Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise

lt with all the strength of her health and vitality that she had not yet found her place in the world, that she would find it, and that it would be high. Now-she was compelled to esca

station, left the express on impulse at Fourteenth Street,

early days, now shrouded in a mystery that would not be dispelled with his consent. Freddie would not think of searching for her there; and soon he would believe she was dead-drowned, and at the bottom of rive

s of sin

oman who was preaching had taken the life of the streets as her text. Well fed and well clad and certain o

sin is death

he robber's messenger who came bringing from his master as a loving gift some worthless trifle from the stolen goods. Not from clergy, not from charity worker, not from the life of the poor as they take what is given them with hypocritical cringe

n response to Susa

y sneer. But you know I'm right-yes, you show in your eyes that you know

hook he

! God is watching you. T

ted Susan. "But-the wages of sin-well,

nt of Cooper Union she paused, as the meaning of her own impulsive words came to her. The wages of sin! And what was sin, the supreme sin, but

hat not only said things interestingly but also said t

In so much wandering she had acquired the habit of closing up an episode of life as a traveler puts behind him the railway journey at its end. She was less th

iseries of the unprotected woman of the streets, or slavery to the madman of

t whirled her almost endurably, sometimes even gayly, over the worst things-money to buy hours, whole days of respite that could be spent in books, in dreams and plannings, in the freedom of a clean and comfortable room, or at the theater or concert. There were degrees in horror; she was paying a hateful price, but not so hateful as she had paid when she worked. The wages of shame were not so hard earned as the wages of toil, were larger, brought her many of the things she craved. The wages of toil brought her nothing but the right to bare

break through into the triumphant class that ruled the world, that did the things worth while-w

inging. But as a sole possession, as a sole ambition, it seemed thin and poor and even pitiful. She had emancipated herself from its tyranny; she would not resume the yoke. Among so many lacks of the good things of life its good would not be missed. Perhaps, when she had got a fe

deal meant at least ev

n and again that grotesque phrase "Let's go have a good time" fell upon the ears. After several blocks, when her absent-mindedness had got her legs wet to the knees in the shallow shiny slush, she was roused by the sound of music-an orchestra playing and playing well a lively Hungarian dance. She was standing before the winter garden from which the sounds came. As she opened the door she was greeted by a rush of warm air pleasantly scented with fresh tobacco smoke, the odors of spiced drinks an

latform sat the orchestra. A man in an evening suit many sizes too large for him sang in a strong, not disagreeable tenor a German song that drew loud applause at the end of each stanza. The "burning devil" came-an almost black mixture in a large heavy gla

I do with it

as you would anything else." And he was off to attend t

taste, sweetish, suggestive of coffee and of brandy and of burnt sugar, was agreeable. She slowly sipped it, delighting in the sensation of

ve women s

a good-looker with a voice

f I could g

erested at once. "

ung on th

ask th

the upper and upper middle class does a respectable woman venture thus to advertise so suspicious a guest within as a desire to be agreeable in the sight of men. Susan watched the waiter as he spoke to the proprietor, saw the proprietor's impatient shake of the head, sent out a wave of gratitude from her heart when her waiter

ady-what

trial as

ayed by the tight-fitting jacket. The result seemed satisfactory, for in a v

had expe

ut I haven't sung i

g Ge

English. But I ca

ou can sing. What c

ated himself and moti

s I told you, I've no

skirt-low neck and blue stockings. Slippers to

I wear a five now." Susan thrust out a foot and ankle, for

e of personal interest in his voice as he said: "They c

to try me, what

ets his board here. He works in a factory as a bookkeeper in the daytime. Lots of theatrical a

omething more than

"Well-I might give you a bed. There's a place I could put one in my daughter's room. She sings and dances

decide tomorrow. Mayb

'no privilege' I mean only about the room. Of course, it's none of my business what you do outside. Lots of well fixed gents comes here. My

in the tone that was p

ther married an electrician that cops out forty a week. You'll find it a s

n't any work I coul

t h

rha

my notion. Of course, if a woman ain't got looks or sense or any tone to her, if she's satisfied to live in a bum tenement and marry some dub that can't make nothing, why,

k and a tip of five cents out of the change she had in her purse, and departed. It had clouded over, and a misty, dismal rain was trickling through the saturated air to add to the messiness of the churn of cold slush. Susan went on down Second Avenue. On a corner near its lower end she saw a Raines Law hotel with awnings, ind

