The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1917-04-05
REBELLION
BY SUSAN e. cLAeETT.

60 into the byW0ys and hedges IL
search Of the creature man.. / car
name four who would deem it n priv
ilege to spend the rest of their lives
in your company 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 Pershine
in Mexico. Why did you do it?"
Sophia Isham looked at her corn.
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 vital one to her.
IF tell you that not one of them
has asked me to marry him, would you
believe mel"
Certainly not!" His reply was EN-.
phatic.
$50 supposed. Neither will you be.
lieve ME when I tell you that have
never been asked in marriage, humiliat.
ing as is the admission. But it is true,
nevertheless. Men find in me pleas.
ant companion, n good conrade. am
their confidant, but our friendship has
never crossed the dividing line between
pleasant friendliness and the deeper
feeling. That cannot arouse admira.
ton, love, has cut deep.
''That fact is burned into my con.
seriousness and resent the attitude of
the world toward the woman who
would strive for her happiness by seek.
ing it for herself. 1t is 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 forbids the least little step
across the boundary of his dominion.
even though she may see happiness
reckoning to her from the fartllest cor.
ner. Why should she be looked upon
askance if she venture over that line
of demarkation?"
"Well, what are you going to dc
about it?" he asked with evident
amusement as he brought the car to
a standstill to allow heavily loaded
wagon to pass on the narrow road.
"What would you suggest that will
take the place of the old-establishcd
order of things? You are so essen.
TALLY feminine that I cannot imagine
you taking the initiative in such mat.
ters."
"Why not?" she rctortcd with pas.
sionate warmth. "Bccause I am
passed by must I forever give up the
thought Of love, of colnpanionship, the
feel of warm little body within my
arms? Or, If not passed by, must J
take what is offered when, unofrercd
there is a better which might be mine
If could but overcome the reluctance
entailcd by convention and my woman
hood, to ask for it?"
"There is possibility, you know
that you may meet with rebuff. Have
you thought of that?"
She drew in her breath sharply. u
have right to happiness" she an
swercd stubbornly. IF it will not
come in the accepted way will fight
for it. 1t will be hard, but I must
Until now he had not taken her scri.
Ously, but there was a strain in her
face, in her figure, in her clasrcd
hands that made him feel her earnest
ness. He had known her for many
years, had been Il 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. lie
was frankly uncomfortable.
you told me there We're four" she
said presently, breaking the silence
that had fallen between them. "Thry
were not lovers, but if they had been
my choice would not have been made
from among them. They were good
dancers, perfect escorts, desirable as
comrades, but nothing more"
GLOW can you say that when you
know what they are doing?" he asked
gravely. "Do weaklings 60 to the bat
tlefield?"
mo. But there was lack bard 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 wien they left
they We're not the men to whom I
would give my hearts blood and think
nothing Of the giving" She turned to
him suddenly. "Wllat is your drtini-
ton Of MANI"
He looked at her thou@hlfn!ly.
"About the same as yours, think.
Force, integrity, honesty of p'ir!"sa.
gentleness, consideration fer nl!nE3, q
carrying out of the right as H.. .s'"s it
no matter at what cost to !iui>"!i.'
She nodded. "That is What wa r."
she said tcnscly, 81 mnn, not Ii" pre-
tense Of one"
you have found such one:
EYES,"
"You have told him ,i'At yen ra"1:'
"Not yet. but ! will In',.'. me
answer came halt:n-!y. .: oh:
Don't you know:" ,:.l' t!irvr. ,.''' hoy!
hands with 81 little ;irs:n:;ii:ig gesture.
II think I will de Of Si,.,,,:.., !:s.' G'n't
you know tia, i. is yuu:' ;s:,' ended
In a whisper.
For an Instant tie 81. nee "'n. pro-
found. Then he l:li=il,',l Il full
thrOated l;N!..n in which there '.'::s ~;