The Washington times., 1922-10-01
GIRL MOTHER
STOLE To BUY
BABY CLOTHES
She confesses Crime and Puts
Serious Questions Up to
Public Officials.
FOUND PURCHASING COIN
Grace Carey Then Couldn't
Resist Temptation to Pur-
chase Infant Finery.


BOSTON, Mass, Sept. 30.-"Did
you ever wonder what the twelve
I dollar-a-week flapper thinks about
when she goes to her little room
after the long days grind is over?
"The chances are that she hasn't
had good, substantial meal in
days.
"She either CANDLES with her
health by taking the pitiful little
supply of money she needs for food
Tor admission to the movies, Or"
Finds Charge Coin.
Looking a critical world in the eye
while she talks, Grace Carey-Mrs.
Grace Carey, for she has been mar
ried four years-the mother of a
three-year-old baby and only twenty
years old. frames the foregoing ques:
tion for the benefit of reformers and
others who have solved the "flapper
problem" to their own satisfaction
by merely classifying the little flap
per OF the streets as a moral outlaw.
firing of the monotony of hunger
and life bereft of even the creature
comforts in her battle to provide for
her\ baby daughter, she let "the still,
sma1 voice" go hang for once when
she found n charge account coin be-
longing to some one else.
Buys Baby Clothes.
For three days she revelled in the
baby section of one of the big Boston
department stores. There were all
the pretty baby dresses and under
things that satisfied her cramped
nhother-instinct. And she bought
pretty dresses and shoes for herself
after she had fitted out her baby.
The third days the bubble broke
The heavy hand of Inspector Finn,
of police headquarters, fell upnn her,
and Mrs. Carey woke up.
Yes, l took the things, all right"
admitted Mrs. Carey calmly; land
i guess I'd better not waste any time
about pleading guilty"
Almost defiantly, Mrs. Carey told
her story. The keynote was her at.
tempt to support herself and her
baby daughter on $14 week.
Tells Her Story.
ct got fourteen dollars a week
where l worked as a salesgirl,"
declared Mrs. Carey. IT was work
Ing there for two years until last
week, and l was getting more than
some girls who worked with me.
"If / had been alone l might |
have been able to get along on
the fourteen. But every single !
week 1 paid out eight dollars for
my baby's board. paid four
dollars a week for my room and a !
dollar and. twenty cents for car
fare. When you take that much
money from fourteen dollars 1t
leaves eighty cents. Wen, eighty |
fn oil hnd
TO feed and clothe both the baby |
Ind myself.
II suppose I might have board.
my baby in a city basement |
mewhere for less than eight
ollars a week, but | made up my
hind that my little girl should
nave enough to eat, at least, and
u clean. sunny home to live in.
She Pawns Watch.
"At night when I'd go home
after the long grind behind the
counter it was either wash out
a few clothes for myself or go
short on my supper and treat
myself to the movies.
Under ordinary circumstances.
I don't imagine 1 am any more
dishonest than the average run of
people.
DOuSht a watch on the in |
stalment plan, and later on l got |
hungry from going without any
thing to eat to pay for it and / !
pawned the watch. l know il
wasn't the right thing to do, but
1 figured that the jewelry concern
wouldn't be interested in my hard |
luck story and 1 raised the money
on the watch and had good |
dinner, and then decided l was
ready to face the music
Tires Of Borrowing.
last week 1 found a charge
account coin. At first 1t didn't
mean anything to me, but l kept
thinking of my shabby clothes and |
of things the baby needed. and 7 |
got blindly reckless. went to
the store where the coin was |
issued and bought all the things
the baby and l needed
II was tired of striving TO get |
along on my wages and tired of |
borrowing from my father and |
accepting weekly charity from nv
mother. who works hard every day
in New York.
SpuTns Easy Way"
81 often thought OF the life that !
some girls lead who get tired Of .
grubbing along on nothing a week !
I knew that l was fairly attractive |
AFTFn AlAlE AM,