within the law-第11部分

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〃I'm　not　their　guardian。　　I　can't　watch　over　them　after　they　leave　the　store。　　They　are　paid　the　current　rate　of　wagesas　much　as　any　other　store　pays。〃　　As　he　spoke；　the　anger　provoked　by　this　unexpected　assault　on　him　out　of　the　mouth　of　a　convict　flamed　high　in　virtuous　repudiation。　　〃Why；〃　he　went　on　vehemently；　〃no　man　living　does　more　for　his　employees　than　I　do。　　Who　gave　the　girls　their　fine　rest…rooms　upstairs？　　I　did！　Who　gave　them　the　cheap　lunch…rooms？　　I　did！〃　

〃But　you　won't　pay　them　enough　to　live　on！〃　The　very　fact　that　the　words　were　spoken　without　any　trace　of　rancor　merely　made　this　statement　of　indisputable　truth　obnoxious　to　the　man；　who　was　stung　to　more　savage　resentment　in　asserting　his　impugned　self…righteousness。

〃I　pay　them　the　same　as　the　other　stores　do；〃　he　repeated；　sullenly。

Yet　once　again；　the　gently　cadenced　voice　gave　answer；　an　answer　informed　with　that　repulsive　insistence　to　the　man　who　sought　to　resist　her　indictment　of　him。

〃But　you　won't　pay　them　enough　to　live　on。〃　　The　simple　lucidity　of　the　charge　forbade　direct　reply。

Gilder　betook　himself　to　evasion　by　harking　back　to　the　established　ground　of　complaint。

〃And；　so；　you　claim　that　you　were　forced　to　steal。　That's　the　plea　you　make　for　yourself　and　your　friends。〃

〃I　wasn't　forced　to　steal；〃　came　the　answer；　spoken　in　the　monotone　that　had　marked　her　utterance　throughout　most　of　the　interview。　　〃I　wasn't　forced　to　steal；　and　I　didn't　steal。　　But；　all　the　same；　that's　the　plea；　as　you　call　it；　that　I'm　making　for　the　other　girls。　　There　are　hundreds　of　them　who　steal　because　they　don't　get　enough　to　eat。　　I　said　I　would　tell　you　how　to　stop　the　stealing。　　Well；　I　have　done　it。　　Give　the　girls　a　fair　chance　to　be　honest。　　You　asked　me　for　the　names；　Mr。　Gilder。　　There's　only　one　name　on　which　to　put　the　blame　for　the　whole　businessand　that　name　is　Edward　Gilder！。。。　Now；　won't　you　do　something　about　it？〃　

At　that　naked　question；　the　owner　of　the　store　jumped　up　from　his　chair；　and　stood　glowering　at　the　girl　who　risked　a　request　so　full　of　vituperation　against　himself。

〃How　dare　you　speak　to　me　like　this？〃　　he　thundered。

There　was　no　disconcertion　exhibited　by　the　one　thus　challenged。　　On　the　contrary；　she　repeated　her　question　with　a　simple　dignity　that　still　further　outraged　the　man。

〃Won't　you；　please；　do　something　about　it？〃　

〃How　dare　you？〃　　he　shouted　again。　　Now；　there　was　stark　wonder　in　his　eyes　as　he　put　the　question。

〃Why；　I　dared；〃　Mary　Turner　explained；　〃because　you　have　done　all　the　harm　you　can　to　me。　　And；　now；　I'm　trying　to　give　you　the　chance　to　do　better　by　the　others。　　You　ask　me　why　I　dare。　　I　have　a　right　to　dare！　I　have　been　straight　all　my　life。　　I　have　wanted　decent　food　and　warm　clothes；　anda　little　happiness；　all　the　time　I　have　worked　for　you；　and　I　have　gone　without　those　things；　just　to　stay　straight。。。。　The　end　of　it　all　is：　You　are　sending　me　to　prison　for　something　I　didn't　do。　　That's　why　I　dare！〃　

