The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1914-12-23
An Aristocratic
Thief
By F. A. Mitchell

United States military attache at Ber-
lin and had gone there some time be-
fore me in order to secure place to
live against my coming. 1 was on my
way there from Paris. travelling on a
first class railway coach. Beside me
sat a man, and before him sat anoth-
er man, the two being evidently travel
ing companions, for they were talk
ing very earnestly in German, a lam
guage 1 did not understand. Directly
before me was a vacant seat, on which
1 tossed my hand bag. This was very
careless Of me, for it contained all the
money had with me.
had been up late nights in Paris
and was very tired and sleepy. fell
into a doze and from a doze into
sound sleep. More than an hour pass
ed before l awoke, and when l did
found that the man who had been seat
ed beside me was the only other per-
son except myself In the compartment
He had changed his seat to one oppo-
site me next the window and was
reading a periodical Near him lay
my bag. just where 1 had placed 1t.
1 opened it and looked for my pocket
book
Now, leave it to any woman If she
on awakening from a slumber to find
she had been robbed OF money from a
bag lying beside a man would not look
up at him accusingly. The mans eyes
were upon me. and my looks told him
that 1 suspected him OF stealing the
money 1 had lost just as plainly as 1t
could have been expressed in words
He looked frightened and said some
thing to me in German, but he might
as well have spoken in Sanskrit- Then
he tried me in French. l can speak
a little French, but can understand it
scarcely at all At any rate, l didn't
catch what he had TO say.
The man looked so cut up that I
grew suspicious of him. But why he
had not left the train with it while
was asleep 1 could only conjecture
Perhaps the train had not made a stop.
He was not a cool thief by any means,
for without my taking any action
whatever he took out a roll OF crisp
bills and said to me in French:
"Combien?" CHOW much?'O which
understood was asking me the
L
up one finger and said, Mile francs"
meaning that L had had 1000 francs
in my pocketbook. My money had
been brand new, like the notes he held
in his hand, and L did not doubt they
were mine. 1 gathered that he pre-
ferred to return my money rather than
have me call a guard at the next sta
ton and have him arrested He count
ed the roll in his hand. and it amount
ell to exactly 1000 francs Then he
handed it to me. saying something In
French which L did not understand.
1 was very glad to get my money
back at all and especially so easily.
When we reached the next station the
thief looked at me anxiously and on
seeing that 1 made no move to call any
one to arrest him drew a long sigh Of
relief. This was the only stop we
made till we reached Berlin, and when
we rolled into the station and the
coach door was opened by the guard
the rascal jumped out and disappeared
in a great hurry.
My husband had secured a house In
the capital, had engaged servants and
had everything ready not only for our
comfort, but to enable us to entertain
guests. OF course every one of the
corps must do more or less
entertaining, and since brought my
husband a fortune and we were abun-
dainty able to bear the expense we
to do our full share; but, Of
course. must go through the prelim-
inaries of being introduced at court
All this had been attended to, and
1 was a full fedged member Of Berlin
society. The first important function
I attended was a state ball at the pal
ace. 1 was standing talking to lady
whose husband was a member OF the
corps when l saw the en-
peror coming with a gentleman who
was bedizened with decorations. the
emperor laughing at something the lat
ter was telling him. When they came
near enough for me to distinguish their
features the marrow froze in my bones.
The man to whom the emperor was
was the thief who had stolen.
then returned. my money. 1 shrank
away. but not in time. He saw me.
and the expression on his face denoted
as much surprise as mine did conster-
nation. Then he said something to the
emperor, who looked at me with an ex-
preston Of amused surprise
Calling to a lady standing near me.
the emperor and the thief talked to
her. and it was evident that they were !
about me. Then the three |
me. and the lady. after |
making the required presentation. told |
NE that the thief was Count Helm |
rich Schmieden. one Of the emperor's |
most intimate friends. He had been !,
telling his majesty of how a lady on a
train had been robbed and how he /
rather than submit to arrest had |
paid over the amount stolen. Just as
be had finished the story he espied me.
The matter was considered an ad- |
mirable joke by the emperor and. in
deed, by the count. who claimed that |
he had paid me the money not so
much through fear of my having him
arrested as the inconvenience I would
be put to at not having any money for
expenses. 1 doubted his gallantry. but
gave him credit for it. The next morn
ing my husband sent him check for
loo francs
The affair resulted in our receiving
attention from one Of the
most influential men in Berlin.
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