Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-07-10

Margaret EiWOOQ WIS a new WOInan
In every sense OF that term. She be-
lieved In the ability of woman to do
that a man can do. but ad-
mitted that since woman had been
kept in a subordinate position from
time iEmemorial she needed time
and opportunity TO develop any par
ticular faculty. "A muscle" she ar
gued. becomes fiabby and weak from
disuse Exercise it and it becomes
hard and strong"
But Miss Elwood believed in the
home end the family. She recognized
that it was woman's mission to bear
children, but she denied that this was
all of woman's mission.
Edmond Blair was equally liberal
minded. He was n fine man and If he
married would require a fine woman
for his wife What he meant by a
fine woman was not snowy woman,
but one with head on her shoulders.
one who could think out problem in
everyday life and execute it. He had
no use for what is commonly called
smart woman.
These two met and were mutually
pleased with each other. Miss Elwood
admired Mr.. Blair's reasonable way of
looking upon subjects. He was
lawyer by profession and used to es-
tablishing his points before insisting
upon them. He knew the difference
between a proved fact and a dictum.
He was the first man Miss Elwood had
ever met who accorded thoroughly
with her views of the proper sphere
for woman. They became engaged.
So far as reason, Judgment and fore
sight go, never did a couple become
engaged with better prospects for hap
piness. Nevertheless, that they might
take a proper precaution against max
ing mistake, they agreed to put off
their marriage for one year.
Everybody. as soon as the engage
ment was announced, remarked that
it was an excellent match. Persons
thought said that if marriages were
always made up in that way there
would be no divorce. There was but
one person who predicted that the
match would be a failure. That was
the lady's father. He had been at the
head of a large manufacturing plant
for thirty years and during his incum-
bency had been a one man power. He
declared that his daughter and her
fiance were each quite capable of lead.
ing in any enterprise. He saw nothing
more feasible in two heads to family
than two heads to his business.
! 1t was not to be expected that a
/ man whose judgment had for three
/ successive decades been warped by
( ruling a small army of employees
would take an unbiased view of cir
cumstances arising from a union OF
hearts. Mr.. Elwood simply gave his
! opinion. He did not attempt to en-
force it. When an old friend twitted
him by reminding him that democratic
principles cannot find favor in a des
pot he replied. IF / am a despot my
daughter is quite likely to be one
through heredity."
/ One day Miss Elwood called at the
Office of her fiance and. being admitted
to his consulting room, said to him:
Here are the papers in the case o.
the Mercy hospital (of which l an
managing directory against the city"
81 thought you told me it was a cast
of the city against the hospital"
at doesn't make any difference
There's a suit to be tried, and l wisl
hn to nrlnrnH II
to put down q sidewalk surrounding
our buildings. which occupy a who'll
block, at cost of over So, 600. TIL,
matter has been in dispute between
the city and the hospital for severa
years, and l am perfectly familia
with all that has TRANSFERRED. Conse
quently ] am the one to present tn
points at issue and indicate the pc
sition it is desirable that you shoul'
take. The city engineer told me re
peatedly that
81 beg pardon, Margaret. for inter
rupting you, but when our firm take
case we make the necessary invest
cations and decide upon the course I
pursue ourselves"
OIb lOOhGu at MN
(Which means. suppose. that al
! these years during which have bee
. contending with the city government
and the experience ! have acquire
count for nothing"
cit is not a matter of your exper
ence 1t is matter Of law"
"And |, who am responsible for tn
proper handling of the case, am to pu
it in your hands with the confidence O
child Do you suppose that my ai
sociates on the board will excuse N
in case you are beatenT'
Mr.. Blair looked at his fiancee wit
{ a troubled glance. To refute her al
gument, to set her right in the matte
between them. would require his goin
back so far that a great deal of b
valuable time would be taken up b.
fore he could make his position clet
to her. There are a great many knot
in the affairs of men that II is N
practicable to attempt to unite. The
must be cut And the cutting make
the trouble Mr.. Blair found himse
. in a position to cut this knot.
: eff you don't have every confdtnt