The　matter…of…fact　manner　of　this　man　who　had　unwittingly　wronged　her　so　frightfully　was　the　last　straw　on　the　girl's　burden　of　suffering。　　Under　it；　her　patient　endurance　broke；　and　she　cried　out　in　a　voice　of　utter　despair　that　caused　Gilder　to　start　nervously；　and　even　impelled　the　stolid　officer　to　a　frown　of　remonstrance。
  〃I　have　no　pals！〃　she　ejaculated；　furiously。　　〃I　never　stole　anything　in　my　life。　　Must　I　go　on　telling　you　over　and　over　again？〃　　Her　voice　rose　in　a　wail　of　misery。　　〃Oh；　why　won't　any　one　believe　me？〃
  Gilder　was　much　offended　by　this　display　of　an　hysterical　grief；　which　seemed　to　his　phlegmatic　temperament　altogether　unwarranted　by　the　circumstances。　　He　spoke　decisively。
  〃Unless　you　can　control　yourself；　you　must　go。〃　　He　pushed　away　the　pad　of　paper；　and　tossed　the　pencil　aside　in　physical　expression　of　his　displeasure。　　〃Why　did　you　send　that　message；　if　you　have　nothing　to　say？〃　　he　demanded；　with　increasing　choler。
  But　now　the　girl　had　regained　her　former　poise。　　She　stood　a　little　drooping　and　shaken；　where　for　a　moment　she　had　been　erect　and　tensed。　　There　was　a　vast　weariness　in　her　words　as　she　answered。
  〃I　have　something　to　tell　you；　Mr。　Gilder；〃　she　said；　quietly。　　〃Only；　II　sort　of　lost　my　grip　on　the　way　here；　with　this　man　by　my　side。〃
  〃Most　of　'em　do；　the　first　time；〃　the　officer　commented；　with　a　certain　grim　appreciation。
  〃Well？〃　　Gilder　insisted　querulously；　as　the　girl　hesitated。
  At　once；　Mary　went　on　speaking；　and　now　a　little　increase　of　vigor　trembled　in　her　tones。
  〃When　you　sit　in　a　cell　for　three　months　waiting　for　your　trial；　as　I　did；　you　think　a　lot。　　And；　so；　I　got　the　idea　that　if　I　could　talk　to　you；　I　might　be　able　to　make　you　understand　what's　really　wrong。　　And　if　I　could　do　that；　and　so　help　out　the　other　girls；　what　has　happened　to　me　would　not；　after　all；　be　quite　so　awfulso　useless；　somehow。〃　　Her　voice　lowered　to　a　quick　pleading；　and　she　bent　toward　the　man　at　the　desk。　〃Mr。　Gilder；〃　she　questioned；　〃do　you　really　want　to　stop　the　girls　from　stealing？〃
  〃Most　certainly　I　do；〃　came　the　forcible　reply。
  The　girl　spoke　with　a　great　earnestness；　deliberately。
  〃Then；　give　them　a　fair　chance。〃
  The　magnate　stared　in　sincere　astonishment　over　this　absurd；　this　futile　suggestion　for　his　guidance。
  〃What　do　you　mean？〃　　he　vociferated；　with　rising　indignation。　There　was　an　added　hostility　in　his　demeanor；　for　it　seemed　to　him　that　this　thief　of　his　goods　whom　he　had　brought　to　justice　was　daring　to　trifle　with　him。　　He　grew　wrathful　over　the　suspicion；　but　a　secret　curiosity　still　held　his　temper　within　bounds　〃What　do　you　mean？〃　　he　repeated；　and　now　the　full　force　of　his　strong　voice　set　the　room　trembling。
  The　tones　of　the　girl　came　softly　musical；　made　more　delicately　resonant　to　the　ear　by　contrast　with　the　man's　roaring。
  〃Why；〃　she　said；　very　gently；　〃I　mean　just　this：　Give　them　a　living　chance　to　be　honest。〃
  〃A　living　chance！〃　The　two　words　were　exploded　with　dynamic　violence。　　The　preposterousness　of　the　advice　fired　Gilder　with　resentment　so　pervasive　that　through　many　seconds　he　found　himself　unable　to　express　the　rage　that　flamed　within　him。
