The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-06
EVENING STORY
GalIantry and Gardens.

toned flower garden. When the last
brown beds of loose earth had been
smothered and the tiny border plants
had been transplanted by her rheu-
matte old negro gardener, she sur
veyed the result with a satisfied smile.
At precisely the same moment, Da-
vid Markham, seated at his desk in
the towns biggest bank, was saying
to himself that he could not live with
out Alice. Two weeks before Alice
had told him that it would be easily
possible, well desirable, for her
to live without him. Their quarrel
resulting from David's demand that
she refrain from publicly indorsing
equal Suffrage, was probably response
BILE for Alice'S undivided attention to
her garden-making.
The county convention was to take
place the next day, and Alice was to
tee of three women who would request
the conventions Endorsement of equal
suffrage. David, though younger than
the other members of the "old guard,
was a local leader, but his efforts TO
prevent giving a hearing to the wom-
ans committee had been fruitlesS.
Let the women alone, David eau
toned John Lane, chairman of the
county committee, for Wheeler we
struggle or keep still, they're going to
get the franchise some day, and if we
give 'em a chance to have their say
now, I'm thinking they'll be more in
clined to give us chance later on"
which means that WE'LL have to
pretend to listen seriously to all this
superfluOuS talk from women who re-
fuse to give their energies a normal
outlet Youth can be bitter and pes
simistic beyond all reason, and David
was young. Moreover, he had per-
sistently avoided listening to a single
suffrage speech, and his invulnera bill
ity to it's possible appeal was there
fore INFESTED.
The morning session of the county
convention was given up to reports
from township chairmen and to other
routine work After the midday din
ner at the Watkins House, each man
went back to the afternoon session
sanguine of carrying the day accord
ing to his desires. Not a man of them
suspected that the suffrage committee
had cola borated with Mrs. Watkins in
arranging the menu for that satisfying
dinner, so they did not realize that an
unseen wire connected their optimis-
tic frame of mind with the appearance
of the woman's committee Immediate
ly after the afternoon session opened
John Lane had CALAMITY allowed the
ladies to set the hour for their hear
ing.
First, Mrs. Worthington spoke. Be-
ing the middle-aged mother of four
successful sons, there was some
weight to her argument that q wo-
mans place being at home does not
imply that her interests must be
bounded by the four walls of her
home, but rather that part of her
work is to influence conditions sur
rounding that home and that the bal
lot is the instrument she needs to
make her influence felt
Second came Mrs. Ellis. She was a
handsome matron who had been "a
trained nurse before her marriage. She
took UP the argument that because
II.
vote. She cited the Red Cross work
originated and carried out by women.
and with equal emphasis she cited tina
numerous kinds of men who vote. but
are inelsioie for military service.
Ih1rd, Alice Hanson spoke. and
chivalry was her theme. David Mark
nam ughtened his lips as if to prevent
releasing the bitter words within At
first he heard not a word she said,
but even surreptitious glance showed
MIN that ne mad never seen her look
more bewitching. She had wisely
chosen to wear a much friIled taffeta
gown with little lace ruffles peeping
out at neck and wrists. Her auburn
hair was topped with rose wreathed
white hat. Her voice was softly modu-
lated, but her enunciation was SO clear
that not a word was inaudibIe. And
her speech was brief
Concluding, she said: rs chfyaIry
built upon such an unstable founda
ton that it falls tottering to earth
merely because a woman walks into a
booth and puts piece of paper into
a box as means of approving or dis
approving of certain public servants?
We women well know that it is mott
IL was significant that just at this
point she dropped her lace handker-
chief. and of the four men who darted
for 1t, David was the successful captor
who restored 1t to her.
Il have planted garden of flow
ers." she resumed 'T shall have to
use much care to keep the soil in good
conoitlon and to keep away harmful
Insects That care will require proper
tools. All over the world women are
planting gardens, home gardens school
gardens. kitchen gardens. civic gar
dens-gardens that grow human flow
ers. They need the ballot as a tool
to keep conditions such that their
human flowers may grow strong Isit
chivalrous to withhold that tool? We
women do not ask to usurp the place
of men; we ask you to help us step
from the pedestal where your we'll
meant but misguided chfvalry has so
long kept US, and we ask you to I'M
derstand that what we want is to walk
and work side by side with you. Know
ing the underlying principle of justice
in the heart of the American man, we
know that what we ask will be given
u.s.
After the completion of the speeches
the carefully planned psychological
moment came and went with the con-
ventions unanimous Endorsement of
equal suffrage. David's AYE" was
given in an unnatural voice, and he
mad a trembling feeling in his legs as
he rose with the other men while the
ladies passed from the room.
AS Alice passed thru the door she
turned her head, pressed her lace
handkerchief to her lips and flashed
upon David forgiving glance that
made him entirely oblivious of what
transpired for the next few minutes.
He gave himself up to a brief but
ecstatic dream of days to come when
he would be welcome visitor to the
summer house in her flowe. garden
and subsequently his dream came
true---tCopyright 1917, by the NC
Clure Newspaper Syndicate.)