Forgiving a thief in the night
<p><span word="By">By</span> <span word="Erik">Erik</span> <span word="Nilsson">Nilsson</span></p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="stranger">stranger</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="knocked">knocked</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="door">door</span> <span word="dropped">dropped</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="knees">knees</span>, <span word="sobbed">sobbed</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="begged">begged</span>.</p><p><span word="She">She</span> <span word="pleaded">pleaded</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="mercy">mercy</span>.</p><p><span word="We">We</span>'<span word="d">d</span> <span word="already">already</span> <span word="forgiven">forgiven</span>, <span word="before">before</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="knew">knew</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="existed">existed</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="woman">woman</span> <span word="convulsed">convulsed</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="remorse">remorse</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="shame">shame</span> - <span word="none">none</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="wrongdoing">wrongdoing</span>.</p><p><span word="We">We</span> <span word="offered">offered</span> <span word="leniency">leniency</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="brother">brother</span>.</p><p><span word="He">He</span>'<span word="d">d</span> <span word="recently">recently</span> <span word="stolen">stolen</span> <span word="about">about</span> $3,000 <span word="from">from</span> <span word="us">us</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="food">food</span> <span word="deliveryman">deliveryman</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="pilfered">pilfered</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="wife">wife</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="wallet">wallet</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="emptied">emptied</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="spending">spending</span> <span word="account">account</span>.</p><p><span word="Then">Then</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cops">cops</span> <span word="caught">caught</span> <span word="him">him</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="night">night</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="incident">incident</span>, <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="d">d</span> <span word="gone">gone</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="apartment">apartment</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="wallet">wallet</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="pay">pay</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="meal">meal</span> <span word="he">he</span>'<span word="d">d</span> <span word="brought">brought</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="about">about</span> 3:30 <span word="am">am</span> (<span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="finishing">finishing</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="home">home</span>). <span word="Her">Her</span> <span word="purse">purse</span> <span word="dangled">dangled</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="coat">coat</span> <span word="rack">rack</span>, <span word="staring">staring</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="face">face</span>.</p><p><span word="He">He</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="alone">alone</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="tempted">tempted</span>. <span word="Cold">Cold</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="poor">poor</span>.</p><p><span word="And">And</span> <span word="young">young</span> - <span word="just">just</span> 20.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="police">police</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="exceptionally">exceptionally</span> <span word="professional">professional</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="apprehended">apprehended</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="within">within</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="weeks">weeks</span>.</p><p><span word="While">While</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="safe">safe</span> - <span word="a">a</span> <span word="point">point</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="foreigners">foreigners</span> <span word="appreciatively">appreciatively</span> <span word="marvel">marvel</span> <span word="at">at</span> - <span word="thefts">thefts</span> <span word="spike">spike</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="Spring">Spring</span> <span word="Festival">Festival</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="cops">cops</span> <span word="told">told</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="he">he</span>'<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="likely">likely</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="reduced">reduced</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span> <span word="since">since</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="cooperated">cooperated</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="returned">returned</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="money">money</span>.</p><p><span word="His">His</span> <span word="sister">sister</span> <span word="claims">claims</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="left">left</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="family">family</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="remote">remote</span> <span word="village">village</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Sichuan">Sichuan</span> <span word="province">province</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="hopped">hopped</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="train">train</span> <span word="across">across</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="country">country</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="news">news</span>.</p><p><span word="She">She</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="slept">slept</span> <span word="outside">outside</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="winter">winter</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="days">days</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="tracking">tracking</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="down">down</span>, <span word="without">without</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="clues">clues</span>.</p><p><span word="Now">Now</span>, <span word="she">she</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="playing">playing</span> <span word="detective">detective</span>.</p>
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