The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1918-04-13

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triotic fervor, thought of herself as
Drawing the perils of the ocean and
doing her bit in France, it was always
as an ambulance driver, than as n
trained nurse or an office worker. The
reason was not far to seek. Mariana,
ever since she gave up riding side sad
die and equipped herself for a cross
saddle, had been quite taken with her
own appearance in breeches. When
dressed her prettiest in tlmy ruflles
and enhancing furbelowS for a dance
Mariana hesitated before her pier
glass long enough to see that she had
been properly hooked up and that she
had forgotten no necessary accessory,
but when she was dressed in her riding
toys she stood long and admiring be-
fore the mirror, studied with infinite
satisfaction the straight line o. her
leather Logging, the neat juncture Of
that Logging with her tan boot, the i'm
maculate trimness of her white pique
stock, the severity of her plain sailor
hat that hid almost all of her pretty
curlS and the well-tailOred severity of
the coat that extended from her slight
shoulders to her knees. She did not
admire the image because it was the
reflection of a charming and graceful
young girl, but because it looked to her
for all the world like n young boy. For
Mariana was at the age where the
greatest compliment anyone might
have paid her was to tell her that she
was not feminine, that she thought
like a boy and that she was free from
any Of the foibles of sex.
The very first day she met Dixon
James he had been fortunate enough
to pay her Il compliment of this kind.
lie had ridden across the country with
her brother and reached the Burden
house just as she was mounting her
own horse for 4 country ride. So Dixon
and the brother remOunted their
horses and started out again with
Mariana.
You know, I have never enjoyed
riding with a girl before so much as
l have with you" he told her. SIN
flCr. you don't seem like a girl. You're
more like some awfully nice kid
brother"
Mariana had treasured that compli-
mont. 1t was worth more than a dozen
Of the usual sort. and ever since that
day Mariana had grown more ana
more addicted to the boyiSh costume
and more and more rebellious against
skirts. She had never been convinced
n way or the other on the suffrage
question, but when she learned that
sOIne of the early suffragists had re-
belled against skirts, she had declared
herself a decided suffragist and rode
with her fair hair streaming, in a coat
of steel mail, to represent Joan of Arc
Mt the next suffrage procession.
Then she bought a pair of homework
overalls and went about her own bed
room and little sitting room mornings
busting and putting things to rights in
that costume. Her mother positively
forbade her going out of her domain
in the costume. Of course all her
negligees We're cut on pajama lines
and, inconsistent as was it with her
suffrage conventions, she fancied that
she would like to be a Turkish woman
because of the boomers.
81 can do almost anything" she told
her chum one day, eff 1 am not ham
ppred with petticOats. I'm sure if I
ever make a name for myself it will
be in breeChes-ridlng breeches or
housework overalls, or something of
that sort"
Then came the war and illustrated
newspaper supplements were flooded
with pictures of dairy girls in breeches,
factory girls in Overalls and street car
conductors in suits like the soldiers
uniform. Mariana felt devoutly thank
full that she had lived in an age when
she might wear trousers and not be
hOoted like poor Amelia BloOmer and
those other worthy pioneers in petit,
coat emancipation. The question was
just which line of emancipated occu'
patton should she pursue. First she
decided to be an ambulance driver, but
the idea struck every n as absurd
Particularly did Dixon James plead
with her to abandon this project.
"In the first place, they wouldn'
have you" he told her. you're only
eighteen and you are too darnet
pretty. What do you know about mix
ing up with a lot of rowdy soldiers
They won't want girls like you-the,
want some big husky amazons tina
can give a hand to lifting stretcher
and one that has nerves like iron. Yol
say you couldn't stand being a nurse
Why, my dear child, you'd have to g
through more horrors as an ambulanc
driver"
Finally she was dissuaded. Blu
eventually her mind was made III
She read in some not distant city a
appeal for street car conductors
the kind that wore leggings and knee
length coats and bloomers-and nc
the petticOat sort-she announced firm
ly that she considered it her duty I
gi,e her services as a conductor. Sh