The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-01
HAVE WOMEN DISCOVERED
 NEW SYSTEM OF "GRAFT'
eY ANNIE KENDRloK WALKER.

was dishonest. It seems to me that a woman who would do such a thing is entirely lacking in morality. Her ideas of moral obligation are certainly at a low ebb and her sense of duty must be dis tressingly lacking l cannot imagine a woman deliberately putting herself in such an undignihed position, such com promising one"
 But suppose, my dear" said an older woman to the young woman who had just expressed such high ideas of moral obl- gation, suppose you had married man who was very dictatorial, one who was anything but generous. one who indeed limited his wife to a bare pittance. There are men like that. you know, men who do not like for their wives to have too much money to spend. I am not com ing to the defense of the woman who makes an agreement with her tailor or with the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker, for I do not approve of any such methods, but I know that there are some cases where women are forced to suffer humiliation because their husbands resent the fact of their asking for money, and who hold their wives ac- countable for every cent that they spend Now, I have been married-well, long enough to be a grandmother-and l think the most humilatlng task for a woman is to have to ask her husband for money My husband thinks I am silly" just because to this day l cannot bear to ask for money, and yet he never refuses me. But, if he was different and looked as If he was doing me a favor, 1t seems to me that not even making an arrange ment with your tailor for an over charge could be as humillating."
 'I do not believe that women would really resort to such schemes" said a woman who has an allowance Now, while I sometimes go over my allowance, as I suppose many women do occasional ly, I am so conscientious that the next month I am the most economical of women. I do not like to worry my hus- band about it, although I am sure he would increase my allowance if l asked him. but l try to manage without do- ing so, and instead of resortlng to meth ods of extortion. I should be furious if any one even suggested such thing"
 But the woman who was being listened to because she was the grandmother. only smiled. My dear" she said, [ do not intend to wound you, but your very ve- hemence constitutes your danger line. You think, and are no doubt sincere in saying so, that you would regard 1t as an insult if any of these several schemes
 
 sure but that you could be tempted. Your husband, I am glad to say is the kind who will not ever make 1t necessary for you to be placed in an undignifled position. but if he was different-well. after all-you are only woman; and you are young and love pretty things. If your husband did not let you wear pretty gowns, you would argue yourself into the belief that his money was yours, no matter how you got it-and your tailor might make a valuable ally"
 "If knew a woman who did resort to such methods" said one who had been listening to the conversation, q would lose all respect for her. I could not trust a woman who would be guilty of such 1ndscretion' to put it mildly. It seems to me to savor of absolute dis honesty. I should think a woman would be liable to arrest and convction It would be a dagerous plan, like getting money under false pretenses.
 Ah! You are among the women who could be tempted" said the grey haired woman serenely. "The very fact that you recognize danger, that you scent it, in dicates that you would bA among the susceptible ones" And when the younger woman indignantly protested, another was finally heard to admit that she WOulu pc WllllIlB to invent any ScHene to get money out of men who were ungen- erous to their wives.
 ''I think these women who have dis covered this new system of graft. are the most ingenious creatures I ever heard of. I wish l could see one! I would really like to know how she manages her af- fairs so successfully" and she smiled as If she really meant it.
 My deai." said the older woman, DOS sibly out of all the group here, you are the one woman. who would not be sus- ccptible."
 And everybody wondered if being grandmother made you worldly-wise and observant, and subtle in your deduc- tions.