Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1935-01-04
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didn't come to save her from going
! to Jail.
All day long Darl Fursten hung
around the police station, comforting
Bethna, dashing away occasionally to
make sure that the Ruggles family
stayed right where he had left them
and ordered them to stay, dashing
back to the police station to be sure
he would be there when the two
"swells" came. He was sure they
would come. Bethna wasn't but he
was.
Finally night came again and moth
ing had happened, Bethna had spent
Christmas Day behind bars and her
family had spent it on the sidewalk,
huddled in skinny bedding for warm
tn. Every newspaper in town had
taken up the story, and sent reporters
and cameramen down there, which
was just what Darl Fursten had plan
ned.
Another night in Jail. Not such a
bad one, this time, for Darl had told
her that the neighbors had taken the
family in for the night, and he had
promised her that surely tomorrow
would bring an end of their troubles.
Somehow, on the strength of his
sureness, his promises, some Of the
girls fear died. That night she slept
the sleep of exhaustion, and didn't
waken until they brought her break
fast.
When Darl Fursten came dashing
in, waving his paper this morning,
she met him with an eager smile. The
first smile he had seen on her pinch
ed little face.
"Darned if don't think Jail agrees
with you," he told her cheerfully.
"At least I get three meals day."
she retorted promptly, so glad to see
him that she thrust both her hands
out to him between the bars.
He took them and grinned down at
her thoughtfully.
you're almost pretty, do you know
that?" he told her.
And she smiled at him again, in
shy embarrassment.
81 think I'll take some more pictures
of you and show what coupla square
meals have done," he decided. "Here,
read about yourself while l call up
the paper"
And so it happened that the stage
was all set when the two men walk
ed in. Cameras, lights, one lone re-
porter. Everything.
"And I beat the city on this story!
Boy!" gloated Darl, as he stood there
hat on the back of his head, cigaret
dropping from the corner of his mouth
and watched Bethna walk the length
of the barred aisle between two spat-
ted "swells."
"Of course, the girls story is true, .
Wesley Payne told the police captain
impatiently. "Give her that coat and
let her go home"
| But there was difficulty about that
| The police captain had to call up the
owner of the coat, and the owner of
the coat insisted upon receiving the
full price for it, so Wesley Payne i'm
patiently wrote a check, held the coat
for the big-eyed, speeches. girl to
get into, took her arm and led her
away to the limousine that was wait
ing. Relief, gratitude, and absolute
faith in these men who were like gods
to the girl almost overwhelmed her as
the car hurried them down to the din
gy tenement district, where, on the
sidewalk, huddled in their threadbare
bedding, the Ruggles family waited
patiently for the good things to hap
pen that Darl Fursten had promised
them would happen. To them, it
was Darl Fursten who was the shin
ing angel of mercy.
"How much back rent do you owe ?"