The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-09-17

evening hours passed slowly and
Blackstone felt the effect of the de-
pressed 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 together.
Blackstone, I'm SORRY Margaret
said when they had reached the shell
ter- of her apartment. I'm sorry,
but l can't keep my feelings to my
self any longer. 1 feel like a traitor.
The meeting night before last made
me feel what a culprit L have been,
and then last night at the mass meet
ing, when L looked around at those
women from all over the world work
ing together for each other. 1 Won
dered how L had been so despica Bile
as to promise to conceal my interest
in the cause from any one. You don't
know how meeting like that fires
and thrills one"
The fact that Blackstone's spirits
had already been depressed made him
especially susceptible to take offense
linen II 1t We're a question of suf-
/ frage or me, suppose you would
take suffrage" he said. Il simply
| asked you to use a little tact in order
to prevent my mother being unhappy,
and you don't care enough about me
or her to do it, 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-
illusions as her fiance. And when, a
rev minutes later, Blackstone was out
OIL Margarets apartment in the street
/ it was with the feeling that Mar
garet was lost to him forever. Some
! how, unreasonably of course, he blam-
ed his mother for this breach of his
happiness.
| The next morning he joined his
| mother at breakfast at her hotel.
Well, my visit is almost over" the
mother began over her soft boiled
eggs. L had hoped to get better ac-
qua1nted with Margaret, but apparent
ly she does not want to be alone with
me. 1 haven't said two words to her
alone, Blackstone"
| Blackstone made no answer, so his
mother went on. 81 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 more
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
l 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
daughteF-ih-law feeling between us
blackstone, after that wonderful meet
! ing 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. 1 wish that you and
Margaret might have been there"
blackstone leaned over the table al
which he and his mother were sitting
| - GU don't mean you were at the suf-
rrage mass meeting, do you, mother pa
Why, certainly" came quite calm
ly- How do you think 1 managed tC
come east and stay at one of the big
gest hotels if it wasn't as a delegate
| from our section to the eonvention?"
Why didn't you tell me sooner,
gasped Blaekstone-and for the frs
time that morning the sharpness OF
Margaret's scofnful glance of the nigh
before ceased to pierce him
You didn't ask me-" was the
mothers reply. but with the briefes
of excuses. Blackstone had left hi.
place and was encased in the neares
telephone booth to get in touch will
his fiancee before she left for her of
flee
II want you and mother to have
luncheon today" he said. mo, I'm
not to be in this, and just for my SAKE
l want you to tell my mother that YOU
are suffragist, and l want you to tel
her that I'm one, too You're a TRUMP
and I'm proud of you. And you have
taught me one thing. Margaret-tha
it is always best to stick by the Gauss
even in the face of a mother-in-laV
to be, "-(Copyright, 1917, by the Nc
CluFe Newspaper Syndicate.)