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About The advocate. (Portland, Or.) 19??-19?? | View Entire Issue (July 13, 1929)
July IS, I#2» ILLflHTKATKI) FKATURK SUCTION SAVED FROM MYSELF Just for One Night Lula Wanted to Live— to he Free. All Her Life She Had Been Misunderstood, Mistreated, a Vietim of Circumstance. With Cool De liberation She Decided to Reap the Benefits of Her Reputation. Here is the Warm, Frank Confession of a Girl Who W a s Driven From Respectability by an Unsympathetic Kn vironment. m WAS linrii in Slttbtown.fi said, "ia thoro anythin# Ifplan that Arlie laid beforefgasping cry of pain. Instant* Before my mind, there flitted pic- me. ly the young man beaide me ture* °* ,,rl* who k**"1 oumuriy and had ended ln social disgrace children, b o y H,j “ It nin’t me, Kid, ¡t’a you T e m p ta tio n . turned all aympathetic help knew the cross roads at which younger than I. We I’m thinkin’ about. Theae It’s all in the way you go ^IJ*ne,w am* apulogy for keep- I stood, and somewhere deep down . I I ,, . .. . . , .mu the window open with the ut- in my soul was a little unuttered lived with our mother ini hotel« nint no place for kids about . . it. l.ula, Arlie aaid to 1|enllrn<!W ^ rMn„¥e(J th<f wt prayer. Mow'd you me. “ Y’aee I go after the of dust from my eye. a aort of lopaided, two-room | like you, Lula. Billy's circling arm» closed around ahed. I never knew my like to go to a auru enough awella, n' they're aa keen aa “Ove," tie said when I smilingly me and his pamiotiale lips sought i x . * tlianked him. "I'm glad I got It mine I felt the youth within me father. I attended t h e home and live?” She looked • I am . to , keep quiet a count ^ ^ , cl„d «r ln my eye on melting to the touch of youth and nearest public achooi in a at me and I looked at her their women folka. I mean Uie way out to tlte foundry yester- very deliberately, even desperately, fairly spasmodic manner for wonderingly. to marry one of them awella day and I know how anything Ilk« I set my feet upon the gay path “ A home?” my voice had some o' these days anyhow, that can hurt." oil yeara. Then, when I waa that leads down to life's bottom “ Do you work at the foundry?" I most pits. an unbelieving bine. twelve my mother died. an’ y’ ruin your chances if asked, at a loas for something to Clyde and Arlie had already dis “ Yea,” she said, and there The city buried her in the I liked the clean look at appeared ln the other room. We you let things get out on you. say strength about John Hogan potter’s field. The two boy« waa relief in her tones. “ I s e e ? ” the could hear the sound of smothered minute I saw him -V H I ... „ “ nd «klglea. At length drow- were nent to an orphanage.!can see by your face you like Yr* h 1 been working out there wlth ^ >nd „ If Arlie Mack could do All thia happened twelve the idea, kid, and— I’m glad. ^ things that she waa doing and a year n o w a n Im gomg In to the the ,)UM.r room and ^ etly to celebrate the raise they gave I ^ Iiut ^ yeara ago. 1 ,j j , | k n o w just what you »till enjoy reapectability, me yesterday. I » you live In the ( „ -x -- ”7 Pnt/’ r’" 1 Through the influence . u,. _ you to . . Id . , , o , r . had . fixed . up. When lie arted rather buhlulty l r ^ " 1 * freat why should I be so particu city?" the truant officer who had ' 'bought | commotion outside ln the corridor. been largely reaponaible for ^<>u w*',, th« lar? I, who had no respect j j The place aras raided “I?"—I laughed happily—“do my six years of inadequate; hotel here, I wondered if— ability to lose might aa well look "Come on outs there and make it IktM* _ a city _ m ___ glrl?"m schooling, 1 waa introduced* but I miglita knowed you "You mr<? prrtty enough to belong • v iaPPy» harsh voice of the t>ig snatch at any fleeting plea anywhere.'* he countered, eyeing me Pine clad policeman frightened us into the ligmc of old Mr.« would slay straight I'm aure life might offer me. Stonc. glad— Kid.” If I hadn’t 1 police station. A11 of us gave flctl- < Hd Mrs. Stone waa kind1 Arlie’s favorite method of my spine Well. I don't live in the city but nous names. The boys offered cash to me in her way. My life! known how hard Nell could enjoying her secret affairs going to be there for a week"— | bonds for us but with sneering and at her home waa at least :le-j,M* I’d have aworn there were was to leave home at six or I'm I ,-u s rd Suddenly the thought embarrassing Jokes £ e ^ £ £ told ; tears in her eyea aa ahe turn- seven o’clock in the evening struck me of how I in landed to us we would have to face the music cent. spend that week and the blood Nell I’arks, a notorious **d them away from me morning court. | seemingly to go to the movies. dramed back Into my heart In a in Kach of us was fined. The