A WOMAN'S CRIMINALITY.

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officer had struck upon vulnerable material, causing terror, if not rousing to energy the stings of conscience that had long lain dormant.

From the character of the complaints the special agent was able to form a pretty correct theory of the manner in which the depredations began in the office at Dover, and of how they afterwards continued to multiply and expand. Familiarity with the mental operations and moral decline of the dishonest who actually yield to thieving propensities, also enabled him to comprehend the processes of thought and the stages of feeling through which the principal actors had successively passed.

When quiet was restored, the special agent proceeded to outline the incidents of another case, supposed to have happened some time before in the western part of Arkansas. In this instance, the postmaster was a young lady loyally devoted to the Union, but impoverished by the war, with a mother and several sisters dependent upon her exertions for support. At heart the poor girl was honest and honorable, fully intending to do right, but the salary of the office was so small, and the needs of the family so great, that in a moment of supreme temptation she broke open and rifled a letter passing through her hands. The contents, however, brought no permanent relief, and, having once sinned, though with great reluctance and pain, she was soon induced to repeat the act. Other robberies followed in quick succession, till the clamors of the public reached the department, when the narrator was instructed to investigate the losses. On reaching the scene of action, he found that the unhappy girl was indeed guilty, for he soon came into possession of overwhelming proofs of the fact. Here it was that a most distressing dilemma was presented to him. As a faithful officer of the government, it was his duty to bring the offender to punishment; as a man, with a heart full of compassion for the erring and penitent, he shrunk from the responsibility of laying the heavy hand of the law upon an inexperienced girl who had strayed from the

path of rectitude not from badness of nature, but in a mistaken effort to provide food and clothing for the helpless.

"And what did you do with her?" inquired Miss Eleanore, with palpitating eagerness, interrupting the narrative of which but a brief outline is here given.

"When brought to realize the enormity of her offense," answered the officer, "she did all that a penitent sinner could -confessed the facts and restored the money still remaining in her possession. In view of the apparent, and I have no doubt real sincerity of her repentance, and of the restitution of the stolen property, I did not molest her freedom, but dismissed the charges with the simple injunction to the offender to go and sin no more. Perhaps I did wrong; perhaps I stretched the privileges of my office too far. It may be I had no right to save from prison a helpless girl. If I made a mistake, however, I have the satisfaction of knowing that I erred in a conscientious endeavor under difficult circumstances to act for the best."

Meanwhile Mrs. Nathan had risen from her seat, and, with arms folded behind her back after the manner of men, was slowly pacing the room, trying either to find transient forgetfulness in motion, or to sharpen her perceptions by muscular exercise. Another turn brought her directly in front of the special agent, and, looking into his eye with a searching gaze, she inquired, in a voice that betrayed the utmost anxiety, "What does all this mean? For God's sake, tell me what you intend to do! I have heard a good many things during the past few days, and want to know the worst. Nothing can be harder to bear than this suspense."

In solemn tones, trembling with assumed emotion, the special agent replied, "Rest assured, madam, I shall aim to make your burden as light as possible, and to spare you from trouble and humiliation so far as my obligations to the government will permit. Still, be my individual feelings what they may, as an officer I must do my duty."

"Tell me all at once," she exclaimed, clasping her hands

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so firmly together that the blood was driven from the fingers; "tell me all !"

"Madam," replied he, "it is a power higher than I that speaks. A warrant for the arrest of you and Miss Eleanore arrived to-day, and I am charged with its execution."

While speaking, he drew the parchment from his pocket, and deliberately unfolded it. The document looked more like

room."

a death-warrant than anything else, for Judge Lynch had thrown into its preparation the concentrated ingenuity acquired during many years of practice. In prominent characters on the sheet were enrolled the names of the accused with the charges against them.

The sight was too much even for the firm nerves of Mrs. Nathan. With a look of horror and despair she turned away, and threw herself into a chair. Miss Eleanore was less

powerfully affected, tears trickling down silently over features otherwise immovable. The moment seemed opportune for the final and decisive move in the game.

Gently taking the hand of the girl, the officer continued: "Miss Eleanore, if you will confide in me implicitly, I can save both you and your mother. Heaven knows I do not wish to be instrumental in sending ladies to prison. From the bottom of my heart, I desire to see such a calamity to you, to her, to your innocent sisters, averted. Restore the money, and no harm shall come near this household."

"Do you really mean it?" inquired she, imploringly.

"I do," he answered. "My word is pledged, and my word is sacred."

A sudden but resistless impulse seemed to seize the young woman. Without casting a glance toward the mother, or pausing to deliberate, she went to a home-made lounge or settee standing in one corner of the room, and lifting the moss-stuffed cushion, drew forth a package of bills, which she placed in the hand of the special agent, saying, "This is all I have left, and nearly all that I have ever taken from the mails. I alone am responsible. Mother had nothing to do with it. I know I acted very wrong, but I did it to obtain money to pay lawyers for defending brother Ned. Now, Colonel Schaurte, you will keep your promise not to arrest us, won't you?"

"Miss Eleanore," replied the officer, taking the roll of bills, "my word shall be sacredly kept to the letter. Give yourself no uneasiness. You are a woman. You have confessed and made restitution under pledge of safety. If I err in letting you off so lightly, that mistake shall be my only one."

"May God bless you for your goodness!" exclaimed the poor girl, as the heavy load of apprehension rolled from her shoulders. "I shall always remember with gratitude your kindness."

While this important scene was taking place, Mrs. Nathan sat speechless and immovable, but her apparent apathy was

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like the treacherous calm that sometimes precedes and heralds the tropical cyclone. Without a word, she rose and left the room. It was now about twelve o'clock,

"The very witching time of night

When churchyards yawn, and Hell itself breathes out
Contagion to this world."

Her

In a few minutes she returned, pale but determined. small black eye seemed to emit venom like the eye of an

enraged rattlesnake.

rattlesnake."

Her lips were tightly compressed, with flecks of froth exuding from the corners. In her hand

she grasped a pistol. Striding toward the officer and raising the weapon, she hissed through her clenched teeth, "You have betrayed us, base wretch, and shall never leave this house alive!"