The Washington times., 1931-10-06
CHAPTER II

Inc OLD ScruDWoman oluLl
answer me directly when I
asked if Dolly Hawkins was
ner daughter.
She had turned pale for a
moment-seemed speechless.
It was rather an insane thing
20 ask, when she told me it
was q photograph Of her daugh-
ter, only it was such a shock
TO me to discover this that I
made the query more an ex-
c)amation of surprise.
Finally the old, woman-she
vas Mrs. Hawkins-found her
voice.
so" she said, quietly, as If
talking more to herself, that
was why 1 felt called to get
up earlier and try and save
you from Malvern"
What do you mean"
''Many's the time I've felt
sorry for silly girls who put
their trust in Malvern, but
never before did I feel called
upon to try and stop them.
With you it was different.
Something urged me; something
almost told me, dearie, to get
up and save you, and now I
understand it," -.-
She drew up her chair and
sat down heavily.
"You haven't told me any
thing about Dolly?" I reminded
her.
Haven't you guessed?"
A Suicides Grave
perhaps she-perhaps it was
II suppose the poor dear died
In a hospital" I managed to
say. ...,
"she died out there" she
made a gesture, "in the East
River" "Oh!" I exclaimed, in
horror, "Oh, an-an accident"
Dolly Hawkins mother shook
her head.
There is no use trying to
believe that, dearie, I might as
well tell you. I had a cousin
on the police force here, he died
q while ago. When Dolly dida't
come home on Thanksgiving or
write to me, I wrote to this
cousin see II he could help
me. Dolly always got her mail
at a sub station and I didn't
know her room address.
"a week later he, this olice-
man cousin, sent for ne. He
told me as best he could. He
took me to the morgue. It was
Dolly and-and they had
learned that-her condition
why she did it. My cousin ad-
vised me to give another name,
not to shame our relatives up
State. So I, we've buried her
in Brooklyn. It was in the pa
pers, a little item, but we used
the name Mary Blake"
"Dolly's picture has a prom
inent place on the wall in Nal
vern's den among a score Of
pictures Of other girls. He used
to be with her all her spare
time; he would call at the
store for her with his car.
I have been out on parties
with them-She--She told me
that he was in love with her
and she truly expected him to
marry her-she told me so
over and over"
Her Solemn Oath
The old woman looked at me
with an odd expression. She
got up and held out the Bible.
PUT your hand on it, dearie,
and tell me all you just said
Is true!"
: put my hand on the book.
"All I said about Dolly and
Mr.. Malvern is true" I re
peated.
"God bless you-bless you
always. And now 60 home,
dearie, go home-I must find
q verse in the Bible!"
found my way ZIP the dark
stairs to the dimly lighted
front hall, and so to the street.
Forrest Malvern's beautiful
roof cottage apartment was
only three blocks west.
I Shuddered as l thought of
1t-of my narrow escape, for
now I believed every syllable
the old scrub woman. had told
me. I could imagine all sorts
Of hideous thingS-what might
have happened if had gone
up. there. Doped drink, per-
haps.
In a few minutes I found a
cruising taxi and gave the
driver my home address. He
drove past the building where
Forrest lives and I craned my