boys Nell delivered me <> . '«■¡'Then older friend” of mine, waa pouring flood of shame But John instead of going there, only looked at me with that °* t1n"* a creature whose showy mu- care of ihe I.eea, who " ,n she would wait in the ahad- Kogan x-,r .n,„r,.r » 1 » . - o „ , , arwl w »t liberty again latto beauty, under Slabtown v,'rv Wad eonle. iaw tj, r .vd »j««j;- conditions was an almost (,n,? girl, alone, of all ; the Ia»mp Shade factory own certam indication of her pro-1workers at the factory, treat-1 or B i l ^ S u ^ e n f S ^ J l d ' Say “ his voice wax eager "when ^2 if1* street when a big unt- fesaion. led m<* with intimacy. come backYT t £ i i 2 5 * ’ I "T 1 son of the wealthiest banker TOU 1 know that Nell Parka had Mack, a rabbit-faced, brown in and see you sometime? Do you P ■u>t? . the fac* in town, met her with a high live in town or out? ' N.ll P x O . him was- a genuine liking for me. She <t*rl with crinkly reddish "I live out at the Foundry." he ' shxme roadster. had always had it. When I hair, whose flimsy dresses powered T h e n sill.. ur.mlH e lim h 1 “ *<1 simply, "board with the Smiths." 1 . n u n Sh e would C lim b in t o Th(. Umln ln,He<i into Uie city ter- | ** was **“ who SP»I'<' first “ Yeah, waa a small, hungry, dirty,| were always gaudily colored th e b r ig h t scarlet L in c o ln o r.m in a l I was sorry to see the broad- ;"*** “ “ lem- Jim." she said, and little outcast, she used to1»"** trimmed. the screaming yellow Pack- sh,m ld*red Just * m fl ^ •oiiir™ior^S c ^ d r < ^ d bl* The Mark home was in the sharp her rrnsts with me and ,, _ 1 ^ ,. „ • . , , . , ajipear He looked back as Arlie and tvfi, .or*<1 '"’ P as the Case might be, to* I stepped Into the taxi that the ^eU cut "Ssy. Arlie M ack- try to warm my hamis be next block from the l«ees. I ard and her voice, was sharp be whirled away in a mad boy* we were to meet had sent for tween her own icy little daws Consequently Arlie and I | burst us I felt my hands go cold and my i i “ ? hard. you may be better o of speed to forbidden heart felt as heavy as lead a* Arlie slabtowners at home and I ain’t an wi* used to race to school. were frequently together. | places. She was very suc chattered away about the good times f ” , *** ? nd business telling One evening on our way The memory of these things cessful and cunning in her m store for us and how easily we fP y ot “ l* t,ll,n *s ,i »now on you back were hidden deep in my heart home Arlie slyly asked ques- had fooled the folks at home. I uT . T U!l1 ‘ h«mselves sooner She was sUll chattering when we 1 1*.Uir B“ ‘ 1,113 kl<, s ,•*«> clean l and kept me always from lions about the sordid side of «cuaea. With a confederate reached She musta oeen born the fourth-rate hotel where all along '"*!<,i h « - opportuni- reservations that way, I guess God knows shs anubbinK her. Yet— I did'nt life that was supposed to f?1* r‘*aH'1 had been made for us. example from like to have her hail me with exist among the inhabitants t,ef would be very widely Through Arlie the dissipated i * 'nJt “ eYfr had. re3* ° t us down tliere Slabtown. /n At me the very v..n ( «‘»tended. So she sought me youUis had supplied us with ample a lamiliar kid, run of •'oaoiown. familiar “ Hello, kid,” funds till thev should arrive. Anyhow if you and BUI and Clyde they her band through my armK'rat queation, I became un-i'1 We did not know Uu citv so we and any of U k rest of that bunch We will let on to the folks started out hapharardly to see what try any more of yore come-hlther and walk down the street! comfortable. I hail welcomed; could As we stood waiting for work with her there's goin' t be with me. I her friendship so eagerly as that we are doing extra work we the traffic to pass on a congested somethin' bust." She stopped and her at the factory, Lula,” she * j - I the firat step upward from corner, near the hotel. I noticed a eyes were harder than ever as sho Misunderstanding. jHlime. but she was now ask- confided to me. “ Then we big copper-colored policenian in uni shot a long level glance at Arhe To think of Nell Parks trying to form swinging across the street It was such a public asso- ing me to delve into thia for will pretend that we have ahead of us. A shrill childish cry help keep me pure And I had been riation as this that led to the'her entertainment. For— nl- saved enough money for a almost directly ln front of me caused proud to go with Arlie and ashamed round as though *?, *{1° T , k1“ dn*“ to NeU. What a general frowning of parental though I had lived surround- little trip to the city when him to swing around were turned about bv a snrine Puzxl* lif» is anyway! tipon friendships between ed by filth until I was twelve the work slacks down week he . ■ Neli'" . 