Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-08-22

times these hands might be neRlecting
other things they had to do and she said
when 1t came to spreads" and Incidence,
she thought they were pretty evenly di-
vided among our dear companions. She
took up everything Maudie had said and
answered it, and then. all of sudden
she sat down, too. and we girls looked at
one another and had kind OF queer feel
ing-as IL we were at a picnic. you know
and there weren't any pickles or hard
boiled eggs. Sister Edna is always tell
ing about IAN effect of incompleteness'
when the girls dress too quickly and for
get a tie or something Someway, we got
that kind of an effect right there.
In> the meantime the jury was talking
together and everybody sat very still. At
last. in about five minutes, Sister Irmin-
garde stood up. She said she had been
asked by the other members Of the jury
to give its findings, and she said that
at first II had not seemed easy. So much
she said, had been expressed and so many
different ideas introduced. However, she
added, she said the jury had been given
to understand before the debate that It
was for and against suffrage. And all
of sudden, / understood exactly what
had happened.
so interested in suffrage they hadn't said
word about it. They had Just stood on
the platform throwing out different lines
of thought. the way conjurers throw out
long colored ribbons over an audience.
and they expected that poor jury to
gather up all these threads and make a
ball OF them, because they couldn't do It
themselves. Isn't this a clever way OF
describing what they didP Whenever
thoughts like that befall me, my chest
swells, and 1 realize my art is growing
inside of me all the time. When wrote
my first book couldn't have done this.
should have merely said. briefly and
plainly. that both Maudie and Kittie
James, when they rose to debate, forgot
all about their subject.
However, Sister Irmingarde was ex-
| planning this now, and she added that
the fact was really something of a re-
| lief to the jury as the sisters had feared
the suffrage issue at st. GATHERINGS
might divert our attention from our
studies. We had now, she said, effect
ually dispelled that fear" Then with her
wonderful smile, she concluded:
| Under the conditions, we, the jury, are
not prepared to pass upon the suffrage
|
we are glad to testify that the debate
has afforded us an hour OF genuine en-
! ioyment"
wouldn't that make you proud? It
made US all so happy that the suffra-
gettes and the ants left the room with
their arms around one sanothers necks;
and Kittie James and Maudie Joyce got
up spread" in Maudie's room that was
Ia. - l..
But that night, after the great silence
fell, and all the lights were out and
lay wishing hadn't eaten that last rare
bit, 1 began to wonder II Sister Irmin-
garde and the jury really had been COM
plimenting us. This reflection had not
occurred to the other girls-but my in
tuition is deeper than that of their young
and needless minds.
The next morning Maudie came into my
room while 1 was dressing. She looked
pale and wan, so wasn't surprised when
she sat down In chair and hid her face
in her hands
May Iverson," she said at last, why
didn't you tell me last night that L had
made fool of myselfT
L hesitated Then I spoke the truth
straight from a friends loyal heart.
II didn't know 1t myself" 1 said. It'll
after 1 was in bed. Then, Of course, 1
had to wait"
do you think all the other girls know
it, too" she asked me, by this timer
1 nodded and reminded her that Kittie
James had been a-had forgotten, too.
Maudie sat for quite a while without a
word. Never before had known Maudie
Joyce to be too sad for speech. Finally
she got up,
This ends this clubs and settles suffrage
and anti-suffrage at st. GATHERINGS" she
said with slow and terrible grimness.
Can't you just hear all the sisters and
the girls laughing at the mere mention of
them?"
could. surely could. Just put my
arms around Maudie and held her tight
While we stood there we heard some girls
coming down the hall. Their feet were
Gathering on the polished floor, the way
horses hoofs sound in army plays. There
must have been five or six Of them Wher
they got outside OF my door they laughed
dreadful curdling laughs Maudie turned
paler.
They know I'm here. They saw me
come in. It has begun" said Maudie
Joyce setting her teeth.
Amy girl" she added in trembling
tones-'any girl that even mentions the
word suffrage or anti-suffrage TO me Il
my mortal enemy for life. But you may
write a story about it, May Iverson, foi
l know how you love to dissect thu
quivering human heart"
Then she sat down and told me all hel
terrible sufferings and how she wanted t.
die; and knew that my dear. dear
friend felt better