The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-06-06

A story from Real Life.
~~~~~~~

A young girl, destitute and friend
less, wandering in the city streets, was
arrested for vagrancy. She was not
more than seventeen, and had tried In
vain to get work. People wanted ref
erences and experience. She had nell
Their, nor did she look strong.
Quite likely there was not much she
anew how to do; but that was not her
FAULT She had never had chance
Almost starved, cold and weary, she
had slept in doorways, or any poor
shelter she could find, only to resume
her fruitless quest the next morning,
faint with hunger. There could be
but one result of her arrest. She was
committed for vagrancy."
When she came out, the stigma fol-
lowed her. She could not get work.
No one was ready to trust her before !:
now, when she had come from "a ref
uge," ''the island" or whatever it might
be, her chance was even less.
After she had received many rebuffs,
restaurant keeper, who did not know
where she had been, hired her as a
waitress. She tried hard to suit, and
learned quickly, was quiet and civil,
and had begun to feel encouraged. She
was earning her living. For the first
time in her life she had enough to eat,
and far better food than she had ever
before tasted. She was tired at night,
but she had room to herself and
slept in clean, comfortable bed, In
stead of a shed or doorway; and a
kind word now and then cheered her
more than the one who said 1t could
ever guess.
One day a woman, showily dressed,
no doubt calling herself lady, came
In, and ordered a meal. This girl was
not the one who waited on her, but
the customer, looking idly about the
room, saw her, recognized her, and
knew she had once been arrested for
what, or In what circumstances, she
neither knew nor cared. When she
went to the desk to pay for her meal,
she said to the proprietor:
do you know you've got a thief
among your waitresses?"
"Oh, l guess not" he answered.
"Our girls are all honest. They may be
poor, and not very well dressed, but
honest they oil are"
You're mistaken about that one"
she said, indicating the girl by ges-
ture. "She has been in reformatory.
You had better keep watch. She will
steal from you. yet, If she hasn't al
ready"
The man felt uneasy. In spite Of
himself, his mind required again and
again to what the woman had said. He
could not find fault with the girl. She
was self-respecting and did her work
faithfully. But he was doubtful and
suspicious. As his better judgment told
him all the while, there was no reason
for it except the idle chatter of a
chance patron, and he made no move
Tor q time.
But unfortunately, three or four
weeks later, tablecloth was missing.
Directly the new girl was suspected of
stealing it; all the others were 'above
suspicion"
was thought, in every nook and Granny
where the cloth could possibly be, but
without success. The girl was charged
with the theft, and dismissed, of course
u,ithout n ronOmmopdatio r
Where could she turn? What could
she do? Hungry, cold, shelterless
again, with no chance of getting en-
ployment Of any kind, no one to say
a word in her behalf. So far, she had
never stolen penny's worth, and she
had kept herself morally clean. But
what were the alternatives? Starva-
ton, suicide. And starvation was no
easier to her than it would be to the
happy women In homes of comfort and
affection.
Some days after she was turned
away the tablecloth was found in
drawer, overlooked or left there by
mistake But no one knew where she
was, and nothing could be done. There
had been robbery, indeed, grievous
one, but who was the thief?
In her sore need and dire temptation
some Of the Salvation Army found this
girl, and held cut helping hand. Just
how it happened need not be told. Ger
tain it ID that they found and rescued
her. They took her home, fed and
clothed her, and, after a few days rest
obtained place for her. It was do
nestle service In respectable family
In the country, where she would be
kindly treated, and they could have an
oversight.
This was two or three years ago.
The girl has given satisfaction. and ID
contented and happy. She has com
Portable home, bears Z good character.
and il trusted and valued, a. she de-
serves to be.
One Of many that the Salvation
Army and Volunteers Of America have
rescued from sin, suffering or shame,
and brought into the sunahine.