The Lamar register., 1917-06-20
REBELLION
BY SUSAN E. cLAoETT.

not told me what you would offer In
its place. There is no need for you to
go into the byways and hedges in
search of the creature man. 1 can
name four who would deem 1t a priv
ilege TO spend the rest of their lives
in your compans and know that you
have sent them to the corners OF the
earth. Ralston Is in Japan, Howard
and Lawrence are driving ambulances
in France, Chapman is with Pershing
in Mexico. Why did you do it?"
Sophia Isham looked at her COM
panion with sOmber eyes. She could
not smile, although the note of amuse-
ment in his voice would have been
contagious If the subject of their talk
had not been a vital one to her.
"If tell you that not one of them
has asked me to marry him, would you
believe meT'
"Certainly notF" His reply was en-
phatic.
$50 supposed. Neither will you be-
lieve me when l tell you that 1 have
never been asked In marriage, humiliat-
ing as Is the admission. But 1t Is true,
nevertheless. Men find in me a pleas
ant companion. good comrade. l am
their confidant, but our friendship has
never crossed the dividing line between
pleasant friendllness and the deeper
feeling. That l cannot arouse admira-
ton, love, has cut deep.
THAT fact is burned into my con-
sciousness and resent the attitude of
ha rh wi
would strive for her happiness by seek
ing II for herself. II is a man-made
world, with man-made customs and,
perforce, she who finds no favor in
his sight must bow to the Inevitable
and accept the fate thrust upon her.
Convention forblds the least little step
across the boundary of his dominion,
even though she may see happiness
beckoning to her from the farthest cor
ner. Why should she be looked upon
askance II she venture over that line
of demarkatlonT'
swell, what are you going to do
about it7" he asked with evident
amusement as he brought the car to
a standstill to allow a heavily loaded
wagon to pass on the narrow road.
"what would you suggest that will
take the place of the old-establlshed
order of thlngs7 You are so essen
TALLY feminine that I cannot imagine
you taking the initiative in such mat
ters."
"why not7" she retorted with pas
slonate warmth. Because am
passed by must | forever give up the
thought of love, Of companlonship. the
feel Of warm little body within Ey
arms? Or, If not passed by, must I
take what is offered when, unofTered,
there is better which might be mine
II could but overcome the reluctance.
entailed by convention and my woman
hood. to ask for itT'
There is a possibility, you know.
that you may meet with rebuff. Have
you thought uf thatG'
She drew In her breath sharply. 81
have right TO happiness" she an
swered stubbornly. IF 1t will not
come in the accepted way | will fight
for It. 1t will be hard. but | must"
Until now he had not taken her seri-
ously, but there was a strain in her
face. in her figure. in her claspcd
hands that mnde him feel her earnest
ness. He had known her for many
years. had been constant visitor in
her home and thought he knew her
every within and caprice, but this in
tensity. underlying her usual cool
friendliness, took him unawares. He
was frankly uncomfortable.
"You told me there We're four" she
said presently, breaking the silence
that had fallen between them. They
were not lovers. but II they had been
my choice would not have been made
from among them. They We're good
dancers, perfect escorts. desirable as
comrades, but nothing more"
How can you say that when You
know what they are dolng?" he asked
grnvely. do weaklings go to the bat
tlefield7"
mo. But there was a lack hard to
explain. What they are doing will de
velop traits that would have forever
lain dormant but for the horrors of
this awful war. But when they left
they were not the men to whom l
would give my hearts blood and think
nothing of the giving" She turned to
him suddenly. "What is your definl-
tion of munT'
He looked at her thoughtfully.
1T