The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-27
TIE EVENING STORY
Betty, the Lobbyist.
(By Annie Hinrichsen. )

(By Annie Hinrichsen.)
Betty Grierson rose from her seat
on a rock and walked to her car which
stood at the roadside. From it she took
a large flag bearing the words, "Votes
For Women" She fastened the let
tered banner, spread to it's widest ex-
tent, across the side of the car in full
view of the road. Then she returned
to the rock.
An automobile whirled down the
road. AS it drew near the car at the
roadside and the girl on the rock It's
rapid speed was checked. But when
| it came opposite the banner the brake
was suddenly released and the car
passed on more rapidly than it had
come.
Many more cars came down the
road, moderated their speed as they
| approached the girl and her car, and
when the flag tapped its great letters
| before them, dashed ahead at an &C.
CELEBRATED pace.
With her back to the road Betty sat
gazing at the wide river, at the hills
beyond it and at the purple and gol
den mists that hung above the hills.
rs there anything wrong with your
carp
Betty turned. Behind her stood Il
young man with his hat in his hand.
do you refer to the badge of lib
erty that fiaunts upon it,"
mo, indeed. I mean the engine or
the tires. Are they out of order?''
MY car is in perfect condition.
But I thought as you are sitting
here alone, your car by the road. that
you might have had an accident
81 have had no accident There was
note of evaporation in her voice.
But" she added courteousiy, 81 thank
you for the interest and your desire
to help me-"
you do not need my assistance with
your car, but there is a way 1 can per-
haps help you" He glanced at the
banner. Il am chairman of the Iegis-
lative committee to which your bill
Betty's eyes opened wide. my bill ?"
she questioned.
1.-THE equal suffrage BILL he explain
ed, nodding toward the car. 1T was
| introduced in the house a week ago
and referred to the committee Of
which I am chairman. When a bill is
| in the hands of a committee all per-
sons are privileged to appear at the
committee meetings and present their
arguments for and against the mea-
sure. We have been expecting the adj
vocates of the suffrage bill to come
| before US with their pleas for it. 1
see that you are an avowed champion
/ of the cause. AS chairman of the
committee, I am anxious to have as
much information as possible on the
subject. Will you not give me some Of
your opinions on it, some of your rea-
sons for desiring its passage?"
Betty looked hard at the river. Her
lips were tightly compressed When
she spoke there was an uncertain lit
tie catch in her voice.
ST want the ballot" she said. 'T
am deeply interested in the measure
before the committee Of which you are
| chairman
The young man sat down on a log
beside the rock
For two weeks Richard Allertor,
| chairman of the committee on revision
of laws, gave his attention to the suf-
frage question. Or, to be more exact,
he gave his attention to Betty Grier-
son. The other women who were ac-
| lively interested in the passage of the
/ bill appeared at various times before
! the committee and presented their ar
guments. But Betty Grierson never
came into the committee room. What
/ ever arguments she made were pre-
scented to the chairman in the parlors
of the hotel at which she was staying.
in the visitors gallery of the house
of representatives., on the golf links
and on the automobile roads about the
capital.
! Il suppose, AlIerton." a fellow menu
| Der remarked one day, that you will
vote against the bill to buy and close
the plant of the Merely Power COM
pany.'
Il shall vote for the BILL
Miss Betty is very beautiful and
you
'sWhat has she to do with it?"
1
river into drainage canal. In order
to do so the Merely Power company
will have to be deprived, by act of the
| legislature, of the use of the current
of the river. They are fighting the
bill and Miss Grierson-
BE careful"
t'She owns a fourth OF the stock of
the company. She IS here lobbying
against the BILL
rrba otbeI man stenDed back. ont CT
reach of Allerton's clenched fist.
"Your charges are cruel, said Betty,
when he had finished his arraignmeut-
"And-and part of them are true.
am a deceitfu1, dishonest person. She
turned her face away from him and
went on speaking. Her voice was I'M
steady and occasionally she choked
and the words refused to come.
81 am not a suffragette- don't
know anything about the subject.
When I was a little girl 1 lived here.
There was a spot I loved better than
anything else in my little world 1t
was big rock at the turn OF the road
above the bend in the river. The road
was not an automobile thoroughfare
then. 1t was a quiet, country lane. I
used to sit on the rock and watch the
river and the hills and dream all the
wonderful things that only children
can fancy.
1--WE moved away. The day you
saw me on the rock was the first time
had been there since was Httle
girl. had come back to the capital
to see about some farm lands own
here. I went to the old rock to see if
the dreams would come back.
Every automobile that came along
stopped and the occupants asked If I
was having trouble with my car. I
could not dream with those Interrupt
lions every five minutes. A suffra-
gette friend had that day left a bar
ner in my car. I fastened it on the
car. thinking that men would hurry by
at sight of 1t. They did.
Then you came. Your eyes We're
big and brown and your mouth was
firm and beautifully shaped and your
wanted to talk to You. I let you think