The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-12-15
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
A Gift for Sadie.
sY DORA NOLAN.
copyright, 1918, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndlcate.l

u N w uloJ SSh44 " SVLASIAS4ASS' -
like | prefer 10 think OF It as
Providence = the mysterious
agent which brought TO Sadie the
thing she most wished for In all the
world, on Christmas day. And Provi-
dence needed me in its plans.
When the letter came from Norma
Blakely urging me to spend the holi-
day with her, there was only one In
fention in my mind; that was TO re-
fuse. But didn't refuse; and Ican't
explain why, for didn't want to go
The prospect gave me an uncontort:
. able feeling. 1t wa3 as though ] had
been invited to spend the day in Q
police court!
For. Norma was matron OF Rich
1nond House, a unit Of Hilltop Farm
and Hilltop Farm was big state In
dustrial school.
Norma explained that the two teach
ers who roomed in the house and the
housekeepet as we'll were going home
for the holiday. That would leave her
to carry out alone the homelike
Christmas she had planned for the
thirty-Eive girls under her charge.
It was in the last edge of the twi-
light on Christmas eve that arrived
al Richmond House. The windows
were brightly lighted l was ushered
into a large room with whitewashed
walls. Normal came forward to meet
me from the midst Of a group OF
laughing, Chattering girls, who, under
her direction, we're putting the fina!
touches to the tree. Out in the nall
were more girls; passing up and down
the stairs, still more.
Norma took me UP to her room.
There she told me that the holiday
program was to commence directly
after supper, with dRnce-and would
wear my prettiest frock? 1t was to
be the first dance held in the house
Tor three months.
Dancing was one Of the privileges
which a house must forfeit If any OF
The inmates broke any rule OF the In
vtitution. Three months ago two girls
Of Richmond House had attempted to
escape. For their sin the whole house
had had to suffer. While this was
being explained to me there came a
timid knock at the door and a sweet
faced girl entered.
"This is Sadie. She will help you
dress and bring you down to sup
per." With this introduction Norma
left us alone.
There came over me then the teeI.
ing had foreseen and dreaded. OF
what crime against society was this
young girl guilty that she should be
committed to this place? ! looked at
Sadie, and / saw that she had d.
vined the unspoken question and had
braced herself to meet 1t. Her slen-
der figure, CARRIED in coarse, neat
shirt waist and skirt, stiffened. \
A surge Of pity swept over me. What
did l know Of Sadie's life, her environ
ment, her temptations? What right
had to Judge her? lmpulstveIy' [!
nut my hand on her arm, saying; i
am going to enjoy having your help
Sadie" Her instant and eager re-
spouse to my friendly advance was pa
The dance was a great success,
Two girls who could play tolerably
well took turns at the piano. rms
costumes-displacing the institution
al uniform as a delightful dispensa-
tlon-were rather unconventional, to
be sure, ranging all the way from a
taWdry lace dress to MILDLY suit
And the lifting Of the ban on elaboE-
ate hairdressing resulted in some
weird and intricate Coiffures. But
what did 1t matter so long as every
One was happy?
Bright and early on Christmas
morning came the distribution OF the
presents from the tree. The matron
presided. As she called out "a gift
for Ada" or "A gift for Mary" there
was a great hubbub Of exclamation
and laughter over the unwrapping OF
the parcels. And 1t seemed as though
every one Of the thirty-five girls was
urging me to look at her things first.
But i soon found that three we're
missing from the happy group.
Norma beckoned me to come into
the hall. There the three sat on the
stairs weeping their young hoarts out.
And over what, do you suppose2 Out
Of the whole house they had been the
only ones to receive no Christmas re-
Smembrauce from home! Their faith
ers and mothers, from lack OF attec-
ton or pelhaps as a mistaken means
Of discipline, had not sent them even
so much as postcard. Norma was
trying to put her arms around them
all at once.
"Take them out for a walk" she
suggested to me; anything to divert
their thoughts"
''Be particularly nice to Sadie" Nor
ma urged as she followed me upstairs
in my search Tor wraps. poor child;
she Is grlevlng herself over boy who
is indirectly the cause of her beAlS
here. They had been friends and play
mates for years till they had mis-
understanding. Then the h0H-Bea-
ME, she calls him-asked another girl
to q dance, a girl wo was much pref
tier than Sadie.
When Sadie heard Of 1t she found
some one else to invite her and, not
10 10 outshUne III the matter Of clothes
she borrowed come from the shop
where she worked. 1t had been done
successfully before - but Sadie was
caught and mado gu example Of"
Norma sighed.
"Tae girls home conditions were