Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-27
THE EVENING STORY.
THE EMANCIPATION.
Copyright. 1913, By W. Werner J

Emmeline Boyd sat on her veranda
in the twilight and watched the pass
ersby in the street She sat very still
with her hands folded. She was dress
ed neatly and she had a red knit shawl
drawn about her prim shoulders. She
was the kind of woman which a summer
evening brings forth by the dozens upon
the verandas OF a small town-the kind
that Is comfortably housed and provided
for, but who have no interest outside
the home the kind for whom life has
long since resolved itself into monoto-
nous routine.
Emmeline Boyd's husband had put on
his hat and walked downtown to look
about He would come back near bed
time smoking a cigar and expect to find
her exactly where he had left her. He
would have nothing to tell her. She
would have nothing to tell him. because
nothing ever happened to her which was
exciting enough to talk about.
She had lived within the narrow
limits of her own domesticity so long
that she was considered a bit queer.
She was left mainly to herself and her
own thoughts. And her own thoughts
had come to be very wearying. Her
big, dark eyes had a girlish usefulness
in them as they gazed after other wom-
en- hurrylng along on some secret, ap-
sorhing business. One walked with
her husband. Another trundled per-
ambulatcr. Another was chatting volu-
bly, with a grown-up laughter. Emmeline
knew that there was a moving picture
theater downtown which was much ire
quented. She had never been in it, but
she had an idea that most of these
women were going there.
A big woman wearing a smart new
hat came by. Emmeline caught her eye
and nodded. The woman went on a few
steps, then turned and came quickly
to the veranda. She leaned her arms on
the railing and looked over them at En-
incline.
How are you this evening, Mrs.
Boyd?" she asked.
Very we'll. thank you, Mrs. Collier.
You better put on your Things ana
go down to the Woman's Club rooms
with me tonight and join. We're going to
take in a lot of new members
Emmeline gasped. 1t was the nearest
approach to an utterance she could
make. Come on urged Mrs. Collier.
DO! We have splendid times together
just women. There's a big supper COM
ing off the 10Th. and II you join tonight
you'll be just in time for it..
Emmeline's face was almost as red
as her knit shawl. She had heard of
the Woman's Club. She felt that Mrs.
Collier had paid her a great compliment
in asking her to join. And she had
sudden. uprising. violent desire to &C
cept. But she had an idea that clubs
knew, too, that Burton would strongly
disapprove of it. He had no patience
with the increasing new movement on
the part of woman folk for liberty. And
he had saturated Emmeline with his sem
timents until she persuaded herself that
they were her own.
All her married life Emmeline had
striven to please her husband in all
things. She was the daughter of an old
fashioned mother, who believed woman's
empire was her home her one law that
which her husband prescribed for her.
Emmeline had thought to be purely a
womanly woman, since in that way only
might she keep her husbands love and
respect. Borton Boyd had conferred
favor on her by marrying her, she felt
and she must not cease to show her
gratitude and appreciation. She had
cooked for him. mended for him.
him, lived for him without protest
or demand. And he treated her
accordingly. Always she had been dis
turbed by feeling that she was his in
ferior. that his position and his Sex per-
mitted MIN to look down upon her. And
of late she had been more than disturb
ed, she had been tortured, by the con-
seriousness that she had ceased to be to
him of any more interest than the chair
he sat in or the plate he ate his dinner
from.
Come. now pleaded Mrs. Collier
Mrs. Collier was the whip for the Wom-
ans Club and good deal of her success
depended on the way she could smile and
say that one word Gomez The word
seemed to attach itself to Emme!ine and
draw her forcibly. She looked at Mrs.
Golfers smile and fidgeted.
Burton won't like it, she laughed,
uneasily.
Its none of Burtons business, my
dear. Did he ask you when he wanted
to join the MaSonSo What's fair for