Circled Heart by Karen J. Hasley Read Free Book Online Page B

of their own.”
    “Sometimes,” I agreed grudgingly, “but can you really tell me that every young woman willingly gives away her baby without feeling grief or rebellion at the action her family forced upon her because they did not wish to deal with public opinion and the unkind and hypocritical judgments society will make?” Hilda Cartwright did not answer my question, simply met my eyes and smiled.
    “I see exactly what Sally Gray meant. The Anchorage mission began as a safe haven for prostitutes who wished to leave their lives on the streets. Following that, it grew into the conventional home for unwed mothers that you describe, but today under the leadership of Dr. Barrett it is evolving into something much more expansive and inclusive. We offer refuge to all women of all ages, Miss Swan, not just unwed mothers. We continue to have our share of those, of course, and it might surprise you that most of them are poor girls or young immigrants with little family support and no real home. We provide other options besides giving the child up for adoption. In fact, we encourage the mothers to keep their children and offer various means of support for them to do so. That’s one of the many areas where I envision your assistance.”
    I was quiet, listening carefully. My plans for my future had not included this environment. Instead, I had pictured a gleaming hospital, something modern and progressive, where I would work with those truly ill. Yet the passion in Miss Cartwright’s voice and her obvious dedication to the Anchorage and its mission were making an unexpected and favorable impression.
    “We have women here who have fled brutish husbands and fathers but have no idea how to get on in the world. If we don’t give them viable skills and help them find employment, they will be forced to return to an environment that could quite literally kill them. We have women who can hardly speak a word of English, lured to Chicago by unscrupulous men for lives of prostitution or demeaning labor, slave labor I call it, regardless of the fact that slavery was forbidden almost fifty years ago. The Anchorage offers protection, education, and encouragement, and we could use you, all of you, your skills, your education, and your temperament.”
    “If anything,” I warned, “Miss Gray was too kind. I’ve led an unusual life and I am very flawed. Why do you think I would suit?”
    She rose from her desk. “Follow me and I’ll show you.”
    We went out of her office and down the hall toward the back of the house, stopping outside a pair of partially open double doors. Miss Cartwright put her finger to her lips and we stood there, shamelessly eavesdropping. From within I could hear a woman’s voice.
    “—judged by her quiet nature, Mrs. Stanislaw,” the speaker droned. “Men who have worked all day in the rigors of the world prefer to be greeted with a smile and a soft hello. It would hardly be appropriate for you to hold one of the office jobs that modern women so enthusiastically pursue. That may be for women of a certain class, but you would be better served finding a husband or, lacking that, seeking domestic service.”
    Those words were almost too much for Miss Cartwright, who frowned and reached for the door to enter the room. She stopped mid-gesture, however, took me by the arm, and urged me back down the hall and into her office.
    “That was Mrs. Fereon, one of several volunteers who need to leave. They disapprove of a woman working outside the home, regardless of her circumstance. They do not believe in advanced education for women, and they long for the old order of things, a caste system that’s a relic of an old generation. They create rebellion with their unrealistic advice and then wonder why the girls are scornful and rude to them.” Miss Cartwright spoke vehemently. “Unfortunately, I need a replacement before I can tactfully ask Mrs. Fereon to leave.”
    “And you think I’m suited to be that