The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1908-10-14
Nj A R Y.

The truant officer was young and
new to her position, so she looked
with interest down the unfamiliar
street and up at the dingy houses.
Out of the second-story windows Of
the cottage tapped the clean white
pillow slips and sheets and the feath-
er mattresses ito air." while the mis-
tresses of the houses sat on their
doorsteps in the warm spring sun and
gossiping with their neighbors. Chill
dren ran back and forth across the
street, lodging cars and wagons. The
smaller ones, just graduated from
their mothers arms, fell up and down
stairs and over the railings, their
bumps and cries unnoticed.
The truant officer stopped before
house in the middle of the block.
Are you Mrs. Platek?' she asked
the woman seated before her.
The woman turned around, pushed
back the shawl from her face and
stared at her.
Il want to enquire about Mary
Platek," said the officer. "Is she ill?"
"Mary?" quoted the woman, stold-
ly. mo, she no seek"
She has been absent from schol
three days now without an excuse.
Why is that?"
Mary, she work dees tree day. She
no go back t de school till one week."
"Working?" exclaimed the truant
officer, referring to her notebook. "She
is only 13; she isn't allowed by law
to work at that age"
ooh, dats all ride" answered Mrs.
Platek with complacent smile. "She
no work at such works were dey ha
{ hev certificates. She no work in
de store or de fac'ry; she waits on a
BRIDE"
waits on a bride?" echoed the puz-
zled officer. what Is that?"
The mother looked at her in aston
ishment. you duno wat hat is? Say,
were you live, huh? She help de
bride. Wen girl goin get married,
Mary, she go wild dem t get de fur
niture. She go wild lots OBJ bride, all
de time; she know all bout de chair
an de stove an de table. De man by
de store, he no fool my Mary" Marys
mother smiled with pride
"Mary, she have nice wife dress an
wife slippers an she smart girl. She
ride in de hack wild de bride wen dey
go t. de church; she put on de wreath
an de wall better den any girl on
Milwaukee avenue. Den she go wild
dem t hev dere picture taken; she
help put dem in de right place-de
man sittin' in de chair an de bride
standin benin him wild her han on
his shoulder an de flowers in de oder
han. Den she go home wild dem an
she put de house in order. She go t.
de grocery an buy de tea an coffee
an sugar an all de things wat dey
need. Mary, she know how much.
Den she stay two, tree day, maybee
week, wild dem-ez long ez dey hev de
company an de dance an de things t.
eat. 1t a gran weddin' she at now.
Her cousin, he marry Annie Bean an
dey he'd band an tree hack. Dey
rent hall an dey dance an hev good
time for one week. DE man, he got
lots OBJ money"
'But you know, Mrs. Platek," said
the truant officer, "She has been abb
sent from school for three days ard
this has happened before. She must
be back in her schoolroom tomorrow
morning at o'clock"
mo, she no go back t'-morrow,"
said Mary's mother. ''She stay way
one week. She know 'nough by de
school already. She make de money
now. Dere amt no girl 'roun' here
make more money off OBJ brides den
my Mary"
The officers curiosity got the best
of her. How much does Mary get?"
she asked.
"Oh, wen she go two, tree days,
maybe feefty cen, maybe one dollar;
one time she get a new dress. Dis
time she get two dollar an feefty cen.
De man, he got lots OBJ money all
ride"
"Her principal has complained to
me very often about Mary" said the
officer, "She says there aren't two
weeks in which she doesn't miss two
or three days without sufficient cause.
She is 13 and only in fifth grade. You
must see that she is more regular in
attendance and that she goes to
school tomorrow"
mo, she no come back t'morrow,"-
returned Mary's mother, nonchalantly.
~6he no go back till she get ready.