The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1913-11-22

this and, while can make no definite
promise, I'll see what can be done
about getting you out Of your present
dimculty." He picked up a pencil,
/ pulled 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?" y FS>5.~ +
II have no pals" she calculated fu-
riously. II never stole anything in
my life. Must go on telling you over
and over again?" Her voice rose In a
. wall Of misery. "Oh, why won't any
ono believe me?'' -. '"
! "Unless you can control yourself,
you must CO." 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.
II have something to tell you. Mr..
Glider" she cried quietly. "Only IL
sort of lost my grip on the way here,
: WALL IAAS 4AoA 10y 6AUSs
"Well7" Glider insisted querulously,
rs the girl hesitated. -
'When you sit In cell for three
months waiting for your trial, as I did,
you think lot. And 50 got the idea
that IL could talk to you might be
/, able to make you understand what's
!; really wrong. And il could do that
! and 80 help out the other girls, what
: has happened to me would not, after
all, be quite 30 awful-so useless, some
how" Her voice lowered to 4 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 steaNngW
Most certainly I d." came the for
chile reply. -: s.~:. =.
The girl spoke with a. great earnest
ness deliberately.
''Then give them fair chance
The magnate stared in sincere aston
ishmeut over this absurd, this futile
suggestion for his guidance.
what do you mean7'' 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 chancev' The two words
were exploded with dynamic violence.
Glider found himself unable to ex-
press tho rage that famed within him.
The girl showed herself undismayed
by his anger. ~s
"Yes," she went on quietly, that's
all there Is to 1t. Give them living
chance to get enough food to eat and
q decent room to sleep In and shoes
that will keep their feet OF 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: a. ..~. ;, +.
|; "And is this what you have taken
up my time for7 You want to make 4
maudlin plea for guilty, dishonest
girls, when I: thought you really meant
t. bring me facts!" - s..
1--WE work nine hours a day." tho
girl quiet voice went on, 4 curious
pathos in the rich. timbre Of It, "uine
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 IS 4
week. She can't do it and buy food
and clothes and pay room rent and
carfare. That's another fact, isn't tt1'
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 I 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 mo up
used to sit and hate you"
"Oh, Of course!''
'*And then I thought that perhaps
you did not understand-that, IL I were
to tell you how things really are, it
might be you would change them
somehow" ..-. d.
Il" no cried incredulousay. = 81
change my business policy because
you ask me to-" 49,,
There was something imperturbable
In the quality Of tho voice as the glirl
went resolutely forward with her ex-
PLANTATION. -. ,''. =.
"Do you know how We GIRL, livs7
But, Of course, you don't. Thrse Of M
IN one room, doing our own cooking
over the two burner gas stove and our
own washing and ironing EVENING",
after being on our feet for nine hours:
7"1 have provided chairs behind the
counters" he stated. ,'->
"But have you ever seen girl sit
ting In one Of them?" she questioned
coldly. "Please answer me. /, Have
you? OF course moi" she said, after
little pause during which the owner
had remained silent She shook her
head in emphatic negation. 'And
do you understand why? It's simply
because every girl knows that the
manager of her department would