The Meeker herald., 1917-03-03

| 0unufeuB OF tnen anu lhu tubuEul uo
more of any OF them tlian dog pulling
A huckster's wagon. Now this little
fellow made her heart ache. While
she had been at birth placed In II satin
lined bnssInet. this boy had likely been
| placed ON dirty cotton brdclntiline
,dorifero,is ind suualid She had sat.
,ne of a ring Of daintiIy dressed chill
lren. singing kindergarten -ung'. hr
was at thut age breasting il cold world
selling newspapers, She remembered
with something like shame that she
lad not even appreciated the advan
ilges she had enjoyed at college-nd
runtnges that many poor girl had
went bitter tears or because size could
| not make them the basis of earning an
honorable living and which would
have saved her from life of TOLL
But these thoughts served to bring
out all there was of strength In
Mndge's nature. Drawing down the
corners of her pretty mouth with n
grim resolution she started down the
street and Oh reaching residential
district rang the doorbell of the first
respectable looking house she came to.
A member of the family answered the
call
docs the Indy want n maid!' asked
Madge.
She's always wanting maid. Maids
are not plentiful nowadays"
Leaving Madge in the vestibule. the
person went inside and returned with
an invitation Tor the applicant to come
/ In and see the lady. Madse found
her In a luxurious boudoir. She seem
ed struck by Madge's refined features.
MADAM" Madge be:an. Il beg of
you to employ me. have been very
unfortunate. Accused of crime OF
which I am Innocent. / have spent u
year In prison. hive only this morn
ing been discharged with enough
money
Tie horror depicted on the wOman's
face was appalling to the applicant.
II don't need any Lelp Mt present"
she xiid, looking hard at the door.
II beg Of you not to turn me away,
l promise you
leave the house ut once or ! will
call the police and lave you put out"
Madge beat hasty retrent.
Before making another application
she resolved to try to gain footing
In the employers good graces before
confessing the brand upon her. She
rang several bells In succession. TO be
told that 10 maid was wanted one
servant who answered her call shut
ting the door In her face without
reply.
When at last she struck house
where a maid was wanted and was ad-
mltted to the lndy's presence. the in
tcrview was no longer than the first
one. On being asked II she had
Recommendation from the Inst person
she had served she was forced TO adj
nit that she had not and was dismiss
ed ut once.
1t was 10 O'Clock when Madge had
left the prison, and after three hours.
going from house to house in search
OF a position, she became faint rather
than hungry and stepped into II res
taurant of second grade that she had
once been Obliged to put up with fer
want of better to get something to
strengthen her. Taking a seat at
but while she was looking to find the
price Of cup of tea and roll the
proprietor stepped up to her and with
his eyes fixed menningly on her course
garb. said:
Reckon you've got into the wrong
place. There's restaurant around the
corner that would suit you better
Madge arose and left the restaurant
Standing irresolutely on the sidewalk.
she debated what she should do. If
her experience thus far was so bitter
what would it be when her little
money with which she had provided
herself had been spent? A policeman.
tseeing her standing thus forlorn. ap-
preached her and asked her where she
belonged.
Nowhere" replied Madge bitterly.
II have no home
"Well." he replied to this, II wish
you'd get of my beat wouldn't like
to run In nice lookin' girl like you
for vagrancy. but II you keep loiterin'
about here I'll have.tO do So"
This capped the climax. Madge had
tried her experiment Of making liv
ing with brand upon her. and she
was quite satisfied as to the disadvnn-
tages of such a situation. She was
faint for want OF food and had failed
to obtain 1t even in second class res
taurant. She resolved to go home for
lunch and remain there.
"Call a cab" she said to the police
man.
"A cab!' was the astonished ex-
slamatiOn.
Yes. cab.
NIadGe showed him a half dollar.
He whistled to man nodding on the
drivers scat Of taxi. who aroused
himself and drove his conveyance to
the curb before the vngrunt. When
she entered. giving the chauffeur her