The Washington times., 1926-09-17
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Continued from PageNa
wore q little black velvet hat nt
hers; 1t made her seem closer to
me- still have It.
Buried In Vestments
Mother was buried in her choir
Sestments I had a hard time get
ting them. The church ueoplc
wanted her. to wear some old ducs
that didn't even belong to her. Bot
went TO her locker myself ans
got out her shabby old surplice and
cassock and some underthings she
had made herself. and took them to
the undertaken. with ! pair Of black
silk stockings and some slippers.
We never saw her in the casket.
1t was better not.
When I got back to the empty
house, I felt dead myself
couldn't seem TO realize what had
happened. was numb.
want to say word about the
cost OF mothers coffin, which
caused so much criticism.
If it was too expensive, was
60 blame, for / picked out all the
things. was young and dread
fully upset and, as / saw It, moth.
ing-noth hing could be too good or
TOO costly for my mother. ] dtdn t
think of the cost. / just chose
everything blindly and left the pay
ment to take care of itself.
Burden on Father
: It was heavy burden on father.
I realize now. But It has some
s how been taken care of.
Immediately after the funeral
things began to press around US.
Our house was jan1med the whole
time with peoplefrom the police.
from the court, from the news
papers. frorn the neighborhood.
friends, stnangers, everybody.
The most fantastic thought kept
coming to me: AS soon as mother
comes she'll straighten out all this
mess" Then would have the
sitkening realization that ft was
lust because mother never would
come back that this was all hap
pening.
Dreadful questions were aske1
me. and dreadful things were limited
at. They treated my father terri
bly,, too, trying to make him say
he had sneaked out of the house
late the night OF September Il, and
snealEed In again and to bed. They
tried to trip as up and make US
say things that were lies about
mother and Mr.. Hall and ourselves.
Hailed to Hearings
5 We were haled to hearings and
inquiries and grand juries. and
there were investigators and prose
eutors and special detectives and
lawyers and officials and newspaper
reporters. Obi Sometimes would
be told must speak out. and then
was told I talked too much. Some
would tell me to forget ita when
the killings, and often / was told:
This is mo business Tor little girls
like yoil. Keep your mouth shut"
When went into the grand jury
room ] felt absolutely alone. as
though everyone was against me.
From the questions was asked
and the way they asked them, you
would have thought I had COM
mitted some crime myself instead
being the sufferer from one. They
There were women, too, on the
jury. and don't tell me women are
kind TO other women. Perhaps
am what people like 70 call -
mans woman" for although / have
never been overly interested In
boys, certainly have Q general
indifference and even fear where
women are concerned. There are
only three OF my own sex, outside
Of Mother, that have ever really
confided in. One was my girl
friend, one married woman friend.
and the third a newspaper writer
who was somehow different from
the others.
Stared and Sneered At
During the grand jury inquiry
four years ago / was stared at and
sneefed at and asked the most In.
sulting questions about where I
got my clothes, what ! did eve
nings. what time got home, and
vino my friends were, what Mother
did evenings, afternoons, Sundays.
OH things that make me choke
with shame and anger. they were
90 unjust and cruel.
But the Hall family! They were
treated with every consideration
and delicacy. They seemed to be
held sacred.
I don't doubt Mrs. Hall suffered,
but compared with what we went
through in those days and since,
she doesn't know what humiliation
means.
: But I viii not put too much BIT
terness in this story. There Is