Smyrna times., 1908-09-23
Mrs. Scarritt'S
Crusade.
By w. F. BRYAN.
Copyrighted. 1908, by Associated
Literary Press.
By w. F. BRYAN.

it bore, a fad and some other things
to which he did not give vocal utter.
ance in Mabel's presence.
To Roy it was a matter of supreme
Indifference whether women voted or
not, but it seemed to Mabel that it was
the vital question of the hour.
She attended all the suffragette meet
ings advertised and even formed a suf-
frage club among the girls of Cowdrey
House, an establishment for self sup
porting girls in which she had made
her home since the death of her par
ents.
The COwdrey Suffrage club was at
best a lukewarm organization. The
girls had Joined "fOr the fun of the
thing" and Mabel had TO work hard to
hold her converts in line.
This prevented her from giving much
Of her time to Roy. and his opinion of
the suffragettes was the natural result.
For five years he had begged Mabel to
marry him, but even before the cry of
''votes for women" became a fashion
able slogan Mabel had had pronounced
IDEAS as to the independence of her
sex, and Roy waited patiently while
Mabel demonstrated her ability to earn
her own living.
Then she had fallen under the infu-
ence of Mrs. Grace Brown-Hazzard ana
had been welcomed by the leader as an
addition to the cause. The approval Of
this famous woman had the effect of
making Mabel the more enthusiastic,
and presently she was devoting every
evening to the COwdrey branch of the
society, and Roy was left out in the
cold.
1t was the rule that all lights were
to be out at IL in Cowdrey House. t
with the aid of candles Mabel ". e
far into the night on the speeches that
Mrs. Brown-Hazzard delivered and
dragged herself unwllingly to her
work the following morning. sadly
feeling the lack of Sleep
Mrs. Brown Hazard found in her
new disciple valued assistant, and
her demand for speeches that offered
a departure from her own stereotyped
thoughts was insistent.
The more she praised the harder Ma
bel worked until at last the inevitable
breakdown occurred and Mabel was
forced to resign her position and go
into the country, where her scanty saw
ings rapidly diminished. The pile of
manuscripts for her idol, however in.
creased greatly.
| Mrs. Scarritt, her new landlady, was
much interested in the girl, and he1
protests against the manner in which
Mabel was overworking were loud and
emphatic.
Better stop that foolishness," she
argued, "and put some flesh on your
bones"
But the cause needs my work.
cried the tired girl. ''Mrs. Brown
Hazard writes me that these speeches
are doing a world of good; that l an
making thousands of converts. OF
course she fatters me there, for it i,
her magnetic personality that counts
| merely save her the worry of mar
shaling her arguments"
Mrs. Brown-HaZZardT mused Mrs
Scarritt. Grace Brown married Bel
Hazard. You don't happen to know
what your friends husbands name is
do you?"
'It is B. Henderson Hazard" re
spOnded Mabel.
Named after his ma" explained
Mrs. Scarritt. His ma was Luell
Henderson. We always did say tha
change of name and not of letter
meant Change for worse and not TO
BETTER 1t was Gene Hazard that go
the worst of it. My, but he was her
pecked! Lived over in the hollow
Grace Brown lived right down the roa
a piece-that first red house on you
right as you go to the postOffice"
"She never said anything about hay
ing been born herer' cried Mabel /
surprise. "She did say in one OF he
letters that she knew that Cadyvill
was a beautiful place."
'Grace Brown amt Dragging abou
us, and we amt Dragging about Grac
. Brown" declared the old lady. "Grac
always was Il fraud she went OF
i "She used to get me to write her con
positions for her, and Ben Burrow
used to 10 her sums. She never di
anything that she could coax some on
else to do for her. | must say thi
she had nice ways about her. 81
could coax even the teacher into gil
ing her good marks when she'd bee
kept in after school the whole week"
"She is the leader in Il great cause
said Mabel reverently "She has d
voted her gifts to great battle. ar
she will win for us. We shall get Il
vote before long. and the name Of Mr.
Brown Hazard will go down throus
the ages as the woman who wOrkC
this great revolution in favor of W
mans rights
Mrs. Scarritt shifted scornfully; the
she looked down into the deep bll
eyes glowing with the fires of enthu'
asm. Mabers cheeks were thin al
white, and there was little quiver