The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1914-05-14
A gasp burst from the white lips Of
the Girl. and she covered as one strick


"Mary Turner! Oh. my God! ~
She hid her face within her arms and
sat bent until her head rested on her
knees in an abasement Of misery.
Vaguely startled by the hysterical
outburst from the girl Mary's immedi-
ate thought was that here was pitt
fu] instance of one suffering from star
vation.
"Joe," she directed rapidly. "have
| Fannie bring glass Of milk with an
egg and little brandy in it, right
! away"
The girl in the chair was shaking
soundlessly under the stress of her
emotions. A few disjointed phrases
fell from her quivering lips.
| ri didn't know-oh, couldn'tv'
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 own stu
pidity
"Why, the poor gawk's hungry" she
exclaimed "And never got the dope
on her. Amt the simp!'
The girl regained degree of self
control and showed something of for
lorn dignity
EYES," she said DULY, "I'm starving"
Mary regarded the afflicted creature
with that sympathy born only Of eS
perience.
"Yes," she said softly. II under
stand" Then she spoke to Agge
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 few minutes anyhow"
Half an hour afterward Aggie re-
ported with her charge. who, though
| still shambling of gait and shopping.
showed by some faint color in her face
and an increased steadiness of bearing
that the food had already strengthened
her much.
"She would come" Aggie explained
II thought she ought to rest for awhile
longer anyhow"
"Tm all right, l tell you," came the
querulous protest.
care 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
81 don't have to ask If you have been
in prison. Your face shows it,"
T-I came out-three months ago.
"And you'd made up your mind to go
straight?"
Eyes" The word was 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?''
mo; I'm whipped
Mary's manner changed. She spoke
cheerfully for the first time.
"Well then. how would you like to
work with u.s."
"You-you mean that
"Our kind of work pays we'll when
YOU know how Look at us. Suppose
should stake you for the present and
put you in with good crowd. All
you would have to do would be to an
swer advertisements for servant girls
will see that you have the best OF
references. Then, when you get Ii
with the right people you will open the
front door some night and let in the
gang OF course you will make get
away when they do and get your bi
as well''
There flashed still another of til
swift sly chances, and the lips Of til
girl parted as if she would speak. Blu
f she did not only her head sagged eve
n lower on her breast and the shrunke
o form grew yet more shrunken.
l. "It doesn't suit you? Good! wa
y in hopes it wouldn't. So, here's anotl
e er plan. Suppose you could go west
y some place where you would have
T. fair chance, with money enough $
you could live like human being til
l. you got a start?"
n There came tensing of the relaxe
s | lOIll, anu lne Helu HlIeu llIJle,
G that the girl could look at her que:
>. TONER.
l. 81 will give you that chance" Mar
,, said simply, ''if you really want it,"
g The wretched girl sat suddenly cree
and her words came eagerly.
d ooh, | do"' And now her hungr
gaze remained fast Oh the face of I'll
J. woman who offered her salvation.
l., "Then l have just one thing to sa
IS to you first. If you are going to liz
l. straight start straight, and then {
through with it. Do you know wh'
s. that means?"
"You mean keep straight all tt
l. time?" The girl spoke with for'
drawn from the others strength.
n ~ mean more than that. mea
d forget that you We're ever in prison.
d don't know what you have done
don't think / care. But whatever
=,