Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-05-23
BY LAUREL @. THAYER,
City Court Probation Officer.

"If I lived in a place like that, I'd do
what that girl did. And I might do
worse What chance has a girl in such
den. And we expect her to be decent,
she flashed.
Three women were walking north on
south side street the other day. Two
were the we'll dressed, well-fed wives Of
Indianapolis business men. The other
was a probation officer.
"Oh, if l had to live in that hole, I'd
walk my beau round the block until be
was tired enough to go home" was the
reply.
The first speaker, a beautiful woman,
was not unaware Of the ways of the
| world. Something in the unprotected
| life Of the girl whose home we had just
, left struck a nerve that awakened mem
cries of the gray days when, as a young
business woman, a widow with a baby
girl, she had more than once changed
business associations because of the IN
wanted attentions Of her employer.
DOESN'T FATHOM
SEAMY SIDE.
! Gracing the home of an indulgent hus-
band, the working girls daily tragic
struggle for existence was not the mys
terry to her that it is to the married wom-
an who has worked downtown. She
never can seem to understand
! The second speaker was sympathetic in
| spite of the handicap Of protected life,
| hrst in the home of her father and later
in that of her husband
! The three women had just climbed
down the rickety old stairs Of a dilapt-
dated brick building
| They had knocked on the outside door.
There was no response. They opened it
and went in Silence
MAN A DRUNKARD;
WOMAN PICKS RAGS.
Down the hall on the second floor
door opened and the face of a woman
wearing a soiled sweeping cap and house
dress appeared.
"They amt home" she volunteered.
THE man is a drunkard and the woman
picks rags in a junk shop. Fannie works
in a candy factory, but it seems like she
can't never keep a Job nc time. Jimmy is
the baby. He goes to school and the
neighbors look after him til his mother
comes home. You can see they amt
there" And the woman pointed to an
open door.
The opportunity to see "how the other
/ half lives" was too great temptation to
two north side women who had never
seen the home of q factory girl. Con-
sideration of etiquette, even Of ethics
| were swept aside.
Home" did we say?
| This is what they saw:
HERE Is WHAT
HOME WAS
J Two connecting rooms. In the first
| an ancient sometime white iron bed, a
/ rusty stove limping helplessly on three
| legs. the fourth an important-loOking
| brick: several chairs innocent Of paint
table or two--all on carpetless floors.
/ Windows were curtainless except for
tattered green shades that poorly con-
cealed the dust-covered glass;
THE dearest spot on earth is home
sweet home" Sang Mrs. Nj.
! Everything was covered with dust.
| Even the brown oil-cloth on the little
table covered with its unwashed break
/ fast dishes
III this place wouldn't take the Joy
/ out Of life" commented the other visitor
| why, I'd commit suicide in a week"
| She was thinking Of her own well-ap-
! pointed parlor where her 17-year- old
daughter received her friends.
SPIES THE
RED OF STRAW.
q don't blame the girl" she cried
Don't suppose this family has had q
square meal since Christmas, and then
1t was probably sent by the Salvation
Army. oh, that poor mother"
Just then she spied in the farther room
a soiled comfort spread over n grimy
mattress from which straws fell out on
the ill-swept floor.
Il suppose that's where Jimmy
sleeps. I didn't see the trund,e bed"
Half an hour later. small. girlsh
figure approached three women near the
front counters Of a candy factory In
spite of the gay red band Of ribbon
that almost obscured Fannie's forehead
there was a sad, hunted expression about
the down-cast eyes. The girl wore a
dark skirt and clean white shirt waist.