The Yale expositor., 1904-12-09
What Happened to
A Country Girl
lOriginal.l


any day.
Winifred Bolles, an unsophistlcated
country girl. went to town in search
Of employment. Walking from store
to store she at last found herself I'M
Willingly In the private office Of a
benevolent looking old gentleman, Mr..
Herman Knowles, who, though she
did not know 1t, was the head of the
firm.
|What is it, little glrl?" he asked
kindly.
Winifred asked for work and was
sent to the proper person with Mr..
Knowles order that she be employed.
She was directed to begin her labor
the next morning
AS she was leaving the store a man
stepped up to her and said:
would you mind taking this to the
telegraph office over there, my dear?
Here's n quarter to pay for it,"
Certainly" said Winifred. and,
without even asking why the man
didn't take it himself, she started for
the telegraph Office. The messGge vas
inclosed in an envelope, and when
she reached the window where mes
senges were received and handed it In
the clerk took it out OF the envelope
and with IT n peculiar looking instru
ment made Of steel wire.
HIM" lie said, looking at the girl
suspiciously. Then he read the mes
sage
Ben-Don't come tonight We are
watched. ROSE.
Again the clerk looked at the girl,
scanned her features closely and said:
"Sit down there while l count the
words"
Winifred obeyed, but had not been
seated five minutes when policeman
entered and went to the window. where
the clerk handed him the message and
the wire instrument. Then the police
man turned to Winifred and told her
to come with him. She was taken to a
police station and led up before an
inspector, the policeman at the same
time producing the articles he had
received from the clerk, saying:
The girl tried to send the tele-
gram, evidently warning a burglar.
She'd Internationally left the skeleton
key in the envelope and handed both
to the clerk at the telegraph Office"
did you order the message sent and
its receiver arrested"
yes"
"All right. Take her away"
Poor little Winifred was led away to
cell without the slightest knowledge
OF where she was going.
She knew no one in the city, but
the face OF the kind looking gentleman
who had employed her kent coming
up 10 her. and she dctsI mined IL pos
sible to send word To him of her mis-
fortune. Her message was delivered,
and the firms lawyer was instructed
to attend to her case. He called to sec
Winifred, listened suspiciouSly to her
story, then heard the statement of the
inspector, forming the opinion that
Winifred was In service and had a lover
whom she had been intending to intro
duce into her employers premises for
the purpose of robbery. This opinion
he reported to Mr.. Knowles, with the
remark, "All depends upon whether
the telegram reaches its destination
Thus far the messenger has not been
| able to find the person to whom 1t was
addressed"
Nor will her said Mr.. Knowles
The man who gave her the message
watched her and saw her arrest Hs
doubtless found a way to a warming"
How do you account for her having
a skeleton kerr
81 have no theory as to that Judge
Of the girl only from what 1 saw OF
her for few minutes, and am nsves
Aecsived a. to an honest fnee>-
And you do not consider her spph
cation to you for work q mere b,indr'
Certainly not Please assume tia
she II innocent and do the beat you Cal
for her" And the merchant turned b
other matters.
The plan adopted by the police wa
trial put or In hopes Of development,
or an implication by the girl OF her con
federate. When Wlnifred was brought
up for examination there was really
nothing to be said in her favor. One
thing and one alone gave her hope
Among the visitors Ia iiis courtroom
she saw the kindly face OF Mr.
Knowles. There WAS something II
those benevolent features that sent q
thrill of relief through her poor little
heart.
The judge heard the statement Of tho
prosecution and would have listened
to the evidence of the defense If there
had been any. Since there was not
Winifred's attorney contented himself
with forming improbable theories as to
how Winlfred came into possession OF
the discriminating articles. The judge
remanded the prisoner for trial, fixing
her bail at 81, 900.
IL will furnish that ball." said Mr..
Knowles, rising, and, the paper being
signed. Wlnlfred was discharged. Her
benefactor told her to go to work at his
store the next morning.
Before the trial came off, by Mr..
Knowles orders, Winifred's history
eyor,, 4ba tf,,,a - har h;rfl, x.,oo coiiaot.