The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1905-09-01
4 Crisis in
Her Life

A CCORDTNG to the unspoken laws
~ of her Bohemian world he was a
Philistine and prig. which means he
was a gentleman and old-fashioned in
bis ideas about women.
She was a Bohemian by circum
stances and environment rather than by
choice. and it was only from necessity
she had spent most Of her later girl
hood In the precincts of Fleet street.
He was amused at her taste for litera-
ture and in a mild way proud of her
literary attainmeltS. She had written
for some years for some of the numer-
Gus ladies' magazines, but lately she
had done deeper work. and now at Lass
her book was finished. 1t was almost
like a womans fr5t-born to her. this
novel into which she had put her best
thoughts and her worst cyniclsm-a
cynicism not innate, only born OF a
friends trouble Sometimes she Won
dered what Ralph Merton would say
when he read her book. She felt he was
not a man to tolerate too great a
breadth of view al the woman he loved;
y
her success; for even her publisher
and almost every publisher at least
apes pessimisn-had told her he had
not the slightest doubt upon the sub
ject
"The story is so broad" he said; "and
people love to read about the coarSer
side of life
Margaret was deeply hurt at this open
criticism, for that had not been her
object; and she explained to her pub
Usher that she did not wish to appeal
to the worse but to the better side
of human nature, and only to point
a wholesome moral. She had written
to warn women. and had only spoken in
so unabashed way OF sin and evil to
teach lesson and save her sex from
bitter suffering.
The publisher merely shrugged his
shoulders and accepted the book, and
wondered why women hide what they
mean by f1owecy language.
To-day she had received the last Of
her proofs. and now she was sitting
over the fire with her precious burden
on her knee Now and again she lifted
a page and reread it carefully. and sat
and dreamed, and altered here and
there. and sat and dreamed again.
Once or twice she struck something ou'
or strengthened and rewrote sentence.
and from time to time she glanced up
at the clock. and when at last it struck
five she rose, and, collecting her papers.
put them on the writing table, and. re-
seating herself b. the fire, sat listening
for her lovers footstep.
He was coming at half-past five, and
she was going to tell him about her book.
He had been abroad when it was &C
cepted, and she had not wished to write.
but waited to tell him herself.
Quite unconscious Of the depths OF
his views on woman, she eagerly antic-
ipated his pleasure and pride. She de-
cided not to tell him about her book at
first. but womanlike. keep her news
until he should have told her his.
They had finished tea and were sitting
together over the fire.
Wont you have a cigarette, Ralph?"
"You are sure you don't mind. Mar
garet?'
"Of course not; love tits so home
like. Besides. I want to tell you some
thing, and men can listen better while
they smoke.
He took the hand that rested on the
side of his chair and raised it gently to
his lips. How you spoil me, Maraga-
ret!"
by" she retorted. laughing. "All nice
wives spoil their husbands, and mean
to be very nice wife" -
''It's treat to meet a girl like you in
these days. dear" he said; "you are not
like a present-day woman. somehow"
Perhaps theey are not so bad as you
think"