The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-07-15
BY Winnifred Mason Huck
Former Representative to Congress
From Illinois.

| 1
beautiful girl who stood out
IL side my cell was called Dot.
She had been sleeping, though
heaven knows how she could.
was in the Jail three days and nights
without finding out how to do 1t.
There were neither pillows nor
blankets nor bed of any kind. Only
the bare planks in the cell offered a
place to lie down.
1 blinked at Dot, who called out
over her shoulder, Gee, Marge,
come here. We've been missing
something"
Then, to me, How long you been
here?"
"Just a little WHILE" I returned,
at a loss as to whether tears, smiles
or sneers were in order.
BE SOciable"
Come on out and be sociable,"
she said. There amt no use to
feel bad. 1t don't get you nothing"
Marge was another beauty.
And what did they get you for?"
was her first question.
I prayed that my answer might
ring true. II pinched a coat" This,
in a kind of monotone.
you what?" asked Marge.
"Wen, you see," said I, stumbling
and showing embarrassment not
wholly feigned, II had a coat
that didn't belong to me-"
"Oh," said Marge, in an under
standing tone, as she reached into
her stocking for her cigaret case.
did you get away with it? I mean
did you have it long enough to get
the good Of it?"
I was afraid Of questions like this.
1 did not know what they would lead
to, and the part that I was playing
was so very new.
1 considered turning on the tears,
in order to break her lead in the
matter of questions.
But it was not necessary. Marge
took up the conversation and
plunged into a story Of how she had
got away with a peach Of a coat
by making only the first payment
and leaving town.
Eternal Friendship
The matron had taken away their
combs and vanity cases. By some
miracle she had overlooked a small
comb of mine. This I gave to them,
thereby sealing them to eternal |
friendship.
We named each cell. Mine was
called "Cockroach Manor"
won't you come over to my suite
this afternoo1?" 1 asked with mock |
grandeur. I am giving an informal |
tea, in honor Of the distinguished |
guests who are leaving today"
The fact that the guests were 60
ing to bigger, better and stronger
Jail was not mentioned.
They would be delighted to come. |
So that afternoon, when the sand |
witch boy had brought in the bucket
Of so-called coffee, from which he
filled our tin cups, we made our
way to my cell.
I had chosen this cell because it |
was the lightest one. No, it was not
sunlight. The rays Of the sun never
reached those cells, from year to
year.
My light-giver was only a much
bespecked electric light bulb just
outside the door.
Marge and Dot entered with a
queenly manner. We settled down to
eat our sandwiches. But the |
dirty hands of the sandwich boy re-
manned in my mind and I put the
food by, untasted.
you didn't get Coffee" I said to
one Of nv guests. won't you have
miner The one sip had taken
had been enough for me.
The party had promised to be a
pleasant one. Then Dot bit into her
second sandwich It was bad. 1t
was very bad. 1t was worse than
the coffee. Dot rose to the occasion.
Surprising Command
She had surprising command of
the English language. She used ev-
cry word of ii. Her combinations
and flow of words were astounding,
and had to think fast to follow
her. She appropriated words and
phrases from the best of our litera-
ture and put them to unaccustomed
uses.
She flung the sandwich into a cor