The Washington times., 1915-12-25
Continued from Yesterday


The years had slipped away. Once
more the grown woman was penttent
little child at the knee of the nurse who
idolized her and whose chief JOY in life
was to soothe away the little ones
woes. June felt this strangely sweet
influence OF the protecting love. And it
was like balm TO her wrecked spirit
She knew now that she could tell her
story to this woman who understood
who always understood. And, braVely
she begun her confession
Il think I've gone mad. said June
Il can't understand 1t any other way.
| can't accoant. any other way, Tor the
fearful power that has taken hold or
me, from time to time. this past day
or two l don't understand myself. l
can't believe it's really /. who am
swayed by these horrible impulses If
If we lived in olden times, Mary, Ia
honestly believe l was a victim Of witch
craft or-or possessed OF u devil. like
people in Bible days. A demon seems
to have entered into me-to mako Inc
want to do things--Id never dreamed
OF doing a few days ago. Iou're-you're
sure you won't hate me II ] tell yoL?'
A reassuring pressure OF the arms
that held her so closely was the only
reply June reCeived--or desired. The
girl slipped to the floor and. kneeling
there, her face against Mary's breast,
she told her story.
1T began just the other day" she
whispered. IAN in a flash. You remem-
Der, | told you about my going to the
prison with mother. the day Circle
Jim Borden was released-aad the way
he repulsed me when | spoke to him?
Yes Yes! - assented Mary, her lined
face pallng and an unaccountable shud :
der convulsing her slender old body. Il
remember"
why do you quiver like that. Mary Q"
asked the girl. And when l first told
you about meeting Borden at the prison
faCa RhHStly asked
why. and you wouldn't tell me. Did
you ever know him Or"
No! No. indeed" dIsclaimed the
nurse. "Of course, l didn't. What a
foolish idea"
Then, why
oh, don't know, dearie Perhaps be-
cause | hate to think Of folks being
sent to Jail, like he was. Go on with
Well" resumed June. "yust a few
hours after ] left the prison, all at once
had the strangest sensati IN. 1t seem
ed to start in my brain end go all over
me. 1t was as IL something had snap
ped, in my soul. l can't explain 1t. And
the strangest impulses came surging
through my mind. II felt like Grim
inal!"
"Dearie!"
II did. l felt as a criminal must feel
| felt craving to commit crime; n
love for its perils. hideous crafty wit
vast was
Little girl: Little girl" soothed
Mary. as a sob Choked June's hushed
voice. That's nothing. It's just bad
nerves. most likely. Instead OF going
to dances and all such gay doings, the
way other pretty girls do, you've been
spending too much time visiting poor
folks and reading those nasty prison
reports AMI helping jailbirds and such
like. It's gotten on your mind till
you're all run down, and you've begun
to ! II like n criminal yourself. It's
the same way with me, every time l
read a patent medicine advertisement
begin thinking I've got all the symp-
toms the advertisement tells about.
And yet all the time I'm no more an
invalid than you're-than you're a
criminal
- am a criminal"
June spoke the words very quietly.
and with no trace of emotion. But her
sweet voice was dead, and in her big
dark eyes was an utter hopelessness
that it wrung Mary's soft old heart to
see.
"A criminal" repeated the nurse In
fine scorn. You? You're one of the