The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1905-08-31
A Crisis in
Her Life 4

was q gentleman and old-fashioned in
his ideas about women.
She was q 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 ut her taste for litera-
ture and in mild way proud of her
literary attainments. She had written
for some years for some of the numer
Gus ladies' magazines, but lately she
had done deeper work, and now at las.
her book was finished. 1t was almost
like woman's first-born to her, this
novel into which she had put her best
thoughts and her worst cynicism-a
cynicism not innate, only born of
friends trouble. Sometimes she won
dered what Ralph Merton would say
when he read her book. She felt he was
not man to tolerate too great a
breadth of view In the>w0man he loved;
yet she was sure he would be proud OF
her success; for even her publisher
and almost every publisher at least
apes pessimism-had told her he had
not the slightest doubt upon the sub
ject. ss
''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
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, AMI
wondered why women hide what they
mean by f1owery language.
To-day she had received the last Of
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 OUT.
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 by 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 ac-
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 we're sitting
together over the fire.
Won't you have cigarette, Ralph ?"
"You are sure You don't mind. Mar
garrett"
"Of course not; I 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!" :.
Nothing to what Isshall do by-and-
BY" she retorted. laughing. "All nice
wives spoil their husbands, and mean
to be very nice wife,"
ITS treat to meet girl like you in
these days. dear" he Said; you are not
like present-day woman, somehow"
Perhaps theey are not so bad as you
think"
Perhaps not" he said, laughing:
"but there are some funny ones shout.
I met one abroad. by the way-a writer.
q Miss Vereker'-he paused-"she gave
me quite shock
Margaret laughed Really! What
was she like, Ralph? Tously about the
head and floppingly artistic, or the adj
vanced- young-woman type?"
Neither" he said; her appearance
was charming-to look Amy dear
Margaret; she might have been as pure
and sweet as you yourself; but her
Rockwell, never was SO thoroughly
shocked in my life"
do you mean by her book, Not
Otherwise?'"
He frowned slightly. Il should
hardly have thought you even knew the
name."
Il have read it." said Margaret,
quietly, land thought it very clever. ''
He looked at her in some astonish-
ment. "Clever!" he echoed, "of course
it's clever, fiendishly clever, Margaret:
no one could doubt that for moment:
but don't see what that has to do
with it. It's appalling to me that an
unmarried girl should write q book one
cannot show ones women folk. Why
can't women leave the coarser side of
life to the man novelist to deplct?"
perhaps she had moral lesson to
teach" said Margaret. speaking a
shade coldly.
Lesson! Nonsense said Merton.
"It's not 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
airy mud can only show she has an inn
,,,,,.o mind ord oo;Iod