The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-03-13
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" LIzABETH laughed at her unce's reiterated
IL cautions and Observation-Disclosures always
saw the funny side OF things-but there
- was an undernote Of real irritation in her
voice as she answered. following him out
upon the platform. Good gracious, Uncle Henry
anybody'd think I never taken railway trip alone
before. hope I've got enough to travel forty
miles without getting lost!'
But you change cars at Hoosac Junction." he
called anxiously from the station platform as her
train began to 1t the seventh time he
had told her that well what II dol" she shouted
with some heat. AS she turned back she thought
resentfully. AS II were child or half
witted--"
Before she could finish the exclamation it had
summoned suddenly to her mind the recollection of
that talk with her sister She hurried to her seat
and train ratified and jolted its out OF the
Albany yards she composed herself to think things
over.
It was literally the first quiet moment she had had
to recall that talk unexpected and extraordinary
on her part as Dolly's. How could she have
brought herself to speak openly of what she had
only allowed herself to halfguess the cause Of
her uneasy discomfort of the last year! She still
heard as though 1t something wholly dsasso-
ciated from her. her own voice saying For mercys
sake, Dolly don't torment me- as everybody else
in the family does, trying to persuade me ought
to marry I'm single, not in the least because OBJ
ject to matrimony, but simply because nobody-no-
body, do you hear-has ever proposed to me-"
She had begun the sentence with her usual laugh
ing briskness, and 1t was with amazed shame that
she heard quaver in her voice at the end and felt
the tears singing her eyeids 1t had been relief
to say 1t out but she had been grateful to
Dolly's matter-of-fact GOODNESS when that young
matron had answered calmly, II thought SO all the
time. It comes OF your having had mother to
tell you things The rest of the family think you
must have had dozen offers from some or the
men who spend much time calling on you and
taking you out, but any woman with an eye in her
head could see that not one Of them was in love
with YOU Now you listen to and learn some
thing!"
In the swaying train Elizabeth sat suddenly up
right, as startled she had been at the time
by the revelation of cynical philosophy underlying
the smiling serenity of their rosy little Dolly She
exclaimed to herself again she had to her mentor.
.Eut that's all out fashion nowadays. Men don't
like clinging, helpless women any more Why.
everybody says sol"
She saw again Dolly's knowing little smile she
pooh-poohed this naiyete. Don't believe word
of 1t! It's like change Of fashion in hats! Men
may look different but they're just the same under
meath. They can't abide capable woman. She
makes them seem less superior. Why thought
every woman knew that" But that's despicable,
il its true OF them!" Elizabeth had cried holly.
you can't believe such low-down thing of Horace.
when he's SO devoted"
Horace's wife laid down her embroidery and
laughed outright Are you really twenty-five.
are you seventeen? Why do you suppose Horace is
so devoted to me? Simply because he thinks I'm
pretty little silly who couldn't draw the breath of
life II he didn't show me how AS for its being
despicable. what's the of calling names? You've
got to take things they are. and II you want to
like men, don't expect too much of them"
She embroidered for a moment in silence. and
then earnestly and internationally summed up doc
trne. when men take for granted women are idiots
and don't know enough to come in when it rains
don't resent it. Learn to like it,
At this point one Of the babies had cried and
Dollys words Of wisdom had stopped. But they
had gone resounding portentously in her sisters
Even the rumbling OF the train made an
accompaniment to the refrain Don't resent it
learn to like it," and Elizabeth reviewed her life
under the light Of this sphorisnl 1t certainly
explained great number Of things she had not UNI
derstood before. One incident after another came
to her as illustrating the truth Of what she had
denied holly to Dolly. She thought OF the women
her platonic men-frends (she had never known any
other Variety had married. and of their attitude
towards their husbands: she thought OF girls who
had been debutantes when she and who were
still spinsters, and recognized in them the same
qualities OF competent, businesslike capacity to
take of themselves and run their lives Of
which she proud in herself; and finally she
thought OF the very last incident that had happened
How exasperating she had found Uncle's Henrys
belittling OF her, and yet how hurt he had
looked when she resented it! She supposed Dolly
would have looked pathetcally anxious. would have
hung his words made him repeat his directions
and sent him away full of happy Importance and
then would promptly have forgotten all about him.
and asked the trainman if she had needed any in
formation.
A rustic bride and groom occupied the seat in
front OF her but she had hardly taken signi.
hcance of their self-conscious laughter and whis-
pered remarks. before the train began jerk
lily down. The asked the conductor IL they
were approaching Hoosac Junction and IL they
needed to change cars there. Upon receiving the
answer he turned to his wife and said quite as il
she were deaf and had not heard remark ad-
dressed to them both, Were almost at Hoosac
junction and we have to change there so get
on your wraps" In spite OF her depression Eliza
beth smiled at the importance OF his manner She
noticed that he guided his bride down the aisle as
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