The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1905-08-30


here and We may not meet again.
can't hope to find you in my carriage |
many more times You are happy
you are living worthily, child? Pardon
me. but the stage"
Oh, the gentle courtesy Of his man
ner. / loved his solieitude. Father |
hungry girls like us. Maggie, know
how to value thing like that.
you know" l said slowly, the
thing that keeps woman straight and
"a man faithful is not matter OF bricks
and mortar nor ways of thinking NOR
habits of living. It's something finer
and stronger than these. It's the
magic taboo Of her love for him and
his for her that makes them-sa sacred.
With that to guard them-why-
Yes. yes" he patted my hand soft
ly. Still, the old see the dangers of
an environment that young and inn
pulsive woman like you, my dear,
might be blind to. Your associates"
my associates? Oh, you've heard
about Beryl Blackburn. Well--she's-
she's just Beryl, you know. She
wasn't made to live any different.
| Some people steal and some drink and
some gamble and some Well,
Berry, belongs to the last class. She
| doesn't pretend to be better than she
| is. And. just between you and me,
| bishop, I've more respect for girl
| of that kind than for Grace Weston,
whose husband is my leading man, yop
know. Why, she pulls the wool over
his eyes and makes him the laughing
stock of the company. | can't stand
her any more than | can Marie Avon,
who's never without two strings"
All at once stopped But wasn't
1t like. me to spoil it all by bubbling
over? | tell you, Maggie, too much
truth isn't good for the bishops set;
they don't know how to digest 1t.
Twas afraid that I'd lost him, for
he spoke with a stately little primness
as the carriage just then came to a
stop; | had been so interested talking
that hadn't noticed where we were
driving.
"Ah. here we are." he said. II must
ask you to excuse me, Miss--ah, Mrs
that is-there's public meeting Of
the Society for the Prevention Of
Cruelty to Children this afternoon that
1 must attend. Goodby, then"
"Oh. are you bound for the Cruelty,
too?" asked. why, so am |. And
-yes--that's the Cruelty!
The Cruelty stands just where it did,
Mag, when you and | first saw 1t; most
things do in Philadelphia, you know.
There's the same prim, official straight
upsand4downness about the brick front.
The steps don't look SO steep now and
the buildings not SO high, perhaps be
cause Of skyscraper or two that've
gone up since. But it chills your blood
Maggie darlin' just as 1t always did, tc
think what 1t stands for. Not man:
, inhumanity to man. but women's cruelt.
to children. Maggie, think of it, if vol
can, as though this were the first tim'
you'd heard of such thing Woul(
| you believe it?
walked from that to find mysel
/ marching UP the stairs behind the bish
, ops rigid little back Oh 1t was stiff
and uncompromising Beryl Black
burn did that for me. Poor, pretty
i pagan BeryK
My coming with the bishop-w
seemed to come together, anyway
[ made the people think he'd brought me
so | must be just all right, had tn
J man bring in the toys I'd got out in tn
carriage, and | handed them over t
} the matron, saying:
e They're for the children. L wan
/, them to have them all and now, please
5 to do whatever they want with them
Therell always be others. I'm goini
e to send them right along, if you'll lie
t me, so that those who leave can talk
r something Of their very own with then
e something that never belonged t.
d anybody else but just themselves. yol
understand, It's terrible don't 20
: know. to be a deserted child or tor
q ured child or a crippled child and hav
! nothing to do but sit up in that bare
r clean little room upstairs with lot {
d other strangelings- just think o
II lHt cruelty ludt = VI lSut you mere I'LL
: the cruelty you may get into when yo
i leave here. If I'd had a doll-if Ma
r. had only had set of dishes or littl
# tin kitchen-ie the boy with the gouge
r. eye could have had set Of tools---ol
: can't you understand
I became conscious then that til
v matron--a new one, Mag, ours Is gon
n was staring at me- and that the per
ia pie stood around listening as thong
ii I'd gone mad.
rt Who came to my rescue? Why, tn
t. bishop. like the manly little fellow h
1t is, He forgaye me even Beryl in tn;
ID moment
lie Its Nance Olden. ladies'" he sal,
with dignfied little wave OF his han
Il that served for an Introduction ISL
begins her Philadelphia engagement t,
I night in And the Greatest of These.
ID oh. I'm used to 1t now, Maggie, b,
G. do like It, All the ladyswels buzzt
,k about me, and there Nance stood preei
II ing herself and growing softly till,
TIL from among the bunch OF milllnei
one of them stepped up 10 me- She h;
a big smooth face with plenty Of chin
We Her hair was white and her nose WI
~ 81, q lar ia e,iil nt