pathology of lying-第18节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


owever；　when　she　was　showing　these　signs　she　could　be　diverted；　for　she　worked　with　much　pleasure　at　the　tests；　particularly　certain　memory　tests　on　which　she　did　well。

On　account　of　the　difficulties　of　the　solution　of　this　case　under　the　law　considerable　time　and　effort　were　spent　in　looking　up　her　record。　　It　was　found　that　some　years　ago　Edna　had　run　away　from　home　and　there　was　a　newspaper　article　published　about　her。　　Even　at　that　time　an　officer　who　went　to　the　home　was　unable　to　ascertain　the　truth　in　the　case。　　The　family　had　frequently　moved　and　the　mother　asserted　it　was　because　of　the　bad　reputation　which　the　girl's　actions　had　given　them。　　The　neighbors　complained　of　the　cruelty　of　the　parents　to　Edna；　but　this　meant　only　the　whippings　which　the　mother　had　given　her。　　By　all　accounts　the　father　was　a　good　man　who　insisted　that　affairs　between　his　wife　and　Edna　were　not　his　own。　　（Edna　always　maintained　that　this　man　had　been　unusually　good　to　her；　although　she　so　strangely　made　in　court　the　false　accusations　of　prolonged　sex　immorality　on　his　part　and　reiterated　these　statements　even　to　us。　　It　was　not　until　many　months　afterward　that　she　acknowledged　the　falsity　of　her　accusations；　although　we　knew　from　her　physician　that　they　were　not　true。）

The　first　time　Edna　was　in　court　was　when　she　was　about　14　years　old。　　At　that　time　she　had　been　observed　by　a　department　store　detective　stealing　hosiery　and　a　bracelet。　　She　perceived　she　was　being　shadowed　and　walked　up　to　the　counter　and　ordered　some　children's　garments；　having　them　charged　and　sent　to　a　fictitious　name　and　address。　　The　detective　thought　this　a　masterpiece　of　slyness；　this　endeavor　to　throw　them　off　the　track。　　Since　the　family；　who　really　kept　an　account　at　this　store；　appealed　to　the　manager　to　have　Edna　let　off　as　it　was　an　ordinary　trick　of　a　growing　girl；　the　charge　was　withdrawn。　　Detectives　who　had　been　employed　from　a　private　agency　made　a　very　poor　showing　on　getting　at　the　real　facts。　　The　husband　was　doing　well　in　his　business　and　there　never　seemed　to　be　any　reason　to　suspect　his　wife　of　being　directly　or　indirectly　connected　with　the　shoplifting。　　Earlier　there　was　some　intimation　that　Edna　was　not　the　child　of　these　people；　but　the　persons　who　suggested　this　did　not　know　the　true　facts　and　were　found　to　have　a　grudge　against　the　mother。　　In　the　meantime　the　latter　had　strongly　maintained　her　relationship。

It　was　months　after　this　and　just　before　we　saw　the　case　when　a　detective；　who　had　kept　the　case　in　mind；　went　to　the　house　to　get　the　goods　which　Edna　maintained　had　been　stolen。　　There　he　found　the　‘‘mother''　and　another　woman　smoking　and　thought　he　detected　signs　of　their　being　drug　habitues。　　Later；　I　myself　felt　sure　of　this　point；　but　we　were　never　able　to　state　to　what　drug　they　were　addicted。　　Edna　frequently　stated　she　had　been　accustomed　to　buying　morphine　for　these　women；　but　her　statements　about　its　appearance　and　its　cost　were　so　at　variance　with　the　facts　that　though　it　is　likely　she　had　bought　something　of　the　kind；　yet　no　amount　of　inquiry　brought　out　the　definite　facts。　　The　woman's　appearance　and　her　remarkable　lack　of　veracity　were　both　highly　suggestive　of　a　drug　habit。

In　our　several　interviews　with　this　woman　we　were　amazed　by　her　strange　self…contradictions。　　It　was　not　only　that　she　stated　something　different　from　what　she　had　said　a　week　before；　but　even　at　different　times　on　the　same　day　her　statements　would　be　changed。　　Concerning　her　relationship　to　Edna　she　gave　us　the　facts　of　the　girl's　birth　and　laughed　off　the　idea　that　she　was　not　the　girl's　mother。　　‘‘Why；　I　can　remember　every　moment　of　my　pregnancy　with　her。''　　It　was　anomalous　that　this　woman　had　hired　a　righteous　man　as　a　lawyer　to　represent　her　and　the　girl。　　This　attorney；　consulting　with　me；　soon　came　to　the　conclusion　that　the　only　interest　he　would　serve　in　the　case　was　that　of　the　girl；　and　then　only　in　the　effort　to　save　her　from　the　miserable　influences　of　her　mother。

Edna's　school　record　was　most　peculiar。　　She　had　been　frequently　changed　on　account　of　her　dishonesty。　　In　one　sectarian　school　she　was　said　to　steal　all　sorts　of　useless　thingsbits　of　string；　pieces　of　pencils；　and　articles　no　one　else　would　want。　　She　also　stole　a　two　dollar　bill　from　a　grocery　store；　the　cashier　followed　her　and　recovered　the　money　from　her　person　right　there　in　the　school。　　Edna　always　denied　that　she　took　things。　　While　in　another　school　she　had　flowers　sent　to　all　the　teachers　and　the　florist's　bill　was　presented　to　her　there。　　In　still　another　school　she　took　a　pair　of　shoes　from　a　boy　at　recess；　wore　these　and　left　her　old　ones　in　the　locker　room。　　Her　word　was　everywhere　recognized　as　being　most　unreliable。

