The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1917-12-07

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much altered cases, and she was no
more anxious to hurt or shock the eld-
err woman than was he to have her do
SO.
That night ut dinner first impress
slons were as favorable as first impress
sions auspiciously may be, and In Or
der to prevent the conversation frem
taking personal turn Blackstone
monopolized 1t to an unusual extent.
He had made up his mind not to leave
the two women alone and not let them
guide the conversation. So he went
into needless details regarding his lat
est law case, explained the meaning
Of professional terms that were quite
beyond the ken or interest of either
of the women, and gave resume of a
brief in which he had been recently
engrossed.
For week things went on thus, and
the only times that Blackstone feared
an open expression of opinion was
one night when his mother and Mar
garet Glanced to meet for. dinner he
fore he could get on the scene. But
apparently nothing discOncerting &C.
Cured, and Immediately after dinner
Margaret excused herself for an i'm
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 en-
gagement, 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.
I, Following dinner came play, and
in spite of the fact that Blackstone
had taken his mother and his fiancee
to an especially diverting 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
| go to her downtown hotel.
Blackstone, I'm sorry" Margaret
said when they had reached the shell
ter of her apartment. "Tm sorry, but
l can't keep my feelings to myself any
longer. I feel like a traitor. The
meeting night before last made me feel
what culprit have been, and then
| last night at the mass meeting, when
| I looked around at those women from
oil la fhav
for each other, wondered how had
| been so despicable as to promise to
| conceal my interest In the cause from
| anyone. You don't know how meet
ing like that fires and thrills one."
The fact that Blackstone's spirits
had already been depressed made him
especially susceptible to take offense.
"Then if it were a question of suf-
frage or me, suppose you would take
suffrage" he said. II simply asked
you to use 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 it is better for us to find IT out
now than later" --~---.z1r-,---
Decidedly" replied Margaret, who
could be just as quick to jump at con-
illusions as her fiance. And when,
Of Margaret's apartment in the street
1t was with the terrible feeling that
Margaret was lost to- him forever.
Somehow, unreasOnably Of course, he
blamed his mother for this breach of
his happiness.
The next morning he Joined his
mother at breakfast at her hotel.
swell, my visit Is almost over" the
mother began over her sOft-bOiled
eggs. II had hoped to get better &C
quainted with Margaret, but apparent
ly she does not want to be alone with
me. I haven't said two words to her
alone, Blackstone"
Blackstone made no answer, so his
mother went on. II suppose 1t 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. 1 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 daughter-in-law feeling between
BUS. l was foolish to hope 1t, perhaps,
but, Blackstone, after that wonderful
meeting night before last / felt so
thrilled that it seemed for the time as
If the barrier might be broken down
and thatu women might rally to the
same cause. wish that you and Mar
garet might have been there"
Blackstone leaned over tho table at
which he and his mother were sitting.
"You don't r'ean you were ut the suf-
frage mass meeting, do you, motherf"
"Why, certainly" came quite calmly.
"How do you think managed to come
East and stay at one Of the biggest
hotels II It wasn't as q delegate from