The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-01-31
A Wonan's
Rights
BY ETHEL HOLMES

MISS I<liiNoT DdteS was preparing neT
trousseau for her marriage with Jack
Weatherby when she received a note
from him calling the affair off. He gave
no excuse, but Ellnor knew that he had
never been known to stick to one girl
for any length Of time and felt sure
that she had been replaced.
Miss Bates was a native of South
Carolina, but had spent ten of her
twenty years in the north, where she
had imbibed the ideas of the new wom-
ian. Her grandfather had fought a
duel, and in her family the code was
considered the only way OF settling I'M
pleasant affairs. These two conditions,
a belief in the right Of an injured per-
son to demand satisfaction from the
injurer and the elevation OF women to
| the privileges of men, decided her to
send challenge to Mr.. Weatherby
Jack was dressing for dinner when
he received Elinor's note. for she had
| not gone so far as to send a second,
and, laying 1t open on the dresser, read
1t, finishing making a bow Of his neck
tie at the same time. When he had
finished both he lighted cigarette
and, throwing himself into an easy
chair, gave himself up to thought
Now, the reason for his breaking
with Elinor was that the income to
support her was TO come from his IA
Their, who had agreed to give him S5,-
900 year, and he had at the last mo-
ment changed his mind. Jack, think
ing that an explanation of this would
only serve to irritate Elinor against his
father chose another course.
Jack, who did not consider that truth
had any more place in love affairs than
liz a statement OF woman's age, re-
piled to the challenge by saying that
he had promised his mother that be
would never fight a duel. On this ac-
count he must decline to render Miss
Bates what he must confess was her
right to demand and to receive.
When Elinor received this letter she
saw at once that her effort to punish
her recreant lover had failed. Had she
been a man she might have published
him as a poltroon and coward with
effect, but should she do so as wo-
man she would only make herself ridic- |
ulous. Nobody would blame him for |
refusing to fight woman.
Women had horsewhipped men who |
had fitted them, and 1t seemed to Eli |
nor that this would be the natural
consequence in her case. 1t would be |
following In the course OF men too.
Men who had refused 10 fight men had
been horsewhipped by the challenger.
But Elinor hoped by threat to pro-
duce results without taking such dras-
tic measures She wrote Jack another
note stating that she proposed to horse
whip him the next time she met him.
This, she thought. would bring him TO
terms. There could be no greater
dread for man than to stand in the
face of gathering crowd and receive
a dressing from woman. Miss Bates
was forced to admit that this was not
the same relative position MS between
two men, for Jack would not be priv
legged to strike back.
Jack thought over this new phase OF
he case and made up his mind to
make no reply. He dearly loved the
yirl who was trying to punish him for
crime he had not committed and
which panied him as much as it pain
d her. =
Elinor provided herself with whip.
;he endeavored to secure the tradi-
ional "cowhide" that had been used
" her ancestors on those who refused
o fight, but she failed to do so. How
yer, she procured a good, stout whip
nd slung 1t about her waist under her
oat. She selected 1t on account of the
olor OF it's handle. which harmonized =
nth that of the costume she intended
0 wear when she did the whipping.
To be candid Miss Bates shrank
rom publicity as much as she. pre-