The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-08
LET TIERS OF
TWO WOMEN
Shooting Up the Conventions.
BY ZOE BECKLEY.


hefryV1lle, Ran, tne zoln'
Well Kate, dearest or course you
got my wire saying 1 was not maxi
ing any dash for liberty at all. And
of course 1 owe you an explanation.
Although feel you must know exact
ly what happened without my telling
you.
You may as we'll shoot a man, it
seems, as to shoot up the conventions
that hedge him around. He collapses
under one form of attack as surely
as under the other. 1 didn't realize
this, Kitsie, when I slammed my poor
buds into that handbag, grabbed my
astonished baby and literally ran
from my husbands house to the home
of my friend, Bessie Kane. Bessie
had just put a roll of money into my
hand and was looking up the through
trains east when Curtis drove up in
the family car. looking very scared
and white-faced.
He had had an awful time finding
me because he had to mask his in
Quiries over the telephone, not dar-
ing to reveal that his wife had flown
the coopi The neighbors would talk!
That Is it, Katie. the neighbors would
talk! Nothing else matters.
The neighbors must be kept from
talking, from specializing, from know
ing that Curtis Bonds household had
exploded with loud report, and Cur
tbs Bonds life assumed the unconven-
tional aspect of a grass widower's.
That's about how they would have put
it. Katie! And in a town the size
of Kerryville, you might as well be a
murderer, forger, thief and kidnap-
per as to be separated from your wife.
I thought he would be in a towering
rage. He was not He had evidently
got beyond the towering rage stage
and was in the cold fear stage, which
in turn soon gave way to a thankful
| ness that he had not been too late to
save the family honor.
You see, don't flatter myself,
dearie, that he experienced exalted
| joy at recovering the wife of his bos-
| ON. But he was ecstatic with relief
| at not being stigmatized as differ
| emit" among the townsfolk. And the
overflow of satisfaction fell comfort
ingly upon me.
All, Kate. what fetish is con-
servatism with men. For all their
supposed timidity. the female of the
species is a wild-eyed radical COM
pared with the modern male. Flay a
man, rob him, enslave him, demand
his profits. his very life, but spare
his pride. Do not ask him to be
different" from his fellow men!
Isn't it funny, Kate?
I suppose 1 am still a little hyster-
| zeal. For it was a wild thing for me
to do. But am not sorry I did it. ]
am tremendously glad! 1t has
taught me something. It has gained
| AAAC IOu WOulQ ndrQly Oel1eNe
how decent Curtis has been since.
| believe, despite the shock my rebel
lion gave him, that he covertly ad-
| mires me for it.
1 believe he will treat me better
| for while Kate. All, 1 begin tc
realize what a cynic 1 have grown tc
be! l have not been married a year
and a half. old friend, and yet 1 an
twenty years older in mind an6
spirit than when 1 worked beside you
in the office back home.
I am SO happy. dear, over your
new work and your comradeship with
Paul. 1 grinlly grin sometimes wher
1 think of the hip-hip- horroyness OF
my marriage and the timorous
plunge you made! 1 expected every
thing and got-weli, not exactly
nothing. but SO much less than
thought. You expected nothing, an6
behold! everything is yours. Or, il
not everything, at least the essential.
to successful marriage, harmony Of
temperament and mutual respect
| Good night, dear. Curtis is actu.
ally proposing that we have a rea
talk" before bedtime. Bless you.
| Your MAIZE.