The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-09-25
CContinued.)

It further. Just because l was
 --.,.3s5ed at the idea of proposing l. s45-s>c foolish man, who is of no I .ss,ilG1lce to me himself, or the world ] :; neral, down in Glendale, where have all known me all my life and Aro-ld expect anything of me anyway z;tzter have def1ed tradition and gone to college, five lovely. lonely girls would have to go without any delight ful suitors 1ikk Richard z-or Polk Hayes forever.
 And, still further, I thought of the other girls, coming under the influence of those five, who might be encouraged to hold up their heads and look around and at least help out tl1eir Richards i'll their matrimonial quest, and as I sat there with Jane's compelling and Mary Elizlbeth's hungry eyes on me felt that | was being besought by all tlo lovers of ;til tf1e future generations to tear town some sort of awful barrier and give tfleIa happiness. And it was the thought of tbe men that was most appealing 1t takes woman wllo really likes tt.crn as I do and tias their good really at heart to see theic. side of the question as Jane put ity1poor deafs. Suddenly l delt that all the happiness of the whole world was in one big. golden cliaiice and that I had to hold it steadily to give drink to all men and all woEsen.
 Then before I could stop myself I decided, and I hope the dear Lord--I say it devoutig. Aadeed I do-<.wili hell, that poor n.ln in Glendale if I pick out the wrong one. I'm going to do it
 sI accept your. aproiltneut anu terms, Jans. ''sI sfg44 quietly as I looked both those deyoat, if fanatfc womea iii the face. T pledge myself TO go back to Glendale to i've happy healthy, normaLiife as useful as I can I shall work at my profession whole heartedly, taizA my aIiotred place i'll the communitye and refuse to recognize any difference in the obligations and opportunities iii my life and that of the men with whom I am thrown and to help all 6ther women to take sucil fearless and honest attitude if Glen dale blows up in consequence. I will seek and claim marriage in exactly the same fearless way a man does. and when I have found what want shau expect you to put slo0,ooo, S20,Ooo to each, at the disposal of five other ,suita- ble young woae eh to follow my exam pie, as noted down in this book
 Just record taezagreement as. a note fin the book, and I will sign it, an swered Jane. in her crispest and most businesslfze tone of voice, though I could see she was trembling with ex- citement, and poor Mary Elizabeth was both awestruek and hopeful.
 I'll invite Mary Elizabeth down to, Glendale as soon as I stake out my own claim, poor dearI
 And hord sif alone of ioIlf with a huge. steel bound, lock and keyed book that Jane has had made for me, with my name and the in scriptfon, Tn case of death send un- opened to Jane Mathers, Boston, Mas sachusetts," on the back. committed to a cause as crazy and as serious as anything since the pilgrimages or the quest of the Knights for the Grail It also looks slightly like trying to produce a modern Don Quixote, femi- nine edition, and my cheeks are liam ing so that wouldn't look at them for worlds. And to write it all too. have always had my opinion of wo- men who spill their souls out of an ink bottle, but I ought to pardon a nihilist that in the dead of night, cold with terror, conf1des some awful ap- pointments he has had made him to his nearest friend. I am the worst nihilist that ever existed, and the tbomb I am throwing may explode and destroy the human race. But, on the tOther hand, the explosion might be of another kind. Suppose that suddenly q real WomaI's entire nature, should be revealed to the world, might not the universe be enveloped in a rose glory and love symphony? We'll see!
 Also could the time ever come when 8 woman wouldn't risk hanging over the ragged edge of heaven to hold on .o the hand of some man? Never! Then, as that is the case, I see we must all keep the same firm grip on the creatures We have always had and haul them over the edge, but we must not do it any more without letting them know about it. It isn's honest.
 But suppose I should lose all love for everybody in this queer quest for en- Ilghtenment have undertaken? Please, God, let a good man be in Glendale, Tenn, who will understand and pro- tect memo, that's the wrong prayer! Protect h1m-no-both of us!
 CHAPTER H..
 The Maiden Lance.
 q WOMAN may shut her eyes and
 "A put a man determinedly out of 7M her heart, and in two minutes
 she will wake up in an agony of fear that he isn't there. Now, as I have decided that Glendale is to be the scene of this bloodless revolution of mine-it would be awful to carry out such an undertaking anywhere but under the protection of ancestral tra- ditfons-I have operated Richard Hall out of my innlost being with the ut most cruelty on an average of every two hours, for this week Jane and I have been in New York, and I have Istill got him with me
 at last beo-me determined and Mshose tlle roof garden at the Astor to