Putnam patriot., 1914-02-06

Tombs.
 without ever thought of yielding to those temptations that beset a 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 cheap room Their common deeency ill attitude toward the other sex was the unique bond of union In their as soeiation she found no real compan- ionship. Nevertheless they were whole some enough. Otherwise they were illiterate, altogether uncongenial.
 In such wise through five dreary years. Mary Turner lived. Nine hours daily she stood behind counter. She spent her other waking hours in oblig- at0ry menial 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 mind keen and earnest she contrived some solace from reading and stuuying 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 ly. the feeling of particular self re spect that belongs inevitably to the possessor 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 miss ed. Search followed immediately. The goods were found in Marys locker. That was enough She was charged with the theft. She protested inno- cenee. only to be laughed at in deri- sion by her accusers Every thief de elares innocence. Mir 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 ouite friendless. To the world she was only a thief i'll duress. At the last the trial was very short Her lawyer was merely an unfedged practitioner as signed to her defense as formailty of the court At the end twelve good men and true rendered a verdict of guilty against the shuddering girl in the prisoners dock.
 That which was the supreme tragedy to the broken girl in the cell mereiy afforded rather agreeable entertain ment to her former fellows of the de partment store. Mary Turner through ont her term of service there had been without real ntimates, 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 satisfaction in the fact of her disaster as emphasizing very pleasurably thelr own continuance in responsibility.
 On the day of Mary Turner's triai there was subtle gayety of eossipinss to and fro through the store. The girls plight was like q shuttieeock driven hither and yon by the battle dores of many tongues. II was the first time in many years that one oi 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 cnlprit Her fellow workers chatted desultorily oI her as they had opportunity. and com placentIy thanked their gods that they were not as she--Hith reason
 Smithson, member of the executive