  The　girl　showed　herself　undismayed　by　his　anger。
  〃Yes；〃　she　went　on；　quietly；　〃that's　all　there　is　to　it。　Give　them　a　living　chance　to　get　enough　food　to　eat；　and　a　decent　room　to　sleep　in；　and　shoes　that　will　keep　their　feet　off　the　pavement　winter　mornings。　　Do　you　think　that　any　girl　wants　to　steal？　　Do　you　think　that　any　girl　wants　to　risk？〃
  By　this　time；　however；　Gilder　had　regained　his　powers　of　speech；　and　he　interrupted　stormily。
  〃And　is　this　what　you　have　taken　up　my　time　for？　　You　want　to　make　a　maudlin　plea　for　guilty；　dishonest　girls；　when　I　thought　you　really　meant　to　bring　me　facts。〃
  Nevertheless；　Mary　went　on　with　her　arraignment　uncompromisingly。　　There　was　a　strange；　compelling　energy　in　her　inflections　that　penetrated　even　the　pachydermatous　officer；　so　that；　though　he　thought　her　raving；　he　let　her　rave　on；　which　was　not　at　all　his　habit　of　conduct；　and　did　indeed　surprise　him　mightily。　　As　for　Gilder；　he　felt　helpless　in　some　puzzling　fashion　that　was　totally　foreign　to　his　ordinary　self。　　He　was　still　glowing　with　wrath　over　the　method　by　which　he　had　been　victimized　into　giving　the　girl　a　hearing。　　Yet；　despite　his　chagrin；　he　realized　that　he　could　not　send　her　from　him　forthwith。　　By　some　inexplicable　spell　she　bound　him　impotent。
  〃We　work　nine　hours　a　day；〃　the　quiet　voice　went　on；　a　curious　pathos　in　the　rich　timbre　of　it；　〃nine　hours　a　day；　for　six　days　in　the　week。　　That's　a　fact；　isn't　it？　　And　the　trouble　is；　an　honest　girl　can't　live　on　six　dollars　a　week。　　She　can't　do　it；　and　buy　food　and　clothes；　and　pay　room…rent　and　carfare。　　That's　another　fact；　isn't　it？〃
  Mary　regarded　the　owner　of　the　store　with　grave　questioning　in　her　violet　eyes。　　Under　the　urgency　of　emotion；　color　crept　into　the　pallid　cheeks；　and　now　her　face　was　very　beautifulso　beautiful；　indeed；　that　for　a　little　the　charm　of　its　loveliness　caught　the　man's　gaze；　and　he　watched　her　with　a　new　respect；　born　of　appreciation　for　her　feminine　delightfulness。　　The　impression　was　far　too　brief。　　Gilder　was　not　given　to　esthetic　raptures　over　women。　　Always；　the　business　instinct　was　the　dominant。　　So；　after　the　short　period　of　amazed　admiration　over　such　unexpected　winsomeness；　his　thoughts　flew　back　angrily　to　the　matters　whereof　she　spoke　so　ridiculously。
  〃I　don't　care　to　discuss　these　things；〃　he　declared　peremptorily；　as　the　girl　remained　silent　for　a　moment。
  〃And　I　have　no　wish　to　discuss　anything；〃　Mary　returned　evenly。　　〃I　only　want　to　give　you　what　you　asked　forfacts。〃　　A　faint　smile　of　reminiscence　curved　the　girl's　lips。　　〃When　they　first　locked　me　up；〃　she　explained；　without　any　particular　evidence　of　emotion；　〃I　used　to　sit　and　hate　you。〃
  〃Oh；　of　course！〃　came　the　caustic　exclamation　from　Gilder。
  〃And　then；　I　thought　that　perhaps　you　did　not　understand；〃　Mary　continued；　〃that；　if　I　were　to　tell　you　how　things　really　are；　it　might　be　you　would　change　them　somehow。〃