," said he. "Wh

plied Susan. "May I sm

you like. Ten-cent

's out of the same

I've got a soft heart for you ladies. I

aw that he was at least partly of Jewish blood, enough to elevate his face above the rather dull type which predominates among clerks and merchants of the Christian races. He h

sced. She said to the bartender, "I want t

d the bartender with a grin and a wink

d he. "I get 'em of a fellow that makes for the swellest uptown houses. But I get 'em ten cents a package instead of forty. I haven't seen you down here before. What a good skin

able and put his hand upon her b

r nothing-eh?" laughed he.

eems

g fierce. Looks as if all the respectable girls and most of the marrie

oulders. "Why not?" e

usiness" from a standpoint so practical that she began to suspect he was somehow in it himself. He clearly belonged to those more intelligent children of the upper class tenement people, the children who are too bright and too well educated to become working men and working women like their parents; they refuse to do any kind of manual labor, as it could never in the most favorable circumstances pay well enough to give them the higher comforts they crave, the expe

kings off and to dry her skirt which, for all her careful holding up, had not escaped the fate of whatever was exposed t

ed very queer. She glanced suspiciously at the young man. Her legs grew suddenly and strangely heavy. Her heart began to beat violently, and a black f

an easier life, her dream of a husband above her class in looks and in earning power. And for each recruit "broken in" and hardened to the point of willingness to go into a sporting house, they get from the proprietor ten to twenty-five dollars according to her youth and beauty. Susan knew all about the system, had heard stories of it from the lips of girls who had been embarked through it-embarked a little sooner than they would have embarked under the la

her head fell forward a

r small shop-keeper. Used as she was to the profound indifference of men of all classes and degrees of education and intelligence to what the woman thought-used as she was to this sensual selfishness which men at least in part conceal from their respectable wives, Susan felt a horror of this man who

he, genially. "Slept

h," said he. "I'll come again, next time my old lady goes off guard." He made the bill into a pellet, dro

about her-a gesture of instinct rather than of conscious modesty. "They d

sness. "I'm a married man. I don't want to get mixed up in thi

perience, to make this silly appeal-she who knew men!

use parlor dress of pink cotton silk, and a kind of abbreviated chemise. The stockings on her legs were not her own, but wer

ling at her. "The madam told me to walk right in and make myself at home," said he. "Yes, you're up to her account of you

I'm going to leave this house. Th

your quarrels with the landlady. Cut thos

n the middle of the bed. She fixed her gaze upon the eyes looking through

to be a good girl n

sleep," s

the pillow. "It'll go toward paying your board and for the parlor d

that?" a

more than you ever could at a dive like Zeist's. If you don't behave well, we'll teach you how. This building belongs to one of the big men in politics, and he look

never escape until, diseased, her looks gone, ruined in bod

d the madam, "you might as

deal on what I make." She laughed quietly as if secretly amused at somet

nty-five a week for room and board

r with a laugh. "Oh,

r that. I'll go ba

ced for her face instantl

him and started out for some fun. He's a regular damn fool about me. But I'm sick of hi

voice was quivering with fright. She did not dare

that?" said Sus

asn't Joe Bishop had you in t

m dead to the world. I must have had an awful jag!" She turned o

Bishop?" demanded the madam shrilly. "

re's Zeist's?" Susan s

about a year. He too

e in five

p got twenty-five off me!" she screamed. "And you'

side trip I made." She laughed, yawned. "But he sent and got me out in two days-and gave me a pre

e madam. "You can't work here. I'm going to

I'll tell him about Joe Bishop. And Jim'll send the whole bunch of you to the pen. I'll not go back to him till I get good and ready. And that means, I

like a chained elephant. "I don't know what to d

waving her arms. "You don't know a good thing when you get it. What kind of a

dear," whined the madam

of the clothing. She found Susan in the bed and nestling com

owsy tone. "I think I'll stay. You won't telephone Jim.

m. "I can't let you work here. Yo

ut a sly, smiling look into her face. "How much'll you give me

for you," s

did I make

three at fi

a third while she lay in a

ur dollars," con

ng. "A bum joint! Oh, there's my

quavered

ng the money I had on me." She yawned. "I don't want to go!" she protested, pausing halfway in taking off the second pink stocking. Then she laughed. "Lord, wh

d, dear," whee

hould go at this tim

. "What'll you

m uttere

aid Joe Bishop

eked the madam. "He's

," said Susan cheer

fellow. I'll not gi

he hadn't seen you before. I had to pay him the twenty-five right away, to

d to hide it. "Well, I

e!" shrieke

t it back

t. He's a dog

id Susan reflectively. "I was awfu

am cried out: "You did! And after that he brought you here!

nted herself with the twenty dollars. The madam herself escorted Susan down to the outside door and slathered her with sweetness and politeness. The