The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-08-11

regain her place in society?
This is the twenty-fourth story. writ
BY Winnifred Mason Huck
Former Representative to Congress
From Illinois.
T was early morning when
arrived in New York. l ate
III a frugal breakfast, for pc
cuniary reasons.
When / had paid for it I had just
10 cents
1 made a call upon my lawyers,
Knox & Deignen. 1 did not wish to
tell them what I was doing. but my
life insurance policy required that
at least one reliable person in New
York should know who elizabeth
Sprague" was.
My attorneys were Shocked to say
the least. They even tried to make
me give up the idea of living in
New York on 43 cents, and when I
left the Office the junior partner re-
minded me that telephone charges
could be reversed to his home in
East Orange if worst came to worst.
AS [ went down in the elevator
I faced the situation. l must get
work at once or become the object
of charity.
United Charities
The thought of charity gave me
an idea. I asked the way to the
office of the United Charities at los
E. Twenty-Second st.
Two men were waiting in the ante
room, one of them a stranded circus
player.
Presently a woman came to the
gate which divided the benches from
some desks in the room.
us there anything we can do for
your she smiled. 1t was compel
ling smile that lit her beautiful face.
81 have just reached the city," I
explained. Il am looking for work
and need little advice"
Wont you be seated? I will see
you as soon as I get through with
this young man."
Soon she was ready for me. She
wrote my name on card and began
to ask questions. 1 told her that
1 had been in Jail. but when she tried
to find out why. I blurted out, Il
just can't talk about it.
There is something that you are
not telling me-" she said, but after
all, it doesn't matter"
Then she turned to me With her
beautiful smile. will you eat din
ner with me tonight as my guest?"
1 was astonished, not at the invita-
ton, but at the manner in which it
was given, as if to one of her init
mate friends
Il am an ex-convict," I said slow
ly.
Included in my invitation is a
promise to ask no questions to-
night she added.
The Whole Story
knew I should not go. / longed
to tell her the whole story. But to
do that would have been to close my
book of adventure.
The As cents in my pocket were a
powerful argument
Il shall be delighted to have din
ner with you," 1 said in my best
company manner.
That night we dined at the Meal
pin Hotel and then went to a movie
palace on Broadway.
My hostess, Martha Virginia Sim
mons, had learned that it was music
that 1 was hungry for. The orches-
ira at the theater satisfied my hun
ger.
That night slept in a clean little
bed at the Salvation Army house,
and I went to sleep with blessing
for Martha Simmons in my
thoughts.
Next day, through her efforts, I
got job at the Willard Parker Hos
pital for $40 a month, room and
board. The food was very good and
my room with its enormous windows
was a veritable joy.
I had learned to appreciate such
homely comforts, as windows and
clean sheets.
Miss Ross, the superintendent. had
employed me, after being convinced
that was clean, healthy and willing
to work, without asking any ques-
lions as to my past.
In the Laundry
My place was in the laundry. Be
fore I went to work was given
a physical examination.
Then 1 was given my uniform. It
puzzled me. 1 could not tell the
front from the back. 1 experiment.
ed with it day after day and no
matter which way wore it, 1 was
greeted with superior smiles from
the other workers in the laundry.
At last asked Miss Ross, on her
daily round. if might recut and fit
the neck.
Indeed you may" she s~ld.
Make yourself look as nice as you
please"
My work was not hard, and most
clean. But the greatest
Joy about it was my conversations
with the little children who came
to my window and watched me fold
ing the warm clothes just out of
the dryer.
The Willard Parker Hospital is
on the East River and is cut off
from the city by a high fence, for
contagious cases are treated there.
Great signs warning of smallpox
kept people from Landing at the hos
pital docks, and there was always
a guard at the gate in the fence.
Diphtheria Patients
The children who talked with me
were convalescent diphtheria pa
tents. Many of them had to breathe
through a little. button placed in
their Threats after the disease had
stopped the passages.