Cassidy；　the　officer　in　charge　of　Mary　Turner；　had　stood　patiently　beside　her　all　this　while；　always　holding　her　by　the　wrist。　　He　had　been　mildly　interested　in　the　verbal　duel　between　the　big　man　of　the　department　store　and　this　convict　in　his　own　keeping。　　Vaguely；　he　had　marveled　at　the　success　of　the　frail　girl　in　declaiming　of　her　injuries　before　the　magnate。　　He　had　felt　no　particular　interest　beyond　that；　merely　looking　on　as　one　might　at　any　entertaining　spectacle。　　The　question　at　issue　was　no　concern　of　his。　　His　sole　business　was　to　take　the　girl　away　when　the　interview　should　be　ended。　It　occurred　to　him　now　that　this　might；　in　fact；　be　the　time　to　depart。　　It　seemed；　indeed；　that　the　insistent　reiteration　of　the　girl　had　at　last　left　he　owner　of　the　store　quite　powerless　to　answer。　　It　was　possible；　then；　that　it　were　wiser　the　girl　should　be　removed。　　With　the　idea　in　mind；　he　stared　inquiringly　at　Gilder　until　he　caught　that　flustered　gentleman's　eye。　　A　nod　from　the　magnate　sufficed　him。　　Gilder；　in　truth；　could　not　trust　himself　just　then　to　an　audible　command。　　He　was　seriously　disturbed　by　the　gently　spoken　truths　that　had　issued　from　the　girl's　lips。　　He　was　not　prepared　with　any　answer；　though　he　hotly　resented　every　word　of　her　accusation。　　So；　when　he　caught　the　question　in　the　glance　of　the　officer；　he　felt　a　guilty　sensation　of　relief　as　he　signified　an　affirmative　by　his　gesture。

Cassidy　faced　about；　and　in　his　movement　there　was　a　tug　at　the　wrist　of　the　girl　that　set　her　moving　toward　the　door。　　Her　realization　of　what　this　meant　was　shown　in　her　final　speech。

〃Oh；　he　can　take　me　now；〃　she　said；　bitterly。　　Then　her　voice　rose　above　the　monotone　that　had　contented　her　hitherto。　　Into　the　music　of　her　tones　beat　something　sinister；　evilly　vindictive；　as　she　faced　about　at　the　doorway　to　which　Cassidy　had　led　her。　　Her　face；　as　she　scrutinized　once　again　the　man　at　the　desk；　was　coldly　malignant。

〃Three　years　isn't　forever；〃　she　said；　in　a　level　voice。　〃When　I　come　out；　you　are　going　to　pay　for　every　minute　of　them；　Mr。　Gilder。　　There　won't　be　a　day　or　an　hour　that　I　won't　remember　that　at　the　last　it　was　your　word　sent　me　to　prison。　　And　you　are　going　to　pay　me　for　that。　　You　are　going　to　pay　me　for　the　five　years　I　have　starved　making　money　for　youthat；　too！　You　are　going　to　pay　me　for　all　the　things　I　am　losing　today；　and〃

The　girl　thrust　forth　her　left　hand；　on　that　side　where　stood　the　officer。　　So　vigorous　was　her　movement　that　Cassidy's　clasp　was　thrown　off　the　wrist。　　But　the　bond　between　the　two　was　not　broken；　for　from　wrist　to　wrist　showed　taut　the　steel　chain　of　the　manacles。　　The　girl　shook　the　links　of　the　handcuffs　in　a　gesture　stronger　than　words。　　In　her　final　utterance　to　the　agitated　man　at　the　desk；　there　was　a　cold　threat；　a　prophecy　of　disaster。　　From　the　symbol　of　her　degradation；　she　looked　to　the　man　whose　action　had　placed　it　there。　In　the　clashing　of　their　glances；　hers　won　the　victory；　so　that　his　eyes　fell　before　the　menace　in　hers。

