The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-05-15
E0ening Story
A Gift for Sadie.
BY DORA NOLAN

You may cali it coincidence, if you
like; 1 prefer to think of it as Provi-
dence-the mysterious agent which
brought Sadie the thing she most
wished for in all the world, on Christ
mas day. And Providence needed me
in it's plans.
When the letter came from Norma
Blakely urging me to spend the holi-
day with her, there was only one in
tention in my mind; that was to re-
fuse. But 1 didn't refuse; and I can't
explain why, for 1 didn't want, to go.
The prospect gave me an uncom-
Portable feeling. 1t was as tho l had
been invited to spend the day in a
police court!
For Norma was matron of Rich
mond House, a unit of Hilltop Farm
and Hilltop Farm was a big state in
, dustrial school.
Norma explained that the two
teachers who roomed in the house and
the housekeeper as well were going
home for the holiday. That would
leave her to carry out alone the home
like Christmas she had planned for the
thirty-f.ve girls under her charge.
1t was in the last edge of twilight On
Christmas eve that 1 arrived at Rich
mond House. The windows were
brightly lighted. / was ushered into a
large room with whitewashed walls.
Norma came forward to meet me from
the midst of group of laughing. chat
tering girls, who, under her direction,
were putting the final touches to the
tree. Out in the hall were more girls;
passing up and down the stairs, still
more.
= Norma took me to her room There
she told ne that the holiday program
was to commence directly after supper,
with a dance-and would 1 wear my
prettiest frock? 1t was to be the first
dance held in the house for three
months.
Dancing was one of the privileges
which a house must forfeit if any of
the inmates broke any rule of the in
stitution. Three months ago two girls
of Richmond House had attempted to
escape. For their sin the whole house
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 supper"
With this introduction Norma left us
alone.
There came over me then the feel
ing I had foreseen and dreaded. OF
what crime against society was this
young girl guilty that she should be
10 lutS L looked
sadie, and l saw that she had OWNED
the unspoken question and had -braced
herself to meet it. Her slender 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
environment, her temptations? What
right had 1 to judge here ImpulsiVely
L put my hand on her arm, saving:
Il am going to enjoy having your help
Sadie" Her instant and eager re-
Spouse TO my friendly advance was
The dance was a great success. Two
girls who copld play tolerably we'll
took turns at the piano. The cos
tum the institutional
uniform as a delightful dispense ton
were rather unconventional, to be
sure, ranging all the way from a taw-
dry lace dress to a MILDLY suit. And
the lifting of the ban on elaborate
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 great hubbub of exclamation
and laughter over the unwrapping of
the parcels. And it seemed as tho
every one of the thirty-five girls was
urging me to look at her things first
But soon found that three were miss
ing from the happy group.
Norma beckoned me to come into
the hall. There the three sat on the
stairs weeping their young hearts out.
And over what, do you suppose? Out
Of the whole house they had been the
only ones to receive no Christmas re-
membrance from homei Their fathers
and mothers, from lack of affection
or perhaps as a mistaken means of
discipline, had not sent them even so
much as a. postcard. Norma was try
ing to put her arms around them all
at once.