The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-10-09

without ever a thought of yielding to
those temptations that beset girl
who is at once poor and charming
Among her fellows were some like
herself, others unlike. OF her own
sort in this single particular were the
two girls with whom she shared a
cheap room. Their common decency
in attitude toward the other sex was
the unique bond of union. In their as
sociation she found no real compan-
ionship. Nevertheless they were whole
some enough. Otherwise they were
Hliterate, altogether uncongenial.
In such wise, through five dreary
years, Mary Turner lived. Nine hours
daily she stood behind a counter. She
spent her other waking hours in oblig-
atory mental labors, cooking her own
scant meals over the gas, washing and
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 ia
ther, too, had been of a superior kind.
There was as well, at the back vague
~, the feeling of particular self re-
spect that belongs inevitably to the
possessor Of good blood. Finally she
demurely enjoyed a modest apprecia-
ton of her own physical advantages.
In short, she had beauty, brains and
breeding, three things of chief impor-
lance to any woman.
There had been thefts in the store.
They had been traced eventually to
certain department, that in which
Mary worked. The detective was
alert. Some valuable silks were miss
ed. Search followed Immediately The
goods were found in Mary's locker
That was enough. She was charged
with the theft. She protested limo
eence, only to be laughed at in deri-
sion by her accusers. Every thief de
cIaFes innocence. Mr.. Glider himself
was emphatic against her. The thiev
ing had been long continued. An ex-
ample must be made. The girl was ar
rested.
The crowded condition of the court
calendar kept her for three months in
the Tombs awaiting trial. She was
quite friendIess. To the world she was
only a thief in duress. At the last the
trial was very short Her lawyer was
merely an unfedged practitioner as
signed to her defense as a formality
of the court. At the end twelve good
men and true rendered a verdict of
guilty against the shuddering girl in
the rI.iSGror'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 a SNUG
satisfaction in the fact of her disaster
as emphasizing very p1easurably their
own continuance in responsibility.
On the day of Mary Turner'S trial
there was a subtle gayety of gossipings
to and fro through the store The
girls plight was like a shuttlecock
driven hither and yon by the battle
dores of many tongues. 1t was the
first time in many years that one of