man who had taken him in was saying: "You rotten little thief — we sheltered you and you stole,

following in your father's footsteps... I am an honest man; I keep no thieves in my house."

And Benny shouted: "Don't say one word about my father!"

And the man went on — no, it was my mother who was saying: "Your father was a thief and you are wicked like him..." Benny was a little boy standing in the middle, and the next minute I was seeing myself in his place.

I whispered: Oh, no... But Mr. Sidney caught hold of me to keep me from falling and said: "You had better step outside, Mrs. Helman; I will manage this matter."

I went out, but I did not go far... I was waiting for him, to tell him that I was the criminal and not Benny. I would be sent to prison and Ross would learn of it — but what did that matter to me, since he did not love me?

I felt someone touch my shoulder, and before I could hold my tongue my hand was reaching out with the crumpled fifty dollars, and I was saying: "I was waiting for you, to hand you this."

Things vanished before my eyes and my knees shook... The man took me by the arm and put me into the car... I closed my eyes, and the car began moving toward... toward the police station...

My head was empty, for I had not tasted food all day, and I would have liked to stay lying on the seat with my eyes closed, but he took my arm and said: "Come, my daugh-ter." I muttered stupidly: "To prison?" He said: "Is that what you thought...?"

An old woman received us, and I heard him say to her: "Be an angel, Auntie, and give me something for her to eat..."

He busied himself away from me until the woman came back with a tray bearing something, and I muttered:

"But you haven't heard me?... Benny is innocent, and I..."

He said, interrupting qui-etly: "It does not matter what you did — but starving oneself to death is no prof-itable undertaking."

He gave me a cup of coffee, and I drank it, and when I had finished he said: "And now tell me, Mrs. Helman — were you in need of the money? Is something wrong..."

And I heard myself say: "No — I was not in need of the money — but I am wicked... I am a thief, as my mother always said..."

I talked, and could not stop... There was no need to tell him about Ross and how we came to marry, but the words came out... about my grandmother... about my mother... about Grace... about my father and how he died in prison... how I was never to marry and bear children — but I loved Ross... Then I took my head in my hands and said: "The baby died, and Ross turned against me, and he no longer wants me."

And I heard Sidney say: "You took the money as you used to take things from the stores... not because you needed them, but to forget your misery."

I was nodding my head heavily, and he went on: "Some people drink liquor to forget." O God, Thy mercy... it is a sad world, at times.

His voice was gentle and his eyes looked very sad, so I said: "Don't grieve for me — I am wicked!"

He said tenderly: "On the contrary... If you were wicked, you would not have cared what was happening to Benny... Look at me, Sandy..." — and he gazed into my eyes — "You could have kept it from me... No suspicion had gathered around you..."

I said: "And Benny?... And that man who spoke of Benny's father?" Sidney said: "You and Benny are unhappy children caught in the wilds of life."

He went on saying strange

things like these — but strangest of all was the feeling that came over me... a feeling of freedom, as if my confession had opened the door of my prison, or as if a dark corner that had been locked upon me had opened, and I had stepped out of it into the light... alone... but unafraid...

And I murmured that I was ready now to go to the place where people like me are taken... to prison.

Sidney smiled and said: "You have been in prison, Sandy — and you have just now come out of it..." Then he added quietly: "No creature in this world was ever born wicked... and I do not believe your father was wicked... He was only a human being who was weak before temptation... Your mother was wrong when she fastened his faults on you... A child does not know that stealing is wrong until it is taught so..."

I said: "And my grand-mother?... and her hatred... and the dark corner...?"

He said: "Your mother was an unhappy woman whom her own mother made unhappy... and your grandmother's wickedness was born of her unhappiness too."

Sidney did not put me in chains; rather he broke the chains with which my mother's sick mind had bound me.

I am no longer Sandy Martin... and I am no longer Mrs. Helman. Today I am a new creature. I finish my work and hurry to the wayward boys to help them... and it gladdens my heart to see them grow into good men despite their bad beginnings.

Today I know the secret of my happiness... As a child I stole to buy the love I hungered for... as a girl I stole because I was starved of love... I abased myself before my husband to win his love... and as a wife I stole to avenge my humiliated heart.

All the while I longed to take; but now I give... and I am happy in the giving.