Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-10-14

ironing, for the sake of that neat ap-
pearance which was required Of her
by those in authority at the Emporium
yet more especially necessary for her
own self respect.
With a mind keen and earnest she
contrived some solace from reading
and studying since the free library
gave her this opportunity. By candid
comparison Of herself with others
about her she realized the fact that
she possessed an intelligence beyond
the average. The training by her fa-
ther, too, had been Of a superior kind.
There was as we'll at the back vague
ly. the feeling Of particular. self re-
spect that belongs inevitably to the
possession of good blood. Finally she
demurely enjoyed modest apprecia-
ton Of her own physical advantages.
In short, she had beauty, brains and
breeding, three things Of chief impor-
tance to any woman.
There had been thefts in the store.
They had been traced eventually to a
certain department, that in which
Mary worked. The detective was alert.
Some valuable silks were missed.
Search followed Immediately. The
goods were found in Mary's locker.
That was enough. She was charged
with the theft. She protested inno-
cence, only to be laughed at in deri-
sion by her accusers. Every thief de-
clares innocence. Mr.. Glider himself
was emphatic against her. The thiev-
ing had been long continued. An ex-
ample must be made. The girl was
arrested.
The crowded condition Of the court
calendar kept her for three months in
the Tombs awaiting trial. She was
quite friendless. To the world she was
only a thief in duress. At the last the
trial was very short. Her lawyer was
merely an unfiedged practitioner as
signed to her defense as formality OF
the court. At the end twelve good men
and true rendered a verdict of guilty
against the shuddering girl in the pris-
oner's dock.
That which was the supreme tragedy
to the broken girl in the cell merely
afforded rather agreeable entertain
ment to her former fellows Of the de-
partment store. Mary Turner through
out her term Of service there had been
without real intimates, so that now
none was ready to mourn over her
fate. Even the two roommates had
felt some slight offense, since they
sensed the superiority Of her, though
vaguely. Now, they found SNUG sat-
isfaction in the fact Of her disaster as
emphasizing very pleasantly their own
continuance in respectability.
On the day Of Mary Turner's trial
there was a subtle gayety of gossip
ings to and fro through the store. The
girls plight was like shuttlecocR
driven hither and yon by the battle
dores of many tongues. 1t was tne
first time in many years that one OF
the employees had been thus accused
of theft. Shoplifters were so common
as to be a stale topic. There was re-
freshing novelty in this case, where
one Of themselves was the culprit Hell
fellow workers chatted desultorily Of
her as they had opportunity, and com
placently thanked their gods that they
were not as she-with reason.
Smithson, a member of the execu-
tive staff, did not hesitate to speak his
mind, though none too forcibly. Ye
his comment, meager as it was, stood
wholly in Mary's favor. And he spoke
with a certain authority, since he hat
given official attention to the girl.
Smithson stopped Sarah Edwards
Mr.. elders private secretary, as she
was passing through one of the de-
partments that morning to ask her i
the owner had yet reached his office.
Been and gone" was the secre
| tary's answer. He went downtown tt
the court of general sessions. The judg
sent for him about the Mary Turne
case"
"Oh. yes, / remember now" Smith
son exclaimed. Il hope the poor cir
gets off. She was nice girl-quit'
the lady, you know, Miss Edwards