The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-10-23

listened. OF the clubs studio "tea-talks" this
had been the first to interest her, though she
might have been justified in wondering whether her in
terest was centred in what MIS-, page-prnee had ,H been
Mrs. Page-Price at last came for her tea, Mrs. Award
prettily detained her.
"Pray, let me ask you something" she said with a
much to assume, "there was"-she hesitated-"s some
hing in your paper that | do SO want to know about"
Yes, Mrs. Award" she said, sacrificing. the face Of
this chance acquaintance to her owl, scrutiny, a habit
lection less instinct, one would have said, than pro-
fession.
dent, who, Combining the practices Of a hostess with
those of a bee, might be expected at any moment to
home e on ting w ai.sr R Wh sssst o Wa s0 to be lG said m nlst'f bs
said Immediately, in conformity with the social idea of
the Conversational Mosaic-that is, the more scraps,
Al I am so serious" urged Mrs. Award, h%urriedly.
"Do you recall your sentence about the independence
Of women consisting, of far subtler and more important
things than the franchise? Will you explain your mean
Mrs. Page-Price's eyes met her own in perfect COM
GLADLY" she said, setting her cup on the table in the
delicate hattery of her undivided interest. " mean that
while thousands of women are begging to be allowed to
be present at the polls, their independence is really be-
ing restricted in ways which it never occurs to them to
Mrs. Page Price always gave her theories royal birth,
50 that they left her lips crowned and wearing purple
hailed as divine, and when they. were intirm they still
wGn instant ay. h9mnase, as. does Toe de ee,st royalty Mrs
iWoIoo 20 wa y.
(which, lest I be misunderstood, l hesitated to cite in
my talk is apparent. 1t is that no woman of conscience
feels free, as things are now ordered for her, to use her
day quite as she pleases and to use her own Judgment
about relating all its details to her husband. For if she
INDUCES in any innocent diversion of which she does
not tell him. she has been taught that she has committed
. breach r. oh of honor %oss But But I G affirm that a there eerts;d is ; ;nstissb no
amount of concealment, though this she continues to
seEat td t as u fslss Ss1ief that Aad sh thus is s saer fsas,eu hr to bo s"or
by so doing, until she really has no honor. The standard
is false, but so long as she submits to it her departures
guard. Is it not Important"
had busted herself across the floor, and now poised be-
side them in time to sip the last words.
with that ability to converse without hearing what other
people have said that describes many women without
Mrs. Page-Price looked at her in well-bred recognition
Of her distraction; she was wise enough, however, to
know that a guest can never put her hostess at ease
likely-being detected. She permitted herself to be
borne away with one last dictum to Mrs: Award :.
to realize this at once; The pionee, in her own house.
dare to teach ia far harder matter"
Driving down the Avenue alone after the meeting,
Of emotion than of adventure. She was, indeed, not of
a sort to take pleasure in her emotions or to be con-
scious of them. Like all women of slight imagination
who attach to events only the Importance of their re-
suits, she lived honestly enough in those results. A new
belief was not sufficient to stir her, perhaps because it
dertaking was a delight, and Mrs. Page-Price had re-
veaied to Mrs. Award a new undertaking.
Mrs. Award had been married the year before, after
q brief wooing, to a well-favored young broker whom
she met abroad: He was an American, also, resting his
the nerves were the more readily pacihed that the con-
test had been of his winning. She, having lived twenty
just found herself at her mothers death alone in the
world. After six months OF tasting. the discreet joys
unno abroad deliberately refuSinu all cCYnOaniOuShIO
This action she innocently agreed with her friends in
believing to be a proof Of her grief; in reality it was
largely complacence in being her own mistress.
She was still unconscious of her keen enjoyment in
her liberty when, in Italy, she met Martin Award. In
young stock-broker, restless in his exile, threw himself
into the courtship of Bettina Mennis, who, in spite of
his devotion. In a few months the restlessness of the
one and the Palhng liberty t, OF III the 60. Other sr~v We're W., wearing hng
ind peass %, lG Bst,ia aad w Mhs n yhf parted hss 0 wifh it, tasted hs'
The result was the a usual one: IN SIX months shsi MIS-;
that the breeding of American women, had it been
planned to induce rebellion after marriage. could have
been no more cunningly contrived, and that, therefore.
speak, a a disease Ees Withous the skill Il to sn ad' a s 1t on in
either compliance or illusion, and without the knowl-
a nightly account Of her day. Mrs. Award had &C
cepted the situation without eeasing to resent it. She
justice; indeed, it was not in the realm of problems at
all, her realm of problems consisting Of things wicked
Page-Price had shown her that to remove it she had
not to institute a reform, only to point out abuses that
really existed. In this natural analysis of a matter the
feminine mind will never be far removed from that of
the professional reformer.
Leaving the florists presently, Mrs. Award was
greeted by a little woman of so exactly her own type
that. seeing them together. one would have believed
that they had sought each other out on the grounds of
the least resistance-the basis of very many warm friend
ships. Mrs, Ethan Osgood was a trhae more petulant
than Mrs, Award. given to pretty distresses and the
voicing of delightful grievances. She packed her life
with events by elevating moods to the estate Of incidents.
She had always something TO tell. So u village house
wife gives zest to her dav by the mystery Of the loss
Of the scissors or the prodigy OF a bat in the restroom
closet.