The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1913-11-28

"Welly" Glider insisted ENORMOUSLY.
~ the girl hesitated.
when you sit In u cell for three
months waiting for your trial. ;s | did.
you think u lot. And so ! got the idea
that II l could talk to you ! might he
able to make you understand what's
really wrong. And II | could do that
and 30 help out the other girls. what
has happened to me would not. after
all. I've quite 40 awful No useless. some
how" Her vol z lowered to u quick
pleading. and she bent toward the man
at the desk. mir. Glider" she ques-
toned. do you really want to stop
the girls from stealing?"
Most certainly I do" came the for.
chile reply.
The girl spoke with a great earnest
ness deliberately.
"Then give them n fair chance"
The magnate s,ared In sincere aston
ishment over this absurd. this futile
suggestion for his guidance.
What do you mean?" be v~ociferat-
ed. with rixing Indignation.
why" she said very gently. II
mean just this: Give them Il living
chance to he honest"
"A living chance!' The two words
were exploded with dynamic violence.
Glider found himself unable to ex.
press the rage that famed within him.
The girl showed herself undismayed
by his anger.
"Yes." she went on quietly. that's
all there II to It. Give them a living
chance to get enough food to eat and
q decent to sleep In and shoes
that will keep their feet OF the pave
ment winter mornings. Do you think
that any girl wants to steal? Do yon
think that any girl wants to risk
BY this time. however. Glider had
regained his power Of speech. and he
interrupted stormiIy:
"And IL this what You have taken
up my time fort You want to make q
maudl!n plea for guilty. dishonest
girls. when I thought you really meant
to bring me facts!"
I'VE work nine hours . day" the
girls quiet voice went on. q curious
pathos in the rich timbre Of It. mine
hours a day for six days in the week.
That's a fact isn't ~ And the trou-
bic IL an honest girl can't live on $8 q
week. She can't do II and buy food
and clothes and pay room rent and
carfare. That's another fact. isn't it?''
Mary regarded the owner Of the store
with krave questioning In her violet
eyes.
II don't care to discuss these things"
he declared peremptorily a the girl
remained silent for . moment.
"And ! have no wish to discuss any
thing" Mary returned evenly. II only
want to give you what you asked for
facts. When they first locked me up
I used to cit and hate you"
"Oh. Of courses!
e.And then I thought that perhaps
you did not underatand-that. n ! were
TO tell you how things really are. 1t
might be you would change them
somehow
.'I!" be cried incredulously. II
change my business policy because
you ask me tor
There was something imperturbable
In the quality of the voice as the girl
went resolutely forward with her ex-
PLANTATION.
do you know how we girls liver
But. Of course you don't. Three Of US
IN nn.A Nom, doSpn ~ nxur oool.lc~
over the two burner gas stove and our
own washing and ironing evenings.
after being on our feet for nine hours"
a have provided chairs behind the
counters" he stated.
''Rut have you ever seen a girl sit
ting In n Of themy'. she questioned
coldly ''Please answer me. Have
you? OF course not" she said. after
a little pause during which the owner
had remained silent. She shook her
head in emphatic negation. "And
do you understand why? it's simply
because every girl knows that the
manager Of her department would
think he could get along without her
II be were to see her sitting down.
lOnfing. you know! So she would be
discharged. All 1t amounts to ia that
after being on her feet for nine hours
the girl usually walks home In order to
ave a fare. Yes. she walks. wheth-
or sick or we'll. Anyhow. you are gen.
orally 40 tired. It don't make much
difference which you are"
what has all this to do with the
question Of theft In the store3 That
was the c for your coming here.
And instead Of telling me something
you rant about gas stoves and car
tara"