1 *»'<*• ____ and that I did not have timo to sense the _ ~ rh?ilk T0®’ was all; my heart was too full lor me and their daughters. I ¡years old, it had never touch- after next. It’ll be a cinch danger UU It was over. The child more. Her "goodbye" was curt and darted jiast us from the curb di Clyde said if I could get you understood and didn't blameled my innocent childhood, rectly in the path of a high powered, clipped as though she checked some them, but, oh, how I suffer-! Finding herself making to go on a bat, him an’ Billy speeding car On the turn of a thing and held it in her heart would stand the cost and give Respectability Triumphs breath I darted after her. Just the ed. It seemed to me that'such poor headway in this step« forward that gave me a With a new hope dawning In my they ought to see that I was! manner she boldly took mo us enough to make it worth two Arm grip on Maggie Wallace’s fly heart. I followed Jim Wallace not like Nell Parks and 1 j into her confidence. She re- our while besides. Billy likes ing gingham dress Jim Wallace had “Here she is. Maggie." The words both In his arms almost before and look of infinite tenderness and really do think they knew but dated some of the most repul- your looks. He said so. He lia I had risen from the dust where the compassion in the eyes of Maggie what could uny of us do? sive accounts of personal es always was sweet on you but sudden effort had thrown me. This Wallace when we entered the quiet Small town customs are hard capades, always with the un he thinks you are a wet blan was how I met the Wallace family. little flat (the three older children It was a tear-eyed mother, Maggie, were at school and the babv asleep) to break and 1 was born in derstanding that I would be ket. I told him he was all that darned the stocking torn by the told me that she knew the story and wet; that you just didn’t sudden Nell's class. I knew— and I equally frank with her. effort put forth to save that at last I had found a real Maggie, Jr. haven. Only God knew the thank determined to climb and Of my own experiences I know the ropes then.” Arlie sat Impatiently but the peace fulness In my awakened soul for the As Arlie talked I felt and climb till I was far above the had nothing to match the calm of that home gave me a warmth of the folding arms when slime of my beginnings. So things she told me of herself ashamed. I understood Billy restful feeling of cleanliness she pressed me to her breast with Somehow I hated to leave that out a word. though I flinched from her, but I told many stories of Summers perfectly. Oh, yes, calm little home of respectability You oan imagine the Joy In my I was kind to Nell in the only others with a little embellish I knew well his intentions. for Uie things I knew awaited me. heart when that same week I dis But at last Arlte's Impatience won. M y V en tu re. way I could be—my treatment ing here and there. My well covered that John Hogan, my ac We left. quaintance of Uie dust mote, was of her. known friendship with Nell We did not go to the city Mrs. Wallace's brother John and •'he Arrival My kinTInesa to Nell bore Parks was a strong point in with the boys. That would I afterwards became sweethearts. It was about ten o'clock that fruit. She secured my first my favor. have been a dead give away. night when Clyde and Billy got to Six months later we were united In the marriage which happily has job down at the lamp factory This attitude of Arlie’s told Wo went in one Sunday the hotel. still lasted. We have our differences when old lady Stone died me how impossible it was in morning on the interurban. About an hour later with tongues as every married couple. But the and passion unleashed by memory of our meeting and little and left me no hope of em my birthplace to ever win my After hoarding the car I sat loosed liquor I began to see them ln • John. Jr., serve to keep our lives ployment. I met Nell the name free of stain in the es beside a clean limbed, frank different light from the light-heart rich with abiding love. And Nell and Innocent society boys who Parks. God bless her. beyond the first night I engaged a cheap timation of my townsmen. faced brown skinned lad a ed were going to give us a good time of respectability as she ts was room at a hotel Nell looked I was young and starved few years older than myself. The new light In which I saw them pale the divine Instrument that made troubled. for pleasure. Youth dreams A small particle of dust blew frightened me I began to regret possible my fine h u s b a n d and that I had shared this venture with baby, by saving me from myself. “ What’H the matter Nell?” of love. I was ripe for the into my eye. I gave a little Arlie. THE END ’ sssx. thim trg- .nf u: ESnS",*£ZrtS -««~