Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-05-13
The Confessions Of ss
- a a Club Woman.
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BY AGNES sURBRIDGE.

peace sake.
Ladies'" l said when they seemed to
have exhausted their arguments. Il am
sure | can be re elected. You know
something of what l have borne from
evil tongues, though not ALL If l retire
now, shall never reinstate myself. On
the contrary, if | am reelected, that will
be my vindication. | have been rash and
have made mistakes, but | have learned
something's and | have gone very care
fully over the ground. 1 think l can
safely rely on votes enough to give me
majority | shall not withdraw"
| They left me and the agitation went
on for two weeks more.
| 1t was the night before our annual
election. / had had a busy day and GOT
home to late dinner. l was tired and
out of sorts A new candidate had de-
veloped that day, and my prospects suf-
fered in consequence. What if | were
to be defeated, after all? What if, after
all these weeks of fighting for my chance,
| should be thrust from office on the
morrow, and that by hopeless minor
| ity? Where then would be my boasted
popularity? But, no; | would not give
up now. On the contrary, / would be-
/ iieye i'll success and win it.
table and put aside my encouragement
and took them up. There were the usual
number about club affairs, several prom
ising votes for the morrow, and one
woman going so far as to say she would
leave the club if it failed to re-elect me-
My spirits arose with all this until l
! took up the last in the pile. 1t was from
! Joe, the first sign | had had from him
/ III two months.
/ Il am told Won are making a great
/ fight for the presidency Of the Nota Bene
again. it read. II am waiting now to
! give you Just one more chance to make
/ it up with me. Withdraw from this con
! test, give up this insane passion for
clubs, and promise me you viii stay with
/ the children. Perhaps then we can talk
! things over and matters may come
straight But l ask you once again,
Johnnie, withdraw your name and give
/ up this fight. If you persist and decide
/ TO give your life to clubs, | shall arrange
! to take the children abroad and sell the
/ honse. Make your choice. Which Is it,
home and its comforts, or public office
and Il hotel?"
The conccited thing" / said as I laid
/ II down. He gives me a chance to make
mp with him, does he? Surely he takes
4 high hand"
Bat, as | thought it all over. through
that long night, there were times when
| | was tempted to do what he asked.
What, after all, had my club connections
brought me but heart burnings and
strife? What would they bring, even if
| gained my point tomorrow, but petty
! jealousies and small triumphs? Was the
game .,sh n the candle, after all?
Inn ~ of my babies and had the
grace, - a moment, to be ashamed that
| knew SO little of them. / had been sur
| prlsed only the morning before to find
! that little Joey could read words of two
! syllables Really, | had been so busy
with outside affairs | had not kept posted
about the children.
But then, did not they have my
mother, and was she not devoted to
them? Why should waste all my vouth
on them? | recalled hearing club lee
| turer on What shall we do with our
children?' advance the idea that the
young mother should not squauder her
youth in petty slavery for Ter children,
but should hire Others 10 do drudoery
necessary to their earliest years and re-
serve her own youth for them when they
were growing lads and lassies and could
appreciate a pretty, upto date mamma.
| And was not that just what / was do
ing?
If Joe had come to ne that night and
| spoken tenderly, givin" me chance to
| explain matters; if ne had been gentle
with me and let me feel that his heart
was mine and was worth all I had gone
| through to recover it, could have
yielded But. opposition always mad
dened me. and his cold hard letter drove
me on where it should have called me
| back. | fought another all-light battle
| and then got up to write him a short
note.
1T IS too late now to avail myself of
| your kind permission to make it up
with you by withdrawing my name Nou
| should know by this time that threats
never yet terrified me"
! sent this off before breakfast ana
went calmly on with my preparations
| for the afternoons struggle. How child
ish it all seemed to me afterward.
At noon / received another brief note
Business has taken another sudden
| turn which necessitates my immediate
| sailing for Europe | shall leave on the
! ! O'Clock train for the east" That was
| all. No word of farewell. no message
| for the children. no hope for the future
| My heart sank like lead when read it
but l kept on with my preparations for
the club meeting at 4.
a cloud seemed to have settled over
the house, however. loomy forebodings
Of disaster made me miserable. and
caught myself wishing ! had che ID
Joe's wishes and given up the fight at the
| last moment / felt SIRE I was to be
defeated. and dreaded the afternoon as
| had never before. But | made ready
to 60 carly, determined not to give way
to my fears. although | put away tie
pretty gown 1 had laid out to wear and
donned a plain tailored gown instead
As | nelred the c.utr0ms 1 heard the
newsboys calling their wares. All the
news Of the accident on the New York
eXprcss," The ear was passing one Of