large social
activities. Now the cusrom-house peo-
pie had been on the lookout for some
thing OF the kind for some time, and
they knew the minute they saw it Just
what the game was, bur they let it pass
because to make their case against this
good lady wholly clear II was necessary
that it should go to and be received
by her as her own property. Well, there !
it is. Now let us see what is contains"
With startling rapidity Rawson I'M
wound the ball OF yarn, and to the in
tense excitement of us all disclosed at
its core small chamois-skin cube, !
which upon being cut open revealed a
diamond triie larger than the end of
Rawson's thumb.
There" said Rawson. you see? A !
diamond worth not a penny less than
$4,000 comes through the mails from
London in the innocent guise of a ball :
of Scotch yarn worth about 10 cents.
And there were eleven others just like
that in the original boxp
But Rawson got no further.
Mrs. Scoville had collapsed in a dead
faint-the heat of the room was posi-
bly, too intense for the good woman.
An hour later Rawson and | were
seated in our room when a faint tap