The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-12-11

She had been reared in criminal
family. which must excuse much.
Long ago she had lost track Of her
father. Her mother she had never
known. Her one relation was broth
er Of high standing as a pickpocket.
One principal reason Of her success in
leading on men to make fools Of them
selves over her. to their everlasting re-
gret afterward. lay in the fact that in
spite Of all the gross irregularities Of
her life she remained chaste
The girl saw in Mary Turner the
possibilities of ladylike personality
that might mean much financial profit
in the devious ways Of which she was
a mistress. With the frankness char
acteristic Of her. she proceeded to paint
glowing pictures Of a future shared to
the undoing of ardent and fatuous
SWANS. Mary Turner listened with
curiosity. but she was in no wise
moved to follow such a life. even
though it did not necessitate anything
worse than fraudulent playing at
love- So, she steadfastly continued her
refusals. She would live straight.
"You will find that you are up
against an awful frost" Aggie would
declare brutally.
Mary found the prophecy true. Back
in New York she experienced a pow
erty more ravaging than any she had
known in those five lean years Of her
working in the store. She had been
absolutely penniless for two days. and
without food through the gnawing
hours, when she found employment in
a milliner's shop. Followed blessed
interval in which she worked content
eddy, happy over the meager stipend.
since it served to give her shelter and
food honestly earned.
The police informed Mary's employer
concerning her record as 2 convict.
and she was ut once discharged. The
unfortunate victim of the law came
perilously close to despair then. Yet,
her spirit triumphed. and again she
persevered in that resolve to live
straight She found cheap position
in a cheap shop. only to be again per-
secuted by the police, so that she
speedily lost the place.
~ A third time she obtained work and
there, after little, she told her en-
ployer, candy manufacturer in a
small way, the truth as to her having
been in prison. The man had kindly
heart and he ran little risk, so he al
lowed her to remain. When the police
called his attention to the girls Grim
inal record he paid no heed to their ad-
vice against retaining her services.
The police brought pressure to bear on
the man. They even called in the as
s,stance of Edward Glider himself.
who obligingly wrote a very severe let
ter to the girls employer. In the end.
though unwillingly enough, he dismiss
ed Mary from his service.
It was then that despair did come
upon the girl. She had tried with all
the strength of her to live straight
Yet. despite her innocence. the world
would not let her live according to her
own conscience. 1t demanded that she
he the criminal it had branded her-if
she were to live at ALL She still walk
ed the streets falteringly, seeking some
place, but her heart was gone from
the quest. Came an hour when she
thought of the river and was glad.
So she went through the long stretch
Of i'll lighted streets, crossed some rail
road tracks to a pier, over which she
hurried to the far end, where 1t pro-
iected out to the fiercer currents of the
Hudson. There, without giving her
self a moments pause for reflection or
hesitation. she leaped out as far as
her strength permitted into the coil of
waters. But in that final second nat
ural terror in the face Of death over
came the lethargy of despair-a shrek
burst from her lips. Mo-.
On the side of the pier man had
Just tied up motorboat He stood up
in alarm at the cry and was just in
time to gain glimpse of a white face
under. the dim moonlight as it swept
down with the tide, two rods beyond
him. He threw off his coat and sprang
far out after the drifting body. He
came to it in few furious strokes and
caught it. 81 .. @
Then began the savage struggle to
save her and himself. The currents
tore at him wrathfnlly hut he fought
against them with MI the 6erceness Of
his nature What saved The two q \
tl1em Was TIE violent telnper 81 thes
llal Alway4 4 hal - 10 4ezne