The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1907-12-27
brooded over it ali the Etime." !"

brooded over it all the Hme."
mine thought about his club. Does
It seem right that fathers should have
such power? If he fails, down they
all 60, children, grandchildren and
greatgrandchildren. If he succeeds,
up they all go together, higher and
higher"
'Unless they take to drink" said
Lily. wisely.
"If he fails, the girlst have to look
for work"
"Unless,' Katharine continued
"they get married. And there is the
chance Of another father failing"
"My dear, what is the use Of talk
ing about marriage in Harley House2
Love and marriage cannot come in our
way. How are we to make the ac-
ouaintance of any men? Some Of the
girls at the Museum make acquaint-
ances with the readers, but no good
ever came of that sort of acquaintance
yet" 7
"But, Lily, anything may happen"
"Not out of books. unless it is bad;
In real life everything happens. that
is bad. But as for love and marriage.
declare, Katherine. that If we had
our hair cut off and were shut up in
Spanish convent, hundred miles
from any man, we should have bet
ter chance Of marrying than we have
here-I mean we two. who have no
friends at ali. Not the rest of the girls,
who have brothers and can, go out
with them"
IT have had my chance, Lily, and I
have been robbed Of it." said Katha-
rine.
Eyes, whatever happens you will be
the happier for having been loved. 1t
Is something to remember always. Oh!
1t must be a wonderful thing to feel
that man is going to give up all his
life-all his work-to make you happy
and keep you in ease and comfort. It
must be such happiness just to feel
it, as you did, for month or two, that
even to think Of it makes me go mad
with rage at the cruel fate which
keeps us locked up here out of the way
Of it, so that we can never, never
meet with it."
eyes," said Katharine, "itlis won
! derful thing to feel. There is no other
happiness to compare with it-and L
have felt it. Oh" she clasped her
| hands. 'I have felt itr'
Katharine, when I am tramping
the streets from one place to another,
knowing beforehand that Igshall be too
| late, a terrible picture arises before
my mind, dreadful nightmare which
comes by day; and see my future
life stretched out before me plain and
lear-perhaps yours. dearaas well, but
hope-yes-I hope that God will
take you first"
ooh; Lilyr'
st must-I cannot helpait-I must
speak! The picture comes Of itself
and stays before my eyes, and 1 must
tell somebody. Katharine, see my
self going on like this for year after
year-all my life"
!, The girls dark eyes glowed and
grew larger as she gRzed intently
upon the panoramic picture which
rolled itself out before fher. As she
spoke it became real to Katharine as
well.
"Oh. such long life! l shall live
to eighty. There will be no change
until the time comes when no one will
give me any work to do at all. And
then 1 shall go to the workhouse.
am always applying for places. Some
times 1 get taken on, but generally
am too late. Always jostling and
pushing and fighting with other
women. What life! It is yours as
well as mine. What fortune for us
to be born with!
Lilly. some change will come. 1t
must come"
"No, never any change. Look at
poor old Miss Stidolph. She is sixty
at least, and she is no better off than
when she began-thirty years ago and
more, after her father failed-to go out
as a daily governess. What change has
ever come to her? Look at Miss Au-
gusta and Miss Beatrice; to be sure,
they've got ESQ year to live upon
now. Before it came they were starv-
ing. And their father was Canon of
Cathedral! What life they have led
No. Katharine, for us Ind those like us
there is no hope-none. l declare
Katharine, that if there were any way
to escape-any-offered me, would
take it.
She looked about her like a prisoner
in q cell, and gasped as If for want OF
air.
"Lilyw
Never enough money" she went
on; never any society at all. What q
life it Is that lies before us! You are
twenty-one, and 1 am twenty-five
Perhaps fifty or sixty years of it. And
oh, how slowly the hands move round
the clock! Oh, how slowly the sun goes
DOWN.
Lilly, you have no right to assum,
that things will go on just as they are
doing at present.
'No; they may be worse. Kath-
crime, is it right that girls should be
treated so? We are born with the
same desire for happiness as other
girls. We could enjoy, like them, beau
tiful things and lives of ease. And oh!
look at US. There is not single lady
in this great town who invites either
of us to her house; there is no chance
of meeting gentleman, unless it is the
kind of gentleman who speaks to girls
in the street. Happiness! What does
it mean? We do not know what ii
means. We are sentenced"
Katherine sighed heavily.
"What good is it to rebel?'' she asked
"Let us accept out lot and make what
we can out Of it. What can we dc
more in the way of work?'
81 should like to do nothing. We
were made to do nothing. That is
! why women are not able to lift any
thing and to fight. 1t is the business
of men to work, and of women to sit
down and enjoy the fruits Of theil
labors. Besides, men like work-and
women don't"