The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-12-02
The Brand of
a Criminal
Il Was Assumed Voluntarily
by a Society Girl
By F. A. Mitchell

Miss Wetmore, q middle aged spin
ster. was much interested IN sociology.
She was especially giver - helping
persons who had been convicted of
crime. served their term In prison and
been discharged. Her niece. Madge
Ellison. a gay girl of twenty one, made
light of her aunt's efforts, havi4.- theo-
ries of her own on the subject. Madge
had been to college, but. though very
bright scholar. her course was cut short
by her being discovered in some prank
which resulted in her expulsion
Her own case Illustrated her theory
with regard to discharged prisoners
81 was born" she said. with the Old
career in his service"
Nonsense replied her aunt. You
were born to ease and comfort. Your
silly prank. for which you were ex
PEELED from college. was the result Of
exuberance of youthful spirits. Crimi-
nails are usually driven into crime and,
once in it, cannot get out of 1t. Adds
charged prisoner bears brand that
time cannot efface. No one will en-
ploy him, and he is driven to commit
more crime to obtain the necessarles of
life"
II wonder" said Madge thoughtfuliS,
"were | discharged criminal II
could get on"
"Try it and see"
The words made an impression on
Madge. "Try 1t and seev' The idea
would not depart She was really
girl of great depth. Had she not also
been a girl Of feeling she might have
taken hold of some one of the women's
questions Of the day and made hob
by Of 1t. She was rather fitted for a
wife and mother, and the strength in
her of this instinct prevented her from
embracing any cause that would hold
her undivided attention.
But TRY It and see" would not down.
Week after week passed, and a desire
to test her ability to get on with the
brand of a criminal upon her grew
apace. Meanwhile she was devoting
herself to society, finding 1t hollow
hearted and the duties 1t involved
tedious. Born for something more in
keeping with an active brain and a
sympathetic nature, she tired of peo-
pie whose only object was to climb So
cially and maintain their position when
they reached the top Of the ladder.
Aunt Isabel" she said one morning,
1--WE made up my mind
ITO what?"
I'm going to try it and see.'"
"Try what and seer
I'm going to take on myself the
j, brand Of Cain, renounce for season
home, income-in short, everything ex-
cept such belongings as are given a
discharged prisoner-and see If l can
make a living without committing
more crime"
You'll find it next to impossible.
Even to make your living as you have
been brought up would be difficult; to
do so with blight on you would be
many times more So"
Nevertheless I'm resolved"
Every well; I'll help you to carry out
your design"
Miss Wetmore took her niece to q
prison where the aunt was well known
to the warden and told him Of Madges
plan. When Madge left the prison she
was dressed as n woman of low de.
gree and given the amount of funds
usually granted discharged prisoners
At the prison gate she left her aunt
with the words. Il shall try the ex.
pertinent to the bitter end"
Miss WetmOre embraced her, spoke
few words of commentator and en-
enlargement. and Madge found herself
alone on street in great city with
the voluntary brand Of criminal upon
her.
In order to come as nearly as pos
sible to the conditions of the test II
had been arranged that If inquiries
We're made at the prison concerning
her 1t should be said that she haG
been sent up for theft and no mors
Information should be given. One ad
vantage that real discharged pris
oner would have in possible passing
Of time without her record being dis
covered Madge found it expedient t
take upon herself. She was to confess
that she had been in Jail, but declar
that she was innocent of the crime o
which she had been convicted. Thi
advantage and disadvantage Madg
considered would Offset each other
She had not been taught anything b
which to make living. unless her ed
ucation would serve that purpose. Blu
for a confessed criminal to secure
position as teacher was hopeless. Eve
with a clear record Madge was will
out a degree. She knew nothing {
the culinary art and could not ill th
position Of a cook. To be a housemai
required no great instruction. and TIL
seemed to be the only field open to he
Madge stood on the sidewalk befoI
the prison TIL her aunt. with a throw
kiss. turned a corner. Then all of
sudden the voluntary jailbird felt
sinking of the heart that well mig
caused her to forego her experiment
"Great heavensr she said to hersel