After　the　case　had　long　been　in　court　and　Edna　still　stoutly　maintained　that　she　was　not　the　child　of　these　parents；　but　had　complicated　her　story　by　adding　incidents　which　were　known　to　be　untrue；　such　as　her　‘‘father's''　immorality　with　her；　that　there　had　been　another　adopted　child　in　the　family；　that　even　the　dishes　the　family　used　were　stolen　by　her；　and　so　on；　the　woman　came　and　suddenly　blurted　out　that　she　herself　had　been　lying　all　along　and　that　this　was　not　her　child。　　She　then　alleged　the　parentage　was　so　and　so；　but　this　matter　was　in　turn　looked　up　and　found　to　be　false。　　It　was　adjudged　that　these　people　had　absolutely　no　parental　rights；　and　then　work　was　begun　on　constructive　measures　of　redeeming　the　girl　if　possible。　　It　was　not　long　after　this　that　the　nurse　came　to　us　who　had　known　the　girl's　real　mother　in　New　York　and　who　had　taken　charge　of　Edna　as　an　infant　before　her　foster　mother　had　taken　her。　　It　seems　that　the　mother　was　an　American；　that　this　child　was　illegitimate。　　A　few　months　after　her　birth　the　mother　abandoned　her；　became　dissolute　and　is　said　to　have　since　died。

Edna　had　run　away　from　home　on　several　occasions　and　slept　in　hallways　for　a　night　or　two　at　a　time。　　She　had　not　been　sexually　immoral　until　just　previous　to　our　seeing　her。　　Then　while　away　from　home　she　had　gone　with　a　man　to　a　hotel；　and　probably　had　also　been　with　boys。　　These　were　her　first　and　last　experiences　of　the　sort；　but　how　much　these　affairs　had　been　on　her　mind　we　obtained　some　intimation　of　from　herself。

‘‘My　mother　took　me　to　S's　when　I　was　8　years　old　and　told　me　to　take　anything　I　could　and　I　got　into　the　habit　of　it。　　I　can't　stop　myself。　　I　take　anything　I　want。　　Mother　said　she　would　kill　me　if　I　told　the　truth。　　I　had　to　say　lots　of　things　that　were　not　so。　　I　had　to　lie　and　say　mother　did　not　beat　me；　but　she　had　a　horsewhip　that　was　plaited；　father　burned　it。　　Then　they　bought　a　little　one；　but　she　beat　me　with　a　rubber　hose　and　everything。　　The　first　thing　I　think　I　stole　was　jewelry　in　a　store　down…town。　　The　woman　I　call　‘auntie'　said　if　I　would　give　her　the　goods　she　would　pay　me　for　them。''

‘‘My　mother　fixed　it　up　that　if　she　got　the　goods　and　got　caught　she　would　get　a　clerk　to　make　out　receipts　and　get　them　stamped　paid。　　She　has　not　done　this　yet；　but　I　think　she　will　in　this　case。''　　（This　was　a　statement　at　the　very　first　interview　with　Edna　and　no　doubt　had　reference　to　the　fact　that　the　mother　could　produce　receipted　bills　for　the　dress　and　other　articles　which　Edna　had　maintained　to　the　detective　she　herself　had　stolen。　　Of　course　the　girl's　story　of　this　was　untrue；　the　receipts　were　genuine。）

‘‘One　of　my　sisters　is　adopted；　but　my　father　does　not　know　it。　　She　ain't　real。　　It　was　this　way。　　When　my　pa　was　out　west　for　a　year　ma　asked　me　to　look　in　the　papers　for　a　baby　and　I　looked　and　found　an　advertisement　about　one。　　Ma　said　she　must　not　be　redheaded　because　that　ain't　like　the　family。　　We　went　and　got　her　and　ma　went　to　bed　for　nine　days　and　pretended　it　was　her　baby。　　She　took　a　shawl　and　gave　the　nurse　25　and　made　out　adoption　papers。　　She　took　me　with　her。　　It　was　a　month　old。　　She　made　me　go　and　tell　my　aunt　I　had　a　little　sister。　　My　aunt　said　it　looked　kind　of　big　for　3　days　old；　but　ma　said　she　had　been　keeping　it　in　an　incubator。　　She　had　padded　herself　out　before；　and　pretended　it　was　her　own　child。　　Pa　came　home　when　it　was　six　months　old　and　he　loved　the　baby　just　like　his　own。　　I　ain't　jealous；　but　it　makes　me　sick　to　hear　such　lies。''

This　alleged　fact；　reiterated　to　us　and　testified　to　in　the　court；　was　in　itself　a　source　of　the　whole　case　being　farther　followed　up。　　The　nurse　was　found　who　took　care　of　Edna's　‘‘mother''　during　her　confinement　and　it　was　found　that　Edna's　whole　story　was　quite　untrue。　　It　was　evidently　an　elaborate　fabrication　representing　the　facts　as　they　might　have　been　about　Edna　herself。　　The　only　part　of　it　that　was　true　was　that　one　of　the　younger　children　had　been　for　a　time　in　an　incubator。

‘‘Since　I　was　10　years　old　I　have　known　about　that。　　I　have　known　I　was　not　her　child。　　She　said　something　that　sounded　queer　to　me　once　when　I　ran　away。　　It　made　me　think　she　was　not　my　mother。

‘‘Why　do　I　tell　lies？　　I　got　started　at　it　when　I　was　small。　　She　used　to　make　me　tell　lies　to　my　father。　　I　began　to　steal　when　I　was　about　8　years　old。　　My　little　sister　has　started　to　take　things　already。　　She　is　only　4。　　I　was　trying　to　break　her　and　mother　said；　‘