Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-02-05
A Woman $
Rights
By ETHEL HOLMES

Miss Eiinor Bates was preparing her
trousseau for her marriage with Jack
Ncathcrby when she received note
from him calling the affair of. He gave
no excuse, but Elinor knew that he had
never been known to stick to one girl
for any length OF time ana felt sure
that she had been replaced
Miss Bates was native Of South
Carolina. but had spent ten of her
twenty years in The north, where she
had imbibed the ideas Of the new won.
an. Her grandfather had fought n
dNel. and in her family the code was
considered the only way Of settling I'm.
pleasant affairs. These two conditions,
q belief in the right Of m injured per.
son to demand satisfaction from The
ihjurcr and tlN elevation OF women to
the privileges of mon, decided her to
send a challenge 10 Mr. WeatAcrby.
Jack was dressing for dinner which
he received Ilinors note, for she had
hos i-one so far as to send second,
and. laying it open on the dresser. ruad
If. finishing making bow Of his neck
tie AT the same time When he had
finished both he lighted cigarette
ana, throwing himself into an edsy
chair, gave himself up 10 thought
Now. the reason for his breaking
with Elinor was that the income 10
support her was to come from his fa
Their. who had agreed to give him So,
u00 a year, and he bad at the last mo
mont changed his mind Jack. think
ing that an explanation of this would
only serve to iiritate Elinor against his
Gather. chose another course
jack, who dll not consider that truth
had any mere place In lose affairs chan
IN Il statement Of womalis age. re
Piled to The challenge bf saying that
he had promised his mother hat he
would never fight dUel. On this ac-
count he oiUst laelh,c to render Miss
Bates what lie mast confess was her
right to demand ana 10 receive.
When Elinor received thus letter she
SAW at once that her effort 10 punish
her reereant lover had failed Had she
been Il man she might have published
him as poltroon and coward with
eject but should she do so MS wo
nan she would only mike herself ride
alous. Nobody would blame him TO-
refusing to Eight u woman.
Women had horscwhipped men who
had Tilted them, and it seemed to llh
nor that this would be the natural
consequence in her case. It would be
following In the course of men too
Mcn WIG had refused to fight men had
been horsewhipped by the challenger. !
iut Elinor hoped by Il threat to pro /.
dtlce results without taking such drns- 1
Tic measures She wrote lack another
note stating that she proposed to hose
whip him the next time. she met him. /
THIS, she thought would bring him to
terms There could be no greater
dread fer Il man than to stand In the
face Of Il gathering crowd and receive 4
a dressing from 4 woman. Miss Bates (.
was forced 10 admit that this was not \
the same relative position MS between I
two men. for Jack would not be priv
LEGGED to strike back.
Jack thought over this new phase OF
the case and made up his mind TO
mako no reply, He dearly loved the /
girl who was trying to punish him for
u crime she had not committed and
which pnincd him rs much as 1t pain
cd her
Ellnor provided ltrsplf With whip
She cndeavored TO secure the trudl
iional "cowhde'' that had been used
by her ancestors on those who refused
70 light. but she failed to do so. How