Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1914-01-01

Will IllS NAN Dy my SIDE.
"Well?' Glider insisted querulously.
as the girl hesitated
When you sit in cell for three:
months waiting for your trial, as did
You think lot. And so got the idea
that if l could talk to you might De
able to make you understand what )
really wrong. And if | could do that
and so help out the other girls what
has happened to me would NOT, after
all, be quite so awful--so useless, some
how" Her voice lowered to quick
pleading, and she bent toward the man
at the desk. Mr.. Glider" she aues-
toned, do you really want to stop
the girls from stealing?"
Most certainly l do came the for
cible reply
The girl spoke with great earnest
ness deliberately
Then give them fair chance"
Tie magnate stared in sincere astoA-
ishment over this absurd. this futile
suggestion for his guidance
What do you mean:" h. vocifarat
ed. with rising indignat ion.
Why" she said very gently. -.
mean just this: Give them a living
chance u be honest"
"A living chance! The two words
were 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.
Yes she went on quietly, that
al! there is to it, Give them living
chance to get enough food to eat and
a 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
regaincd his power of speech. and he
interrupted stormily:
"And is this what you have taken
up my time for? You want to make a
maudl!n plea for guilty.. dishonest
girls, when thought you realty meant
to bring me facts"
We work nine hours day" the
girls quiet voice went on, curious
pathos in the rich timbre of it, .'nine
hours day for six days in the week
That's 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 itg
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 CIR!
remained silent for IL moment
And l have no wish to discuss any
thing" Mary returned evenly Il only
want to give YOU what you asked for
facts. When they first locked me up
l used to sit and hate YOU
'Oh. of course
And then | thought that perhaps
you did not Understanding. if I We're
to tell you how things really are, it
might be you would change them
somehow"
~ he cried incredulously. 81
change my business policy because
you ask me to-
There was something imperturbable
in the quality of the voice as the girl
went resolutely forward with ner ex-
PLANTATION.
"Do yo, 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 our
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 one of them:' she questioned
coldly please answer me Have
you: OF course not" she said. after
a little pause during which th. owner
had remained silent She shook her
head in emphatic negaton "Antl
do YOU understand why: It's simply
because every girl knows tina, the
manager OF her department would
think he could get along without her
IL he We're TO see her sitting down :
loaling, You know So she would he
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 80 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
And instead of telling me something
you rant about gas stoves and car
fare"
enAo-Eo NJ