The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-02-19
A Woman S
Rights
By ETHEL HOLMES

trousseau for her marriage with JACK
Weatherby when she received a note
from him calling the affaif NJ He gave
no excuse, but Elinor 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, bun had spent ten of her
twenty years in the north, where she
had imbibed the ideas of the new WON
an. 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 second,
and. laying il open on the dresser, read
it. finishing making IA bow OF his neck /,
tie at the same time When he had
finished both he lighted a cigarette |
ana, throwing himself into an easy
chair gave himself up To thought.
Now, the reason for his breaking
with Elnor was that the income tol
support her was 10 come trom his IA
Their. who had agreed 10 give him So
900 year. and he had mt the last mo-
mcnt changed his mind Jack. think
ing that an explanation of This would
only serve to irritate Eiinor against his
father. chose another course.
Jack. who dill not consider that truth
had any more place in loye affairs than
in statement of a woman's age, re-
piled to the challenge 10y saying that
he had promised his mother that he
would never fight IA duel. On this nc
count he must decline to render Miss
Bates what lie must confess was her
right to demand ana to receive.
When Elinor received this letter she
saw at once that her effort TO punish
/ her recreant lover had failed Had she
been man she might have published
him as a poltroon and coward with
L,
man she would only make herself ride
ulous. Nobody would blame him for
refusing to fight woman.
Women had horsewhippcd men who
had Tilted them, and it 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 to fight men had
been horsewhipped by the challenger.
But Einor 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 Ice no greater
dread for a man than To stand IN the
face of gathering crowd and receive
a dressing from Il woman. Miss Bates
was forced TO admit that this was moi
the same relative position as between
two men. for Jack would not be PRIV
LEGGED To strike back.
Jack thought over this new phase oil
the case and made up his mind t6
make no reply. lie dearly loved The
girl who was trying TO punish him fol
n crime he had not committed ane
which panied him as much rs 1t pain
ed her
Elinor provided herself with whip
She endeavored To secure the tradi
, donal "cowhide" that had been use,
by her ancestors on those who refuse,
to fight. but she failed to do SO. How
ever she procured good. stout viii
and slung 1t about her waist under he
coat. She selected ii on account of tn
color of its handle. which harmonize'
with that of the costume she intende'
> to wear when she did the whipping.
To he candid. Miss Bates shran
a from publicity as much as she pre-
!, sumed her recreant lover would shrin
, from it In this she weakened. Ii
stead of waiting till she met him in
crowd she went one morning to til
n Weatherby residence. which stoo
O back from the street and was partl
hidden 10y shrubbery. Entering til
d grounds. she concealed herself benin
@ foliage and waited for Jack to appea
:. Presently he emerged from q side dot
It and was making his way to the garal
5 when Elinor pounced upon him.
Elinor had made mistake in Motif
n ing him of her intention to horsewh
n him. 1t enabled him to prepare hir
p self for the encounter. AS soon as 81
e began TO rain blows upon him he DIRE
u from his pocket yard of satin RIB,
and returned blow for blow with It.
Mr.. Weatherby senior was in his a
customed seat I'm the library readil
~ the morning paper when. hearing 4
sound of Elinor's whip on Jacks co
=, and trousers, he looked out throul
90 the window.
IN Raising the sash. he watched {
"A fight for a few moments. then cri
m out to be Informed what it meant.
Elinor ceased her blows and said.
ne Your son has treated me abo
OIL inably. and | am Furnishing him as