The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-07-31

spectacle girl, ind if any harm vas to
come to her | should never forgive
myself-never so help me Abraham
This eNasperated Mr.. mitchell and
he angrily exclaimed:
SILENCE. you miserable wretch! Send
the girl out to me at once, or I'll have
an inspector down here within an hour
to look into this shop of yours"
This threat frightened the old man,
for he hastily disappeared through the
door of his apartment, crying:
what's de use of gettin madt?"
A few minutes later black haired
slim and rather pretty girl came out
and stared wonderingly at Mr.. Mitch
ell Her skin was like putty. her eyes
suhken, her cheeks hollow. and she
looked tired almost to the limit of her
endurance, yet withal she had traces
of beauty about her, even as the dead
and faded rose gives evidence of what
it once has been.
Rebecca Polaski was really not more
than II. but the Jewish maidens at.
tain maturity earlier than their Chris
tan sisters. and the fullness of her
figure excused the doubt in Mrs Crit
fins mind. though as Mr. Mitchell gaZ-
ed into her sad young eyes he thought
1T highly improbable that she knew
aught of the founding, save what she
might have learned by chance. How
ever, she had fed the little one with
ply, and whatever she did know might
be we'll worth the inquiry.
You are Rebecca Polaski?" he ask
ed gently
Yes. sir" she replied with little or
no accent.
"You live in the back rooms"
Eyes. sir"
Take me into them. l wish to have
talk with you" Then. as she hest
tated and threw half frightened
glance behind her, he continued:
Have no fear. You will lose nothing.
/ l have arranged with your employer so
that you may remain out an hour"
The prospect of so long rest lighted
her eyes with momentary beam of
| pleasure. and Mr. Mitchell was more
than repaid for the money given in her
!
rooms and. opening the shutters, dis
closed view of the graveyard. only
! few feet beneath. She then dropped
| wearily upon an empty soap box and
motioned her visitor to seat upon the
| one chair, the cane of which was al
most entirely torn away. The fiat was
about the same as the one which he
hau seen on the upper floor. though the
window opening on the outer world let
in light and air. which made the place
so much the more cheerful.
! How strange that what should be
! freest and most plentifully at the COM
mand of all should become an actual
! commodity through the cupidity of
mankind. For one man erects a tall
building. darkening the homes of 9TH
ers. and then sets a higher rental on
! those apartments in his own structure
which are best ventilated and lighted.
! What wonder that the communists, So
cialists and other revolutionary sects
find attentive audiences! Mr. Mitchell
thought of this and sighed as he asked:
What rent do you pay for this
place."
Three dollars week." was the re-
\ ply, and then she added: I'VE could
have the fiat next door for two and a
half, but it is dreadfully dark, though
we could put up with that cause we're
mostly at home only in the night time,
1 but there's no air except from the
| Shaft, and the horrid smells made my
mother sick.
SO even on this ground floor there
was an extra charge for window!
| w hat do you earn in the shop?" was
| Mr.. Mitchers next inquiry.
when feel strong and well, / can
make 80 cents day in the shop, but
mostly only 80, and maybe % cents
more doing extra work"
| Mr.. Mitchell looked savagely toward
| the SweatSllop. the proprietor of which
had charged him So for releasing the
girl from her task when he himself
paid her such a pttance for the days
work
How many hours a day do you
worl?' he asked.
About ten though sometimes Ion.
ger if I'm tired and don't finish up"
What do you mean by extra work 2"
Sometimes he lets us take work
home to do nights. and he pays us half
price for that
What. You work ten hours for a
days task, and then he pays you half
rates for overtime. Why should you
get less for night work than for Work
in the day.
well. you see, he says working in
the night, when our eyes are tired, we
can't do as good work. We only get the
cheaper sort to take home"
Mr.. Mitchell could find no words with
which to express his feelings. The ut
| ter seltishneSs of such sophistry, the
| greed of the man who would thus
sWindle his poor employees. utterly
amazed him. And the oldest thing
was that the girl made no complaint,
accepting her lot as a matter of course,
a fact beyond dispute. Yet, observe
her position-she worked ten hours per
day for her slave driving master. earn
Ing enough per week to pay the greedy