〃You　are　going　to　pay　me　for　this！〃　she　said。　　Her　voice　was　little　more　than　a　whisper；　but　it　was　loud　in　the　listener's　heart。　　〃Yes；　you　are　going　to　payfor　this！〃　



CHAPTER　VI。　INFERNO。　

They　were　grim　years；　those　three　during　which　Mary　Turner　served　her　sentence　in　Burnsing。　　There　was　no　time　off　for　good　behavior。　　The　girl　learned　soon　that　the　favor　of　those　set　in　authority　over　her　could　only　be　won　at　a　cost　against　which　her　every　maidenly　instinct　revolted。　　So；　she　went　through　the　inferno　of　days　and　nights　in　a　dreariness　of　suffering　that　was　deadly。　　Naturally；　the　life　there　was　altogether　an　evil　thing。　　There　was　the　material　ill　ever　present　in　the　round　of　wearisome　physical　toil；　the　coarse；　distasteful　food；　the　hard；　narrow　couch；　the　constant；　gnawing　irksomeness　of　imprisonment；　away　from　light　and　air；　away　from　all　that　makes　life　worth　while。

Yet；　these　afflictions　were　not　the　worst　injuries　to　mar　the　girl　convict's　life。　　That　which　bore　upon　her　most　weightily　and　incessantly　was　the　degradation　of　this　environment　from　which　there　was　never　any　respite；　the　viciousness　of　this　spot　wherein　she　had　been　cast　through　no　fault　of　her　own。　　Vileness　was　everywhere；　visibly　in　the　faces　of　many；　and　it　was　brimming　from　the　souls　of　more；　subtly　hideous。　　The　girl　held　herself　rigidly　from　any　personal　intimacy　with　her　fellows。　To　some　extent；　at　least；　she　could　separate　herself　from　their　corruption　in　the　matter　of　personal　association。　　But；　ever　present；　there　was　a　secret　energy　of　vice　that　could　not　be　escaped　so　simplynor；　indeed；　by　any　device；　that　breathed　in　the　spiritual　atmosphere　itself　of　the　place。　　Always；　this　mysterious；　invisible；　yet　horribly　potent；　power　of　sin　was　like　a　miasma　throughout　the　prison。　　Always；　it　was　striving　to　reach　her　soul；　to　make　her　of　its　own。　　She　fought　the　insidious；　fetid　force　as　best　she　might。　　She　was　not　evil　by　nature。　　She　had　been　well　grounded　in　principles　of　righteousness。　　Nevertheless；　though　she　maintained　the　integrity　of　her　character；　that　character　suffered　from　the　taint。　　There　developed　over　the　girl's　original　sensibility　a　shell　of　hardness；　which　in　time　would　surely　come　to　make　her　less　scrupulous　in　her　reckoning　of　right　and　wrong。

Yet；　as　a　rule；　character　remains　the　same　throughout　life　as　to　its　prime　essentials；　and；　in　this　case；　Mary　Turner　at　the　end　of　her　term　was　vitally　almost　as　wholesome　as　on　the　day　when　she　began　the　serving　of　the　sentence。　　The　change　wrought　in　her　was　chiefly　of　an　external　sort。　　The　kindliness　of　her　heart　and　her　desire　for　the　seemly　joys　of　life　were　unweakened。　　But　over　the　better　qualities　of　her　nature　was　now　spread　a　crust　of　worldly　hardness；　a　denial　of　appeal　to　her　sensibilities。　It　was　this　that　would　eventually　bring　her　perilously　close　to　contented　companioning　with　crime。

The　best　evidence　of　the　fact　that　Mary　Turner's　soul　was　not　fatally　soiled　must　be　found　in　the　fact　that　still；　at　the　expiration　of　her　sentence；　she　was　fully　resolved　to　live　straight；　as　the　saying　is　which　she　had　quoted　to　Gilder。　　This；　too；　in　the　face　of　sure　knowledge　as　to　the　difficulties　that　would　beset　the　ef