The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-01-09

"Joe." she directed rapidly. have
Fannie bring a glass Of milk with an
egg and u little brandy In It. right
away"
The girl In the chair was shaking
s%oundlessly under the stress Of her
emotions. A few disjointed phrases
| fell from her q%uivering lips.
II didn't know-oh. I couldn't"
"Don't try to talk just now" Mary
warned. reassuringly. Wait until
you've had something to eat"
Aggie. who had observed develop.
ments closely. now lifted her. voice in
tardy lamentations over her " stu
pidity.
"Why. the poor gawk's hungry she
exclaimed. And ! never got the dope
on her. Amt I the simp"
The girl regained a degree Of self
control and showed something Of for.
lorn dignity.
EYES," she said duly. "1'm starving"
Mary regarded the afflicted creature
with that sympathy born only Of ex-
perience.
eyes," she said softly. II under
stand" Then she spoke to Aggie.
take her to my room and let her rest
there for awhile. Have her drink the
egg and milk slowly and then lie down
for u few minutes anyhow"
Half an hour afterward Aggie re-
ported with her charge. who. though
still stumbling Of gait and STOPPING.
showed by some faint color in her face
and an increased steadiness of bearing
that the food had already strengthened
her much. a a
"She would come" Aggie explained.
II thought she ought to rest for awhile
longer anyhow"
"I'm all right. l tell you" came the
querulous protest.
"Are you quite sure?" Mary said to
the girl. "Then tell US all about It
this trouble of yours. you know. What
is your name?"
"Helen Norris"
Il don't have to ask If you have been
in prison. Your face shows It,"
"I-I came out-three months ago."
"And you'd made up your mind to go
straight"
Eyes" The word was a whisper.
"You were going to do what the
chaplain had told you." Mary went on.
''You were going to start all over
again. weren't your"
The bent head of the girl bent lower
in assent.
1T doesn't work very we'll. does it?''
"No: I'm whipped"
Mary's manne changed. She spoke
cheerfully for the first time.
swell. then. how would you like to
work with us?"
"You-you mean that
"Our kind of work pays we'll when
you know how. Look at us. Suppose
I should stake you for the present and
put you in with a good crowd. All
you would have to do would he to an,
swer advertisements for servant girls
I will see that you have the best Of
references. Then. when you get in
with the right people you will open the
front door some night and let in the
gang. OF course you will make a get
struggle no mOre. She could only sit
in a huddled. shaking heap Of dread.
Mary soon mastered her to such an
extent that when she spoke again. as
if in self communion. her words came
quietly. yet with overtOnes of a su-
preme woe.
she did it," Then after a little she
addressed the girl with u certain won
dering before this mystery Of horror.
why did you throw the blame on
me?"
The girl made several efforts before
her mumbling became Ineligible. and
then her speech was gasping. broken
with fear. g.
II found out they were watching
me. and ! was afraid they would catch
me. So | took them and ran into the
cloak room and put them in a locker
that wasn't close to mine and some in
the pocket of Il coat that was hanging
there. God knows l didn't know
whose it was. | just put them there
I was ~frightened"-
But they caught you later. Why
didn't you tell then?"
II vas afraid" came the answer
from the shuddering girl. II told them
it was the first time ! had taken any
thing. and they let me off with a year."
You cried and lied. and they let you
off with a year. l wouldn't cry. l
told the ~truth-and"- Mary's voice
broke in a fearless sob. The color had
gone out Of her face. and she stood
rigid. looking down at the girl whose
crime had ruined her life with an ex-
preston of infinite loathing in her eyes.
Aggie took advantage of the pause.
Her voice was acid. 'Some people are
sneaks-just sneaks!"
Somehow the speech was welcome
to the girl. gave her a touch of cour-
age sufficient for cowardly protesta-
tons. 1t was more like the abuse that
was familiar to her. A gush of tears
came.
"Il never forgive myself, never!"