The Washington herald., 1916-06-25

a tour OF the sordld streets a1ber
dark in his watchful care.
"Of course, am not satisfied !" she cried i'm
petuously Isn't 1t possible TO do anything to
change all thisT'
rather bitterly. "I have given three years and
half of my fortune to study of civic conditions
and 1 beginning to think that am going
backward instead of forward You have got
to change conditions like this from the inside
out-not from the outside in. You have got to
deal with the individual rather than with the
ments with little cry, and swinging about
raised his voice in hail to a tall, well set-up
young man, who had Just rounded the opposite
corner.
his attitude showing amazement as he recognized
Carson Then with a swinging stride he crossed
the street.
What in the name of Heaven brings you
here" he demanded
81 want you TO meet two young friends of
mine" said Carson, smiling at the others dub-
Gus expression Miss Burnett and Miss Hartley,
allow me to present my good friend, Rodney
Grant Of The Star. Mr. Grant is one of the most
fearless and capable newspaper reporters have
ever known-end I have bad experience with a
good manyT
Forget 1t P' laughed Grent, shaking hands
with the two girls but still unable TO cover his
surprise, and studying them shrewdly. The young
women had dressed for the occasion in rough
suits and hats, which might have fooled a casual
passer-by, but which only sccsnsuated their re-
fnenent to q close observer.
Miss Hartley and Miss BUuofr are mucn In
terested IN practical sociology" explained Car
son, and have been studying the slums at night
under my guidance and protection II you could
persuade them to talk, old man. you would have
some thrilling stories for The Star Of their ex-
periences. Won's you tcn us?"
Delighted satd Grant, n yuu don't mind
waiting until call the Office
The girls waited While the two men went to
tssephone.
For few moments he o-o girls surveyed
the night scene before them, their attention d.
rected mainly toward the gsody restaurant
scross the street It was Mons who saw frss
the hesitsing young wouran, with the white,
Pinched face, who had paused before the restaur-
ant, and stood peering fearfulH IN through the
window.
The young woman before the resssurant drew
out a coin from trayed purse IN hsr hand, made
q movement as though to pass through the door
way OF the cafe, and then drew back With a shud-
der. With the coin still cfutohed IN her hand,
she passed quickly down the street, entered a drug
store and exchanged the coin for phial of some
thing Mona and Mary following and watching
her The girl entered small park and was rails
ing the phial to her lips when Mona caught and
held her hand. The unmistaksabie odor of carbolio
acid hoated up into Monas face
The young woman the bench struggled
desperately, but the next instant Mona had
wrenched the phisl away and dashed It onto ths
ground
Now she said sooshfnsfy, -if you will tell
me what It is al about, maybe I can help your
Help me r echoed the young woman with
bitter little laugh. You are a nice one to talk
RoOut helping When you took the only way
out Of it all away from mel Oh, why did you
do 1t? Why didn't you let take the chance
when had it? Now" she held out her empty
purse, and broke into historical laugh
Mona dropped onto the bench at her side.
1T is always blacklist Just before dawn
know that it is easy enough to tell you thst-and
that you probably won't believe it. But If you
persuade yourself TO tell your story
will promise that If I cannot offer definite way
Of help to you, I will buy another bottle Of acid
for you without word"
you really mean it?' For a moment the
young woman sat studying the faces of the two
girls, half revealed in the uncertain rays of the
park lights. III chance it :" she decided abruptly
81 can't be worse off than am now. That is one
consolation"
She plunged into her story nerTously.
My name is Winnie Andrews. Oh, am a
good girl Maybe, it would be better for me if
wasn't. have been foolish, never bad I was
foolish enough to think that l had a voice, that
could sing-and 1 was more foolish when be-
lieved man who told I right, that
would some day be a second Melbai MY home
in Ohio. There is need to tell you the
name Of the town. One day I saw in a news
paper the advertisement of a concern, calling it
self The Twentieth Century Vocal Academy of
New York City. 1t seemed to offer just the
courses of instruction which I thought I needed,
and I persuaded my father to draw his savings
from the bank to pay my expenses. With the
money l came to New York, and met the head
OF the music school, man who gave me the name
OF Professor AlonZo Herman. He tested my
voice, or at least pretended TO do so, and said
that there doubt of my success
opera singer if took his course of instruction.
81 stayed at the school for several months,
and then my father came on to see me- Professor
Herman talked enthusiastically about my fu-
ture, that we decided it would be safe to mort
>gage our home for enough money to finish my
schooling The Professor introduced us to a
calling himself a money-lender, who advanced
small sum on our property taking mortgage
as security. Several months more passed was
becoming vaguely uneasy as Professor Herrman's
instruction showed no results, but it not
until l received word that my father i'll that
! became really alarmed. I went to Professor
Herman and asked him II he could not secure
me some kind Of position where 1 could earn
money with my voice, enough money to take care
OF my father, but he only laughed in my face, and
called me an easy mark / guess he that he
had gotten about all the money possible out of
Us, and that the time had come to disillusion me
The next week they foreclosed the mortgage or
our home, and the shock killed my father! Since
then have been trying desperately to get work.
any kind of work. OF course have lost all nv
wonderful dreams about my voice. have been
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