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
’
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ESnS",*£ZrtS
-««~