The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-05-07
taken iEs place

She turned again, laughing.
Quick" she said; some one will
come"
A woman may forget many things.
but no woman ever forgets the first
time lovers arm was around her waist
and lovers lips upon her own. And
as Eva sat in the corner of q third-class
carriage in the London train next morn
ing. looking forward to the career be-
fore her, the remembrance of the sup
port of Allan's arm persisted in OBJ
truding itself. Having got what she
wanted she had already begun to doubt
if she wanted what she had got. For a
career, after all. is rather lonesome
sort of thing.
Such small success as may come to
the inexperienced girl upon her first
incursion into literature came to Eva.
She lived spGringly. worked hard. and
never made the mistake of refusing in
vitations on the ground OF work. She
staid up a little later or got up little
earlier instead. y weekly column on
Health and Beauty" placed at her dis
posal by the youthful editor of a new
woman's paper, who had met her at the
Writers club and thought her pretty
paid her weekly bill at the boarding
house. Her stories found frequent ac-
ceptance and occasional welcome in the
minor periodicals, and happy meeting
with an editor at a dinner party paved
the way to her appearance in a widely
read magazine. BY the end Of the year
Eva Norrington had got so far towards
the realization of her ambit0 thatwhen
people heard her name mentioned they
wrinkled their brows and tried 10 re-
member where they had heard it before.
At home. of course, her fame was great.
The papers in which she wrote circu-
lated freely in the town, her stories
were discussed at afternoon teas, and
townfolk were glad to think that they
participated 10 some extent in the lit
erary work of the century.
All this time Eva was horribly lone
ly. She knew plenty of people and
liked them; they were kind to her,
some of them because they liked her for
herself, others because they saw that
she was marked for ultimate success.
Having advanced a certain distance
along the road she had longed to travel,
she could Judge better whittier it would
lead her. 1t would lead her to place
in the newspaper paragraphs, to place
on the book stalls, to place in the
photographers windows, and to
place at Baywater or South Kensing-
ton. This. then, must be the end CT the
struggle and the turmoil of the fight.
And how she hated the fight! A fight
wherein victory would bring her no
nearer to the actualities of life: for she
had come to learn in the years struggle
that our social system by no means
places women on an equality with men,
and that whereas men can buy the COW
eted fruit of the tree of knowledge of
good and evil by the polite. women
must buy the tree outright, and pay
cash. It was a terrible affair. And
the most unfair thing about the whole
business was that. while success was
almost within her grasp, success was
not what she wanted. There is no fun
in living your own life when that is
precisely the life you do not want to
lead.
1t was not as though Allan Craig had
never kissed Eva Norrington.
She opened the letter-cutting the
envelope with her nail scissors. For
some distinction must be made be-
tween your first love letter and your
bootmaker's bill. She felt like one
who has held his breath to feel what
suffocation is like. The letter was
long Eva read quickly at first, then
slowly. knitting her brows as she
turned the pages. and came at last to
the signature: Ever your friend, AL
Ian Craig"
The letter lay for some minutes in
Eva's lap while she looked vaguely
round her room.
HE is afraid of spelling my career
my success has put an insuperable bar
rier between us" she murmured. The
selves into her brain. 20, Allan!
wish 1 could tell you-or do you want
to hearT
Five years passed before she saw AL
Ian Craig again, and then the meeting
was unexpected-at the exit of the the
ater where Eva had gone to see the
hundredth performance of her play.
Allan was obviously proud of knowing
her, and introduced his wife. 10 whom
she gave graceful recognition. 1t was
raining and Allan offered to see Eva to
cab. They stood for moment on the
steps to the entrance.
YES" said Allan. in answer to Eva's
polite question. "all is going well. We
have little daughter-Eva--my wife's
name, curiously enough"
lie stood by the hanson as she en-
tered, guarding her dress from the
wheel. As she turned to give the ad-
dress, he said:
~ ought to congratulate you on your
success. 1t is very sweet 70 me. You
know-you-owe it all to ne. Are you
grateful?"
Yes; l owe it to you," she said, lean
ing forward as the apron closed upon
her. and the attendant constable grew
impatient. "Come and see me-Tues-
lays"
81 can't think why should be SO
e;liv eaid Eva ~ bersalf as she