The San Francisco call., 1913-09-12

t'Mr. Glider will be right back. Come
in and walt" She wished to say
something more, something of well
come or OF mourning, to the girl
there, but she found herself incapable
of single word for the moment, ana
could only stand dumb while the man
stepped forward, with his charge fol-
lowing helplessly in his clutch.
The two went forward very slowly.
the officer. careiessly conscious of his
duty, walking with awkward steps
to suit the feeble movements of the
girl, the girl letting herself be
dragged onward. aware OF the futllity
OF any resistance to the inexorable
power that now had her in its grip.
of which the man was the present
agent As the pair came thus falter-
ingly into the center of the room,
Sarah at last found her voice for an
expression of sympathy
I'm sorry. Mary" she said, hesi-
tatingly. I'm terribly sorry, terri
bly, Sorry
The girl. who had halted when the
officer halted, as a matter Of course,
did not look up She stood still.
swaying little as IL from weakness.
Her voice was lifeless.
Are you?" she said. Il did not
know. Nobody has been near me the
whole time I have been IN the
Tombs.'' There was infinite pathos
in the tones as she repeated the
words so fraught with dreadfulness.
Nobody has been near mei''
The secretary felt a sudden glow
of shame. She realized the justice
of that unconscious accusation, for,
TIL today, she had had no thought
OF the suffering girl there in the
prison. To assuage remorse, she
sought to give evidence as to a preva-
lent sympathy.
why she exclaimed. there was
Helen Morris today She had been
asking about you again and again.
She's all broken up over your trou-
BILE"
But the effort on the secretary,s
part was wholly without success.
who is Helen Morris?" the lifeless
voice demanded. There was no in
terest in the question.
Sarah experienced a momentary
astonishment, for she was still re-
membering the feverish excitement
displayed by the salesgirl. who had
declared herself to be a most inti-
mate friend of the convict But the
mystery was to remain unsolved,
since Glider now entered the office.
A1C EdlhCQ Will t1Ie QulEk, QQbIllfB
activity that was ordinarily expressed
in his every movement He paused
for an instant. as he behe1d the two
visitors in the center of the room,
then he spoke curtly to the secre-
tary, while crossing to his chair at
the desk.
You may go, Sarah. / will ring
when / wish you again"
There followed an interval Of ST.
lence, while the secretary was Ieav-
ing the office and the girl with her
warder stood waiting on his pleasure.
Glider cleared his throat twice in an
embarrassment foreign to him, be-
fore finally he spoke to the girl. At
last, the proprietor Of the store ex-
pressed himself in a voice of genuine
sympathy, for the spectacle of woe
presented there before his very eyes
moved him to real distress, since It
was indeed actual, something that did
not depend on an appreciation to
be developed out OF imagination.
My girl" Glider said gently-his
hard voice was softened by an honest
regret--"my girl, / am sorry about
this"
You should bel" came the instant
answer. Yet, the words were uttered
with q total lack of emotion. IT
GC1AtACd OtH lutlE lntODdIlOQ LndT the
speaker voiced merely a statement
concerning a recondite matter of
truth, with which sentiment had
nothing whatever to do. But the ef-
feet on the employer was unfortun-
ate. 1t aroused at once his antagon-
ism against the girl. His instinct of
sympathy with which he had greeted
her at the outset was renelled. and
made of no avail Worse. 1t was
transformed into an emotion hostile
to the one who thus offended him by
rejection of the well meant kindness
OF his address.
Come, comet" he exclaimed, testify.
That's no tone TO take with me-"
why? What sort of tone do you
expect me to take?" was the retort in
the listless voice Yet. now. in the
dul1ness ran O. faint suggestion of
something sinister.
II expected decent amount of hui
mility from one in your position" was
the tart rejoinder of the magnate.
Life quickened swiftly in the
dropping form of the girl. Her mus
cles tensed She stood suddenly erect,
in the vigor of her youth again. Her
face lost in the same second Its
bleakness OF pallor. The eyes opened
widely, with startling abruptness, .and
looked straight into those of the man
who had employed her.
would you be humble she de-
manded, and now her voice was be-
come softly musical. yet forbidding,
too, with a note OF passion, would
you be humble If you were going to
prison for three years-for something
you didn't dor"