The Democratic advocate., 1908-09-18
Mrs. Scarritt'S
Crusade.
By W. r. BRYAN.
c,nvrtshted, 1908, by Associated
wy Literary Press.

aIor MaDel MoiIi""
Sons,bility. and Roy Barnes declared
- - bore, a fad and some other things
~ which he did not give vocal utter
snce in Mabel's presence.
To Roy it was a matter of supreme
,odifference whether women voted OF
,ot hut it seemed to Mabel that it was
tbo vital question of the hour.
Che attended all the suffragette meet
iogs advertised and even formed suf-
trooe club among the girls of Cowdrey
uouse an establishment for self sup
oortlng girls in which she had made
hor home since the death of her par
ents.
The Cowdrey Suffrage club was at
host 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
tba suffragettes was the natural result.
For five years he had begged Mabel to
marry him, but even before the cry of
avotes fer women" became a fashion
oble slogan Mabel had had pronounced
ideas as to the independence of her
sp, and Roy waited patiently while
Mabel demonstrated her ability to earn
her own living.
Then she had fallen under the infiu-
snce of Mrs. Grace Brown-Hazzard and
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 II in Cowdrey House. hut
with the aid Of candles Mabel wrote
far into the night on the speeches that
Mrs. Brown-H Hazard delivered and
dragged herself unwilIingly 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
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. Scarrltt, her new landlady, was
much interested In the girl, and her
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 world of good; that Lam
making thousands Of converts. OF
course she fatters me there, for it is
her magnetic personality that counts.
merely save her the worry of mar
Shallng her arguments"
Mrs. Brown Hazzard?' mused Mrs.
Scarrltt. "Grace Brown married Ben
Hazard. You don't happen to know
what your friends husbands name is,
do you?
1T is B. Henderson Hazard" re-
Sponded Mabel.
Named after his ma" explained
Mrs. Scarritt His ma was Luella
Henderson. We always did say that
change Of name and not of letter
meant change for worse and not for
better 1t was Gene Hazard that got
me worst of it. My, but he was hen
eecked! Lived over in the hollow.
trace Brown lived right down the road
d plece-that first red house on your
flsat as you 60 to the postofice."
she never said anything about hav-
Ing been born herew cried Mabel in
surprise. "She did say in one OF her
sE'ers that she knew that Cadyville
was beautiful place"
trace Brown amt Dragging about
%' and we amt Dragging about Grace
nrOWn,' declared the old lady. "Grace
aways was a fraud" she went on.
Nue used to get me to write her COM
pVS'lons for her, and Ben Burrows
u'ea to do her sums. She never did
anything that she could coax some one
we 70 DO for her. l must say that
que mad nice ways about her. She
.Ou'a coax even the teacher into Civ
ns her coed marks when she'd been
~pl IN after school the whole week"
Oh Que Is the leader in great cause.
~u Mabel reverently. "She has de-
,V'eu her gifts to great battle, and
Hae VIII win for us. We shall get the
p. S'e oe1ore long, and the name Of Mrs
j h.O"n-Hazzard ha will go down through
4 a., m ages as the woman who worked
4 n' great revolution in favor of wo
mans rights"
sha ''S scarritt shifted scornfully; ther
aa. "oked down into the deep blue
,s. avs sowing with the fires of enthusi
WIKI. MabePs cheeks were. thin and
ha ana there was little quiver OF
0n,u euih that bespoke nervousness
W. Tue eyes betrayed animation
n" @arritt laid her hand gently upor
pon,a pes Just one real right that &
ST. mas, she insisted softly
ann ha Tue right TO marry a good maj
sbo u"'t him love and protect her. Il