Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1912-03-07

ny SlIGuS III W uOld oloooISA
from an innocent. Even his attempt
to find the rogue Spinney was futile.
He wept, thinking Of Glare Kavanagh,
exiled from her home, bravely solving
her problem of life alone. He went to
sleep thinking Of Glare Kavanagh.
The next day brought the reign OF
woman. That festal day in midsession
which preceded the legislative ball had
been made womans field day by long
custom. The politicians arranged the
program in order to bunch events, for
the women demanded that they be
heard each session on the suffrage
question, and the women pleaded for
one opportunity to show their best
gowns in parade for fashions sake.
The advocates Of suffrage made their
plea while their sisters promenaded the
state house corridors to the music of
the band The festival spirit dominat-
ed.
The members of the judiciary com
mittee wore fresh waistcoats, pinks in
their buttonholes, and genial air. and
had not the least idea of granting the
suifragists anything except a benignant
hearing. The report of fought not to
pass was a foregone conclusion.
But there were potted palms in the
Hobbies, decorations in the rotunda and
masses of flowers in the house cham
Der which was given over to the hear
ing. And sweet music softened legis
lative asperities. The women asked,
smiling. The men refused, smiling.
The federated women's clubs of the
state had the suffrage matter in their
keeping The delegates were not hard
faced women clutching umbrellas.
They were the strictly modern suffra-
gists-radiant matrons, fresh complex
Toned girls, women who led in culture
and fashion in their respective commu-
mites.
Every woman's literary, social, art
and economic club in the state sent
two delegates. The state was raked
for women; even the schools were ran
sacked. At 10 O'Clock in the forenoon
the state house was packed and yom-
en- were still crowding in. The gal
leries, aisles and standing room of
house and senate were choked with
rated the beauty and brains of the
state.
When the members Of the judiciary
committee attempted to enter the
house chamber to conduct the hearing
On suffrage it required full ten minutes
Of e,;r olD
pushing on the part of the messengers
to break the jam Of women that filed
the 6oor and packed the lobbying floor
adjacent.
Harlan Thornton came to the state
house early. Morning had brought him
wiser counsel. He felt no impulse to
rush to the Presson house. He won
dered now what he would have said If
he had gained access to Madeleine
Presson the night before. The astound-
ing insult by Herbert Linton troubled
him less. 1t had been a jealous out
burst. Lintons confession of his love
for the girl had revealed his animus.
Probably Linton regretted it. In Har-
lan's calmer mood he trusted that such
was the case. Conscious Of his inno-
cence, it did not seem to Harlan that
any man would dare to deal further
in such outrageous SANDER after what
had been said in their interview.
Harlan was one of the first to es-
cape from the house through the press
Of women. There were too many Of
them. Ofhcious gentlemen had begun
to introduce him to wives and daugh-
tiers and friends He was not shy, but
the presence Of SO many women, chat
tering, vivacious, exchanging repartee,
challenging retort from him, was dis
quieting. He made his way to his COM
mittee room. 1t was in far corner Of
the building and was quiet. He had
not been able to inspect the bill that
Governor Weymouth had placed in his
hands. He determined to put behind
himself for time the presence Of
women and the thoughts Of women,
even those thoughts which had SO oc-
cupied him the night before.
+. There was no one in the committee
room. The statehouse holiday had at