Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-28

forgotten, but, as soon as I renlem-
bered, realized that it would be use
less to tackle Dulcie.
That was the way it went every
where. The twins got tired and cross,
being strapped into the f1ivver so long,
and both yelled blue murder, their
voices floating after the car like
place. When I finally got home at
noon, I had tried everybody I could
think of, and there wasn't soul who
would do anything.
AS I fed the children and got them
down for their maps, I made up my
mind that, though didn't see what on
earth I could do, I should have to go
over to Verblen by myself that after
noon. called up mother and she said
she'd watch the twins. So once more
I started out in the flivver.
shall never forget the scared feel
ing had riding down Main street.
At the station No. was just in, and
people were getting off the train. Some
body bowed to me in a friendly way,
and 1 recognized Miss Prescott. For a
moment Just stared at her slick gray
suit and small black hat. And then,
suddenly, it was as though the sun
had come out from behind the clouds.
"Oh, Miss Prescott, Miss PRESCOTT
Can you wait just rninute?"
She came over to the f1ivver and
desperately 1 told her what I'd been
telling all over Montrose all morning.
But how different it was. Miss Prescott
understood She put her suitcase in
the back of the car and climbed into
the front seat. / drove along, feeling
as different from the way I'd started
as day from night. Someway, felt as
though I'd been starting alone and now
| had the whole United States Army and
Navy back Of me.
JUDGE CoRSON'S Office was little
and stuffy, and there was bunch
of boys, all scrubbed within an inch OF
their lives and looking scared to death
Their mothers were there, too. 1 saw
Ben Brace there with the meanest-
looking man. And Mrs Long, her
mouth set on that hard, tight line.
looked at the boys and their scared
looking mothers, and it suddenly
dawned on me that, if Ben hadn't
thought of doing anything criminal,
towSki looking at her Nick. Could 1t
be that Nick looked to her just the way
little Jack did to me?
Judge Corson had just finished send
| ing boy to the reform school, not one
| of this crowd, but a 17-year-old from
| Verblen, a fellow who'd been arrested
twice before for stealing The idea OF
Ben Brace being thrown in with older
boys like that just made me sick al
| over.
Then Judge Corson called on Mrs
Long. She had an itenized account OF
all the damage that had been done;
| she reeled it off. Then the judge heard
| the policemen who had arrested tbs
boys.
This seems to be a perfectly clear
case," he said. He turned to the moth
erS and asked If any of them had any
thing to say. Three leaped up and ali
began to talk at once. He said, lone
at time" pointing to the first one
| She was so excited you couldn't under
| stand what she said, except that Nicol-
letti was good boy-never no trouble
| The two other women jumped again.
Judge Corson raped sharply fol-
| them all to sit down. Mrs. Long smiled
that mean I-told-you-so smile of hers
Judge CorSon. will you allow me to
| say just one word, pleaSe?"
After all the babble Miss Prescott's
voice sounded as sweet and cool as q
drink of water. Judge Corson nodded
to her to go ahead. It was a most
courteous, respectful nod. Miss Prescott
| looked so slim and smart and COM
| petent.
Tor years I'd heard about how Miss
Prescott had got the merchants to do
this and the Womens Club to do that
I'd seen the clever way she handled our
Mothers Club committees. But I'd
never really seen her at work before.
1t was a revelation. Quietly she
fnl to- k1,At I..,.- "a
hers. AS president of the Mothers
Club she told the judge she was speak
| ing for the mothers who weren't quite
ineligible when they spoke for them
selves. Her smile was Subtly flattering,
| 1t was as though 1t established a sort
OF understanding between her and the
| judge. She went on to speak of what
a very clean record the district down
| by the tracks had always had, as far
as law-breaking was concerned. She
| spoke of the warehouse affair that Mrs
Long had said was done out of spite
and malace and sheer criminality as a
bit Of most unfortunate boy mischief. ["
1t was the strangest thing to see the
Judge melting away under the cool
| pleasant voice. Just the right touot.
Of flattery here and there-so subtle
| you could hardly call it flattery, but
1t worked Just like it. She felt quite
safe in promising, she went on, that
| the boys families could be depended
upon to see that nothing of the sort
happened again. Mrs. Long leaped to
her feet.
What about my warehouse?" she
demanded. That's already hap
! pened. What about what it will cost
me to put it back in shape?"
One of the mothers jumped and be-
gan to talk, and the judge pounded OH
his desk.
Miss Prescott did not even look at
| angry Mrs. Long
"If your honor will be good enough
to urge Mrs Long to drop her charge"
she said, II feel sure the parents of
| the offenders will see that the damage
| Is repaired. If they are not able to do
so, will assume the responsibility
! myself"
There was a pause while the Judge
f., looked from Miss Prescott to Mrs. Long.
| 1t was queer sort of silence. / never
knew before that you could actually
| feel things, like power or hate, in the
air. While Miss Prescott had been talk
! ing, I had thought it must be Something
! in her voice that made you so aware, in
| spite of her sauve courtesy. of the iron
hand inside the velvet glove. But the
same feeling was in the very air, after
she stopped talking. Just as you could
actually feel Mrs. Longs hate sizzling,
you could feel that quiet, purposefui
force. Maybe. of course, it was Just
Miss Prescott's fame as a reformer-
| the reputation she's got for always put
ting things over ! can't be sure.
But I am sure of one thing. Mrs.
Long rather sulkily withdrew her
charge, and each boy was given into
| the custody of his own mother. All
until the Judge got to Ben Brace.