nate that it has occurred in my house, rather than in
somebody else's, for I know what measures to take to cure you of the
propensity to crime which you have so clearly shown. I shall, of course,
have to send you away immediately; for I could never again trust you in
my home, for although it is only a trifle that you have stolen,--yes,
deliberately stolen,--yet anyone who takes only a pin that belongs to
another, will take more when the opportunity offers. So, in order to
cure you of this tendency, I myself will conduct you to your mother and
impress upon her the necessity of guarding and watching you carefully,
as a possible young criminal. I never should have expected this of you,
for you have quite an honest look. Now, dress yourself quickly and
bundle up whatever belongs to you. I will remain in the room while you
are packing. Are you sure you have taken nothing else which does not
belong to you?'

"This question loosened my tongue, which hitherto had clung tightly to
the roof of my mouth. Dropping on my knees before my mistress, I
fervently swore that I had taken nothing, that I had not meant to take
anything. I had meant to wear the pieces of silk only once and then put
them back where I had found them. With tears rolling down my face, I
begged her not to tell my mother.

"'I will work for you all my life without pay,' I cried, 'if you will
only not tell my mother. Indeed, I did not mean to steal, so please
don't tell my mother!'

"This I urged so vehemently and with such floods of tears that finally
my kind-hearted mistress said: 'My dear child, if you will promise me
faithfully never to do anything like this again, I will not tell your
mother. But let this be a lesson to you; never to take anything again,
not even a pin, that does not belong to you. You can never again say,
with perfect truthfulness, that you have not stolen. I am glad to see
that you have such respect for your mother that you do not want her to
know of this, and for your sake I will not tell her. I have a meeting at
Hull House to attend in half an hour, and before I leave I wish you
would scrub up the kitchen and your room and then you can go.'

"So saying, the honourable lady left the room quite satisfied with
herself for having (perhaps) rescued another human being from the paths
of vice and crime. I went about my work with a heavy heart. Forgotten
were all the joys of yesterday! Now, just as I was becoming used to my
place, I must leave