The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1914-04-30

us the girl hesitated.
'W hen you sit in cell for three
months waiting for your trial, as did
you think lot And 50 got the lie;
that il ! could talk to you might bs
able to make you understand whats
really wrong. And If could do THAI
and so help out the other girls. villa
has happened to me would not after
all, he quite so awful-so useless, some
how Her voice lowered to quicI
pleading, and she bent toward the mai
at the desk. "Mr. Glider" she ques
toned, do you really want to stol
the girls from stealing?"
"Most certainly | do" came the for
chile reply.
The girl spoke with a great earnest
ness deliberately.
'Then give them a fair chance"
The magnate stared in sincere aston
ishment over this absurd, this futile
suggestion for his guidance.
"What do you mean:" he vocferat-
ed, with rising indignation.
"Why," she said very gently. Il
mean just this Give them living
chance to lie honest"
"A living chance!' The two words
We're exploded with dynamic violence.
Glider found himself unable to ex-
press the rage that famed within him.
The girl showed herself undismayed
by his anger.
Eyes" she went on quietly. that's
all there is to it. Give them a living
chance to get enough food to eat and
decent room to sleep in and shoes
that will keep their feet off 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:
"And is this what you have taken
up my time for? You want to make a
maudEn plea for guilty. dishonest
girls. When I thought you really meant
to bring me facts!''
I'VE work nine hours a day" the
girls quiet voice went on. a curious
pathos in the rich timbre of it. mine
hours day for six days i'll the week.
That's a fact, isn't it? And the trou-
BILE is an honest girl can't live on Sc a
week. She can't do it and buy food
and clothes and pay room rent and
carfare. That's another fact. isn't it,"
Mary regarded the owner of the store
wit in, i'm, lot
eyes
II don't care to discuss these things"
he declared peremptorily as the girl
remained silent for moment.
"And | 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 me up
used to sit and hate you"
ooh. of course."
"And then l thought that perhaps
you did not understandable if were
to tell you how things really are, it
might be you would change them
somehow"
'1." he cried incredulously II
change my business policy because
YOU ask me to-"
There was something ilnperturbable
in the quality Of the voice as the girl
went resolutely forward with her ex-
EDO you know how we girls live?
But. of course, you don't. Three of us
in one room, doing our own cooking
over the two burner gas stove and orll:
own washing and ironing evenings,
after being on our feet for nine hours"
II have provided chairs behind the
counters" he stated.
''But have you ever seen a girl sit
ting in ono of them?" she questioned
coldly. "Please answer me. Have
you? OF course not" 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
think he could get along without her
if he We're to see her sitting down.
loafng, you know. So she would be
discharged. All it amounts to is that
after being on her feet for nine hours
the girl usually walks home in order to
save car fare. Yes, she walks, wheth-
er sick or we'll. Anyhow, you are gen
orally so tired, it don't make much
difference which you are"
"What has all this to do with the
question Of theft in the store? That
was the excuse for your coming here.
And instead Of telling me something
you rant about gas stoves and car
fare"
CHAPTER w.
Inferno.