The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-07-26
Beth, the Girl
w no Went Right
An Autobiography
Recorded by Ethel Lloyd Patterson
copyright, 1918, by Carl DOwulng)
No. 9l--Stella Turning

'N' Ns
O 0 o o o o o .
10 BEAUTIFUL books give Us bcauiI- o
d fui dreams but alas, II IL the fact q
. In the newspaper with which We q
% must live, o
o o o o o o o o o
| suppose It was ~cowardly Of me
not to interfere. | should have gone
after Stella and ask her please not to
quarrel with my father. Or perhaps
/ should have been able to control my
tears, when he had brought them to
my eyes by his lack Of interest In our
careful preparations for HIS entertain
mrut on this his first visit to our little
flat. But when | had rushed from
the room after my fathers quick
words. and Stella had gone TO reprl-
mand him FOR speaking 10 ma In such
a manner, | sank upon the edge OF
Hnttic's he'd. with n handkerchief 10
my eyes md wept quietly. And then
| hear Stella's voice, clear and de-
termined, and I could not help paus
ing IN my subs to listen. Apparently,
too, my father was not interruptlng
her.
Look here, Mr. Barmore," | heard
her say. Beth has not been living
with YOU for n good many months now
and you do not seem to realize what
the child has been through since she
left You. And what In more to the
point, YOU don't seem to have made
much Of an effort TO find but what
she WINS doing. | don't mind telling
II IS more or less good luck and not
good management that she Is here
with us, safe aud we'll, today. She
went ont into the world ignorant Al
a baby 90 earn her own living and you
let her GO
"Ignorantf' / heard my father
growl "She went to one OF the most
expensive schools In the city !"
Stella laughed scornfully
That's Just H." she retOrted. 81
wasn't speaking u finishing school
I vas speaking Of a regular education.
Aud the Kind, too that 1t is the duty
OF a girls mother or father TO give
her. lUu KNOW, | think, Mr.. Bnrmore,
what you get u books Is pleasure.
not knowledge. You got to live with
the things you find In the street and
n a girl doesn't know all they mean
she Is up against It pretty hard
Well answered my father. "a
girls got no business In the street
then, That sort OF knowledge isn't
meant for "A woman"
"Pifflo aud bunk ~ said Stella. ITO
begin with, anything that's true,
everybody should know, but that
Isn't the point either. II n girl eau.
not earn enough money 10 keep n roof
over her head, where IL SHE going to
70 but the streets7 II mothers and
fathers don't want their daughters
there. they ought 10 teach them how
10 get a roof, or how 10 hold
on 10 one when they have got
H. This parent proposition makes me
sick, anyway No child asked to be
brought here" | fancied that Stella
was looking very directly Mt my father
now. "Mr. Barmore.' | heard her say.
you brought Beth here. You gave
her life and then YOU handed
her any weapons 10 fight her way. II
she went down you don't suppose she
would he held responsible, do your
There ia Somebody up there watching
this mess down on earth, and | tell
YOU II Isn't the kids hut the parents
Tint are going down on the black
list :"
There vas an uncomfortable pause.
| expected 10 hear my fhthcr turn
upon by friend and metaphorically
rend her limb from limb. Instead, |
heard him say, very gently for him
II am an old man, Miss King l
Am vcaried aud worn. Sometimes |
don't know which way tn turn WIN
you call Reth back? I think we
might all have tea together