Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-03-09
Their Engagement
Was Not Broken
BY F. A. Mitchell

graduated engaged herself to Professor
Ernest Ballinger. q young man equally
brilliant and whose specially was BIZ
ology. They had beer engaged some
time when tie professor received a
note from his fancee asking to be re-
leased from her engagement for the
reason that she had decided to study
q profession and she considered a
profession fer a woman incompatible
with married life. Professor Ballinger
called upon her.
Il think it best" he said, that I
should release you"
There was d slight contraction of
Dora's brows at this. She had asked
to be released, but preferred that she
should be required to struggle for her
freedom.
You agree with me, l presume, that
a professional woman has no business
to be married?'
MY reason lies deeper than that
replied the professor, unconsciously
falling into q tone used in leeturing to
his classes. "You are aware, / pre-
sumo, that there are cases of effem-
macy in men. Some psychologists hold
that this occurs from environment. |
do not admit this. | consider 1t the
result of birth accident. Such men are
born effeminate-thatI is. they partake
mentally of the nature of the opposite
sex
u cannot see" interrupted Dora.
what that has to do with the matter
between u.s."
BE patient, and you will see. The
corresponding accident to this in wo-
men, viraginity, renders a woman as
much of a freak of nature as a man
who is born effeminate. y~iragints take
up mems occupations naturally
DO you meal to assert hat all wo-
me- who enter the field of law. medi-
cine, business, are viragints?
mo, but l mean that ~viragints natu-
rally turn to mems occupations
The views promulgated by her fance
We're evidently not acceptable to Miss
Atterbury. In her features was ex-
pressed opposition to his theory. min
gled with pain at foreseeing that he
was about to apply it to herself.
Il do not agree with you in referring
these things to birth accident she
said. Il know a young man whose
only companion as a child was his Sis
ter. He is very effeminate.
. I'm this case possibly his effeminacy
came from environment, but l doubt
It In the case of women who possess
traits of men we have analogous cases
in certain birds. After a certain age
the female assumes the plumage of the
male and will destroy the eggs of her
species. RMS cannot result from en-
vironment, because environment could
not alter her plumage."
Miss Atterbury did not at all like
this result of her announcement of the
breaking of her engagement and the
reason she had given for breaking it.
She began to look troubled.
1.-THE upshot of all this" she said, 81
presume, is that l am a freak of ma
ture."
'That does not necessarily follow"
replied the professor imperturbably.
"Not necessarily, but it is evident
from what you have said that you con-
slider nj such"
"My views are not the views of all
psychologists, and not all women who
adopt mems pursuits are viragoes,
though I believe that most of them
are"
"You have not answered my ques-
ton"
"What question:"
tCyybofhor or not rau ropar1 mo nc a
freak"
"You did not ask such a question.
You said that you presumed the up
shot of my theory was that you were a
freak of nature"
do you or do you not so regard
me?"
my opinion can have no effect on
the truth. If your intention to take up
a profession is the result of birth acct
dent, so be 1t. My dictum would not
prove or disprove the fact"
There was silence for some moments,
during which the young lady was alb
sorbed in thought.
"Could you love such a woman
freak?' she asked presently.
Men love their opposites. No man
can feel toward another mar as to
ward a woman"
at seems impossible" replied Dora,
with quivering lip, ito pin you down
to anything. If l am of these hor-
rid freaks you speak of, how is it that
you could have loved me thus far?'
you forget that heretofore ! have
not so considered you"
"But you do now?"
mot at all. Your desire to take up
a mans profession causes me to sus-
pect. Your taking up the profession
would be additional evidence. Your
practicing the profession would--in
my opinion, mind you-be as good
proof as 1t IS possible to attain in your
individual case"
"You suspect on the verge of tears.
The professor took her in his arms.