The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1905-09-01

Perhaps not" he said, laughing:
"but there are some fununy ones about.
I met one abroad by the way-a writer.
Miss Vereker"-he paused-"she gave
me quite SHOCK"
Margaret laughed Really? What
was she like. Ralph? Tously about the
head and floroGngly artistic. Or the ad
vancedyoung-w type?"
Neither" he said her appearance
was charming-to look at-my dear
Margaret; she might have been as pure
and sweet as you yourself: but her
book-well. | never was SO thOroughlX
shocked in my life"
do you mean by her book. Not
Otherwise
He frowned slightly 81 should
hardly have thought you even knew the
name"
Il have read tt said Margaret
quietly. and l thought it very clever. :"
He looked al her il some aston:sh-
ment. Clever" he echoed, "oi course
it's clever, fiendishly clever, Margaret: /:
no one could doubt that for moment.
but | cont see what that has to do
with it. It's appalling to me- that an
unmarried girl should write book one
cannot show ones women folk Why
can't women leave the coarser side Of
life to the man novelist to depict?"
Perhaps she had a moral lesson to
teach" said Margaret. speaking a
shade coldly
Lesson. Nonsense" said Merton
tits Eot an unmarried girls place to
teach moral lessons-not in that way
at any rate. You cannot touch pitch
without becoming defled. and for
young girl like that to wallow in liter
ary mud can only show she has an i'm
pure mind and soiled Imagination"
MY dear Raiph."
We'll, Margaret. | apologize; but |
spoke strongly because / feel strongly:
and, being 50 sweet and clean a writer
yourself. you may be able to influence
friend who writes that style of book. 4"
Il am sure this book was IT eaHt as
a warning
"Pah," sid, Ralph "who can warn
by depicting vice? She will harm q
hundred where she warns one or two
If girl wishes TO teach the world a
lesson let her teach it by her own puri-
ty of life and purpase." He stopped
abruptly and added: Il am very glad
that young woman does not belong to
me. Margaret"
There was moments intense
silence. as Margaret sat slowly realfz-
ing that her book was quite as out
spoken. Il am very glad that young
woman does not belong to me- Those
were the only words she could remem-
Der distinctly OF all he had said. She
knew now why she had not written TO
tell him about her '.ook. subtle ia
stinct must have warned her; the in
stinct that preserves sensitive women
from making mistakes with those they
love.
But she loved her book, too-did she
love it more than Ralph? She hardly
knew-she was only conscious OF
sudden feeling of icy coldneSs toward
him, and lnvoluntarily she withdrew
her hand from its place on iis chair.
then turned and looked him in the
ldCe SuppCoin5 Iledu "iiltCi - oooiA
like that, Ralph?"
Il can't suppose anything so abaor-
NAL, Mar5aret-women with minds
like you don't dig IL mud"
'But supposing | had?" she persist
ed, feeling as though the decision of
her very fate itself hung on hls an
Swer.
81 should first ask you not to pub
lish it," said Ralph Merton very slow
ly, "and-"
"And if refused?" interrupted Mar
garet. eagerly. "Supposing were to
refuse your request"
81 should leave you. Margaret" he
said quietly. II should never marry a
woman who wrote an unclean took. |
should never trust her.
"Why not?" she asked. in genuine
amazement.
II should feel she had either done
something bad or was capable OF doing
something bad. 1t is womans mission
to uplift men by her example in her
life, and in her writings if she writes
Aren't you little hard and narrow.
Ralph"
Perhaps So" he answered. gravely.
81 dare say I am narrow, Margaret