The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-11-27

was uncommonly good that night, the
evening hours passed slowly and Black
stone felt the effect of the depressed
spirits of the two usually high-spirited
women.
But he felt even more depressed
when he took Margaret home that
night after they had seen the mother
go to her downtown hotel.
Blackstone, I'm sorry" Margaret
said when they had reached the shell
ter of her apartment. I'm sorry, but
can't keep my feelings to myself any
longer. | feel like a traitor. The
meeting night before last made me feel
what culprit have been, and then
last night at the mass meeting, when
looked around at those women from
all over the world working together
for each other, wondered how l had
been so despicable as to promise to
conceal my interest in the cause from
anyone. You don't know how a meet
ing like that fires and thrills one"
The fact that Blackstone's spirits
had already been depressed made him
especially susceptible to take offense.
''Then If 1t were a question of suf-
frage or me, suppose you would take
suffrage" he said. II simply asked
you to use little tact In order to
prevent my mother being unhappy,
and you don't care enough about me
or her to do 1t. I'm sorry, Margaret,
but 1t Is better for us to find it out
now than later"
Decidedly replied Margaret, who
could be just as quick to jump at con-
clusions as her fianee. And when,
few minutes later, Blackstone was out
of Margaret's apartment in the street
1t was with the terrible feeling that
Margaret was lost to him forever.
Somehow, unreasonably of course, he
blamed his mother for this breach of
his happiness.
The next morning he Joined his
mother at breakfast at her hotel.
swell. my visit is almost over" the
mother began over her soft-boiled
eggs. II had hoped to get better ac-
Quainted with Margaret, but apparent
ly she does not want to be alone with
me. l haven't said two words to her
alone, Blackstone"
Blackstone made no answer, so his
mother went on. II suppose it is the
eternal barrier that stands between
the two types of women. The one will
never be able to understand the other,
and as the suffrage cause gains moro
and more converts the barrier only be-
comes the higher. But there will al
ways be some women on the other
side-even when our great victory is
won. / suppose 1t was foolish of me
to hope, Blackstone, that your wife
would be on our side of that barrier
If she had been then there would never
have been any of the mOther-in-law
and daughter-in-law feeling between
us. was foolish to hope 1t, perhaps,
but, Blackstone, after that wonderful
meeting night before last / felt so
thrilled that 1t seemed for the time as
If the barrier might be broken down
and that all women might rally to the
same cause. ! wish that you and Mar
garet might have been there"
Blackstone leaned over the table at
which he and his mother were sitting.
"You don't mean you were at the suf-
frage mass meeting, do you, mother2'
"Why, certainly" came quite calmly.
How do you think / managed to come
East and stay at one of the biggest
hotels If it wasn't as a delegate from
our section to the convention?"
"Why didn't you tell me soonerf"
gasped Blackstone-and for the first
I time that morning the sharpness of
Margaret's scornful glance Of the night
before ceased to pierce him.
"You didn't ask me- was the moth
er's reply, but with the briefest ex-
cuses, Blackstone had left his place
and was encased in the nearest tele-
phone booth to get In touch with his
f1ancee before she left for her office.
II want you and mother to have
luncheon today" he said. "No. I'm
not to be in this, and just for my sake
want You to tell my mother that you
are suffragist. and want you to tell
her that I'm one, too. You're a trump
and I'm proud Of you. And you have
taught me one thing, Margaret-that
1t is always best to stick by the cause
even In the face of mother-in-law
to be-"