South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-06-11

and doing her bit Ina France. IL was
always as an ambulance driver. than
as a trained nurse or an office work
err The reason was not far TO seek.
Mariana. ever since she gave up rid
ing side saddle and equipped herself
for a cross saddle. had been quite
taken with her own appearance in
breeches. When dressed her pref
uest in nlmy ruffles and enhancing
F furbelows for a dance Mariana hesi-
tated before her pier glass long
enough 10 see that she had been
properly hooked up and that she
had forgotten no necessary acces-
. sorry. but when she was dressed IN
her riding toys she stood long and
admirine before the mirror stud
led with infinite satisfaction the
straight line OF her leather leSgng.
the neat juncture of that Logging
with her tan boot the immaculate
trimness of her white piQue stock.
the severity OF her plain sailor hat
, that hid almost al of her pretty
curls and the well tailored severity
4 of the coat that extended from her
/ slight shoulders 90 her knees. she
did not admire the image because
, il was the reflection OF charming
and graceful young girl. hut because
IL looked 10 her for all the world
: like young boy. For Mariana was
at the age where the Creat test com
pliment 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 SCI.
The very first day she met Dixon
James ne had been fortunate
enough TO pay her a compliment of
this kind He had ridden across the
/ country with her brother and reach
I ed the Burden house just as she was
mounting her own horse for a. coun-
/ try ride. SO Dixon and the brother
/ remounted their horses and started
out again with Nariars.
You know, / have never enjoyed
riding with a girl before so much as
7 have with YOU" ne told her "ln
/ fact. YOU don't seem like a girl.
/ You're more like some awfully nice
( kid brother"
Mariana had treasured that com
piment II was worth more than
3 "a dozen OF the usual sort, and ever
} since that dav Mariana had grown
( more and more addicted To the boy
/ ish costume ard more and more re-
/ heIhous against skirts She had
never been convinced one way or
the other on the suffrage question.
/ but when she learned that some of
/ the early suffrag ists had rebelled
AGAINST skirts. she had declared her
! self decided suffragist and rode
with her fair hair streaming, IN
coat of steel mail. 20 represent Joan
Of Arc al the next suffrage process
sion.
Then she bought a pair of house
! work ogeralls and went about her
own bed room and little sitting room
mornings busting and putting Things
I 10 rights i'm that costume. Her moth
/ or positively forbade her going ont
/ Of her domain IN the costume. or
/ course all her negigees were cut on
paiama lines and. inconsistent as II
was with her suffrage convictions.
/ she fancied that she would like 20
/ be 4 Turkish woman because Of the
/ boomers.
u can do almost anything" she
! told her chum one day, If I am not
hammered with petticoats nm sure
! if 7 ever make name for myself %
will he in hreeches-riding hreeches
/ or homework overalls, or something
! Of that sort
Then came the war and illus
! trated newspaper supplements were
| flooded with pictures Of dairy girls
/ in breeches. factory girls in overa us
and street car conductors in suits
/ like the soldiers uniform. Mariana
/ felt devoutIy thankful that she had
lived in an age when she might
wear trousers and not be hOoted ike
/ poor Amelia Bloomer and those
other worthy pioneers IN peJucodI
/ emancipation. The question was,
/ inst which line of emancipated oc-
cupation should she pursue. First
1 she decided 10 he an ambulance
/ driver. but the idea struck every
/ one as absurd Particularly did
Dixon James plead Wish her 10
abandon this project.
I'm the first place. they wouldn
have YOU" he told her You're only
rs and YOU are too darned pretty.
What do YOU know about mixing up
with lot of rowdy soldiers They
won't want girls like yOu-they
want some big husky amazons that
can give a hand 10 lifting stretchers
and one that has nerves like iron
You say YOU couldn't stand being
nurse Why. my dear child. you'd
have TO 20 through more horrors as
an ambulance driver
Finally she was diSsuaded But
eventually her mind was made up.
She read i'm some not distant city an
appeal for street car CONDUCTOR
the kind that wore leggings ana
knee-length coats and Dloomers-
and not the petticoat sort-she an
nou.ced firmly that she considered
II her duty 10 give her services as
conductor she was going 20 re-
lease some man for service. she an
nounced. Arguing against her was
IN vain. and after several FAMILY
councils OF war. IT. was decided 20 let
her 20 her own sweet way It
would usually be- "a family disgrace.
her mother said 70 Dixon James one
dsv for OF late Dixon was usually 70
he found somewhere about the Bur
" ~