The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-12-11

'The thieving that has been going
on in this store for vel a year has
got to STOP" Glider answered en-
p%hatlcally. with all his usual energy Of
manner restored.
Sending me to prison won't stop it,
Mary Turner said drearily.
Perhaps not" Glider sternly retort-
ed. But the discovery and punish
ment Of the other guilty n will"
His name changed to a businesslike
alertness. You sent word to me that
you could tell me how to stop the
thefts In the store. Well, my girl, do
this and. while l can make no definite
promise, I'll see what can be done
about getting you out of your present
difficulty" He picked up a pencil,
pulled a pad of blank paper convenient
to his hand and looked at the girl ex-
pectantly. with aggressive inquiry in
his gaze. TELL me now" he conclud-
ed, "who were your pals?"
81 have no pals" she calculated fu-
riously. 81 stole anything In
my life. Must l go on telling you over
and over again?" Her voice rose in a
wall Of misery. "Oh, why won't any
one believe me?"
"Unless you car control yourself,
you must 60" Glider pushed away the
pad Of paper and tossed the pencil
aside in physical expression Of his dis
pleasure. why did you send that
message If you have nothing to say"
he demanded. with increasing choler.
81 have something to tell you. Mr..
Glider" she cried quietly. "Only IL
sort Of lost my grip on the way here,
with this man by my side"
"Well?" Glider insisted ENORMOUSLY,
as the girl hesitated.
"When you sit in a cell for three
months waiting for your trial, as l did,
you think a lot. And so l got the idea
that II l could talk to you l might be
able to make you understand what's
really wrong. And If / could do that,
and so help out the other girls, what
has happened to me would not, after
all, be quite so awful-so useless, some
how" Her voice lowered to a quick
pleading, and she bent toward the man
at the desk. "Mr. Glider" she ques-
toned, do you really want to stop
the girls from stealingT"
Most certainly l do" came the for
chile reply.
The girl spoke with a great earnest
ness deliberately.
Nrbor ,;-o %har, n Foir oho-o
The magnate stared in sincere aston
ishment over this absurd, this futile
suggestion for his guidance.
what do you mean?" he vociferat-
ed, with rising indignation.
"Why," she said very gently, II
mean just this: Give them a living
chance to be 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.
EYES," she went on quietly, that's
all there is to it. Give them a living
chance to get enough food to eat and
a decent room to sleep in and shoes
that will keep their feet off the pave
ment winter mornings. Do you think
that any girl wants to steal? Do you
think that any girl wants to risk
BY this time. however, Glider had
regained his power of speech. and he
interrupted stormily:
"And is this what you have taken
up my time for? You want to make a
maudlin plea for guilty, dishonest
girls, when I thought you really meant
to bring me facts!"
1--WE work nine hours a day." the
girls quiet voice went on, a curious
pathos in the rich timbre Of 1t, mine
hours a day for six days in the week.
That's a fact, isn't It? And the trou-
BILE is an honest girl can't live on So a
week. She can't do 1t and buy food
and clothes and pay Dol rent and
carfare. That's another fact. isn't it?''
Mary regarded the owner Of the store
with grave questioning in her violet
eyes.
II don't care to discuss these things"
he declared peremptorily as the girl
remained silent for a moment.
"And l 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 sit and hate you"
"Oh, Of Counsel"
"And then l thought that perhaps
you did not understand-that- II 1 were