  At　this　ingenuous　statement；　the　owner　of　the　store　gave　forth　a　gasp　of　sheer　stupefaction。
  〃I！〃　he　cried；　incredulously。　　〃I　change　my　business　policy　because　you　ask　me　to！〃
  There　was　something　imperturbable　in　the　quality　of　the　voice　as　the　girl　went　resolutely　forward　with　her　explanation。　　It　was　as　if　she　were　discharging　a　duty　not　to　be　gainsaid；　not　to　be　thwarted　by　any　difficulty；　not　even　the　realization　that　all　the　effort　must　be　ultimately　in　vain。
  〃Do　you　know　how　we　girls　live？but；　of　course；　you　don't。　　Three　of　us　in　one　room；　doing　our　own　cooking　over　the　two…burner　gas…stove；　and　our　own　washing　and　ironing　evenings；　after　being　on　our　feet　for　nine　hours。〃
  The　enumeration　of　the　sordid　details　left　the　employer　absolutely　unmoved；　since　he　lacked　the　imagination　necessary　to　sympathize　actually　with　the　straining　evil　of　a　life　such　as　the　girl　had　known。　　Indeed；　he　spoke　with　an　air　of　just　remonstrance；　as　if　the　girl's　charges　were　mischievously　faulty。
  〃I　have　provided　chairs　behind　the　counters；〃　he　stated。
  There　was　no　especial　change　in　the　girl's　voice　as　she　answered　his　defense。　　It　continued　musically　low；　but　there　was　in　it　the　insistent　note　of　sincerity。
  〃But　have　you　ever　seen　a　girl　sitting　in　one　of　them？〃　　she　questioned；　coldly。　　〃Please　answer　me。　Have　you？　　Of　course　not；〃　she　said；　after　a　little　pause　during　which　the　owner　had　remained　silent。　　She　shook　her　head　in　emphatic　negation。　　〃And　do　you　understand　why？　　It's　simply　because　every　girl　knows　that　the　manager　of　her　department　would　think　he　could　get　along　without　her；　if　he　were　to　see　her　sitting　down　loafing；　you　know！　So；　she　would　be　discharged。　All　it　amounts　to　is　that；　after　being　on　her　feet　for　nine　hours；　the　girl　usually　walks　home；　in　order　to　save　carfare。　　Yes；　she　walks；　whether　sick　or　well。　　Anyhow；　you　are　generally　so　tired；　it　don't　make　much　difference　which　you　are。〃
  Gilder　was　fuming　under　these　strictures；　which　seemed　to　him　altogether　baseless　attacks　on　himself。　His　exasperation　steadily　waxed　against　the　girl；　a　convicted　felon；　who　thus　had　the　audacity　to　beard　him。
  〃What　has　all　this　to　do　with　the　question　of　theft　in　the　store？〃　　he　rumbled；　huffily。　　〃That　was　the　excuse　for　your　coming　here。　　And；　instead　of　telling　me　something；　you　rant　about　gas…stoves　and　carfare。〃
  The　inexorable　voice　went　on　in　its　monotone；　as　if　he　had　not　spoken。
  〃And；　when　you　are　really　sick；　and　have　to　stop　work；　what　are　you　going　to　do　then？　　Do　you　know；　Mr。　Gilder；　that　the　first　time　a　straight　girl　steals；　it's　often　because　she　had　to　have　a　doctoror　some　luxury　like　that？　　And　some　of　them　do　worse　than　steal。　　Yes；　they　dogirls　that　started　straight；　and　wanted　to　stay　that　way。　　But；　of　course；　some　of　them　get　so　tired　of　the　whole　grind　thatthat〃
  The　man　who　was　the　employer　of　hundreds　concerning　whom　these　grim　truths　were　uttered；　stirred　uneasily　in　his　chair；　and　there　came　a　touch　of　color　into　the　healthy　brown　of　his　cheeks　as　he　spoke　his　protest。
  〃I'm　not　their　guardian。　　I　can't　watch　over　them　after