Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-19
CYNTHIA WALKS THROUGH TIE
SNOW TO KEEP HER APPOINT
MENT WITH MILTON'S FATHER.
P,EI.R NNII.


During the next fow days Cynthia
Long Was undergoing period OF re-
adjustment ot which her relatives sus-
pcc;cd little. Heretofore she had
Sloricd i'm her independence. Now She
realized that she had rlorcd in that
which did not oNist that. but for Tho
small sums Of money which would
come 10 her OF the next year or two
sums quito dispropogtionate to her
needs as she saw ihcm--shc had moth
Ing which she could cal! her own.
Moreover. her uncle hal paid some OF
her fathers debts. stephen Living
stone might insist that this had been
hut sift TO tho daughter. The dauEh-
ter herself felt that she would he un-
der continual obligations 10 him.
And the only way She could dis
charge these obligations would bc by
complying with his demands. These
demands prccludcd her attempting to
earn hcr own living.
She was Slad that she could reply
frankly when her uncle asked her, with
ella horatc carclcssncss what arrange
ments she and Edward Van Saun had
made about her reading.
'Of course. he suggested no remun-
cratiou?' he intcrroEaicd.
'Of course not" cynthia replied
quickly. II would have bccn much
wounded if nc had done So.
1t would have been an insult 10
YOU. my dear. and 10 me as we'll" her
uncle declared. Edward Van Saun
knows my views with regard TO young
women earning money for themselves
when they have relatives who arc able
and willing TO support them. That
girls assert their own rights in this
limo so frequently is. 10 nay mind an
evidence Of the dcGenrracy Of the
times. l dcplorc it greatly. do not
sec how "A girl with proper fccli: can
80 far forget her sphere"
Ey her sphere YOU mean" began
Cynthia.
Her uncle did not allow her to
hnish tho sentence.
Il mean the home" he explained
scntcntiously. THAT is where woman
bcloilSs-in the homo OF her parents
or guardians until she goes TO tho home
provided for her by tho man she mar
RIGS. That is woman's destiny"
4 Difficult Question.
Cynthia would not argue but in her
soul she was wondering if anything
could be more degrading TO woman
than marrying = man for home. sup
pose she never fell in lovc--what then?
Was she 10 he a dependent all the
days OF her life"
She did not put this question into
words 1t would do no good. Her only
course was 10 live by the day. do hcr
'u's 40 Ncil tS snt tpbIu as IOnS rs
her money held out. Then
She shoo! her head and closed her
lips firmly. She would not look ahead
She Was sure that she could not carry
out her unclc's idea of woman's dcs-
tiny. She was forcing herself now to
so into society ii little more. as this
was her relatives expressed desire
But she met no man whom she could
bear 10 think of as possible hus-
band. None of them stirred her pulses
1t was all very we'll FOR Il girl like
Dora to be planning marriage, for
she was engaged to man whom she
had known for years, man who was
unlike other mcn--strong. sympathetic
all that he should be. What a friend
he would max If one could let ones
self accept the friendship he was al
ways ready to offer her-if one
dared
She checked her musings abruptly.
She had trained herself TO do this dur
ing these past f.w weeks when her
thoughts turned toward Milton Van
Saun She told herself this was be-
cause she did not care to have as a
close friend another woman's husband.
And Milton would soon be Dora's hus-
band
Was that the true reason?
The question thrust itself upon her