Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1917-10-25


the only times that blackstone feared
an open expression OF opinion was
IA night when his mother and Mar
garet CHANGED to meet for dinner be-
fore he could get on the scene. But
apparently nothing disconcerting &C!
Cured. and Immediately after dinner
Margaret excused herself for IN inn
portant engagement that blackstone
knew to be a meeting Of her suffrage
club. The next night Margaret had
another suffrage engagement. and
Blackstone's mother claimed an u
g%agement, too. SO it was not until three
nights later that the three again met
at dinner after Margaret and Black
stone had closed their Office desks.
Following dinner came a play, and
In spite of the fact that Blackstone
had taken his mother and his fiancea
to an especially divertlng dining place,
and in spite Of the fact that the play
was uncOmmonly good that night. the
evening hours passed slowly and Black
stone felt the effect of the depressed
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
60 to her downtown hotel.
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 myself any
longer. l feel like a traitor. The
meeting night before last made me feel
what u culprit I have been, and then
last night at the mass meeting, when
| looked around at those women from
all over the world working together
for each other, l wondered how | had
been so despicable rs to promise to
conceal my interest III the cause from
anyone. You don't know how a meet
ing like that fires and thrills one"
The fact that Blackstone's spirits
had already been depressed made him
especially susceptible to take oifense.
Then il Ii were a question of suf-
frase or me, suppose You would take
suffrage" he said, Il simply asked
you to use Il 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"
"Decide,lly," replied Margaret, who
could he just as quick TO jump at con
illusions as her iiance. And when, a
few minutes later. Blackstone was out
Of Margarets apartment Ia the street
1t was with the terrible feeling that
Margaret was lost to him forever.
Somehow, u%nreasonably Of course. he
blamed his mother for this breach of
his happiness.
The next morning he joined his
mother at breakfast ut her hotel.
well, my visit Is almost over" The
mother began over her %soft-boilet
eggs. II had hoped to get better ac
quainted with Margaret, but apparent
ly she does not want to be alone Will
me. l haven't said two words to hel
alone, Blackstone"
blackstone made no answer, sc hi.
mother went on. Il suppose it is thu
eternal barrier that stands between
the two types Of women. The N will
never be able to understand the other
and as the suffrage cause gains NOR
and more converts the barrier only be
comes the higher. But there will i'll
ways be some women on the otf,el
~slde-even when our great victory |:
won. l suppose 1t was foolish Of m,
to hope, Blackstone, that your wifi,
would be on our side of that barrier
II she had been then there would neve
have been any of the mother-in-lay
and daughter-in-law feeling between
us. / was foolish to hope it, perhaps
but, Blackstone, after that wonderful
, meeting night before last / felt 81
, thrilled that it seemed for the time a
r II the barrier might be broken dow
| and that all women might rally to tn
! same cause. l wish that you and Mar
!, garet might have been there"
Blackstone leaned over the table n
which he and his mother were sitting
I "You don't mean you We're ut the SUI
frage mass meeting, do you, motherl
"Why, certainly" came quite calmly
GLOW do you think | managed to com
!. East and stay at n Of the bigges
o hotels IL 1t wasn't as a delegate fr0l
l our section to the cOnventionT
r "Why didn't you tell me sooner?
t ynsped Blackstone-and for the frs
time that morning the sharpness q
Q Margaret's scornful glance Of the nigh
I before ceased to pierce him.
! "You didn't ask me-" was the mott
er's reply, but with the briefest e,
cuses, Blackstone had left his plnc
|. and was encnsed in the neurest tel,
. phone booth to get In touch with hi
iancce before she left for her office.
II want you and mother to hay
luncheon today" he said. mo, II
not to be In this, and just for my sak
. I want you to tell my mother that Va
9 are n suffrngist, md I want you to te
her that Tn one, too. You're a trum
9 and Tin proud Of you. And you hay
taught me m thing, Margaret-thi
1t Is always best to stick by the caus
. u. A.. g.. "a - ~AlL-s. a..