The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-09-28

"cut out rushin' the growler to No:
IA" she commanded lib Ragan ana
"a poot EITHER drink your beer 81
tho saloon or move up on the tniro
eoor second floors respectable now.
All this was alarming. but the very
f,rst evening Nina invited the pinoeFS
girls in to see her.
81 do so want to know you, sne
said "You see l have always nveo III
the country and been friends VIII 81
my neighbors. 80
Awestruck with the comfort anu
beautv of the room, the girls went III
very silent and very i'll at ease. Unoef
the friendly chatter Of the new logger
thew thawed out and remained long
time, telling the little stories OF tneiF
narrow lives.
One by one all Of the dodgers were
invited into the transformed room ana
went forth with great friendlinees ana
respect for the gentle girl who was
an different from them all. And one
nv one the rooms of all the lodgers
began to take on new atmosphere.
Even Mrs. Higgins swept the halls
twice a week and once was seen 70
actually scrub them. Nina helped al
with suggestions and with the WORK OF
/ her hands. The two bindery girls
spent much Of their spare time max
ing things for their room after they
were shown how it could be done with
practically no expense for material.
In the meantime the new LOGGER nao
gone out only two days looking for
work before SIZE announced 1oyously
that she had secured position IN q
newspaper clipping bureau. To be
sure the pay was very small and the
work hard and the color faded from
her cheeks, but she made enough to
pay her room rent and live frugally
and add a little all the time to the
comfort of her own room and Of those
about her.
And there came to be little gather
ings of the dodgers In the various
rooms, but generally in Miss Killers
where there were famous little sup
pers cooked over the crate fire. and
to watch all contributed their mite
And there came to be talk OF books
which led to the reading of books. And
the girls learned to sew and to make
clothes and hats for themselves. and
I'm short, Mrs. Higgins boarding
house came to be the abiding place
Of crowd Of well-dressed, well-in
formed and self.respecting people
And all this happened without essen
tial increase in the wages Of thu
people-excepting that aroused ambi
ton led to better work and Ed Roo
became foreman in the shop where h'
worked and Rose became the fore
woman of her bindery, and there wer'
other advancements which quite sur
prised those concerned and delighte'
the little home community.
Also was there marrying and givinl
In marriage when Ed Root marrie'
Madge and set up home in q littl
nat around the corner.
Then came one sad day when tn
princess who wrought all this magi
was carried away. A tall. sunburne
stranger came and clasped her in hi
arms before all the company an
chided her sternly for hiding hersel
from her friends and from him. It wa
quite romance as the story came ou1
; but the stern parent now was dea
, and the prince had come into his owl
Il would not have missed my exp,
rience here for anything in the world,
she said. with tears in her eyes q
she kissed Mrs. Higgins good-by.
The spirit she injected into th
, Higgins lodging house still abides, an
many there are who called her blesse,
/ copyright. by Daily Story Pub. Coz