The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1918-03-16
Margaret Stand. by
THE Cause"
Copyright, 1917. by the Mcclure Nswspa-
Per eyndicats.)
o, JANE osBoRE

Copyright. 1917. by the Mcclure Nswspa-
per syndicatA)
A man who has any imagination re.
ganding feminine psychology must al.
ways look with something like concern
toward the first meeting Of his mother
aid his wlfe-or the woman whom he
Intends to make his wife. So when
Blackstone LOOMS mother wrote to
her son that she was coming to New
York from her home In middle West.
ern metropolis for short stny at no
tel Of nationwide fame. he was not al
together sanguine in his anticipation
Of the meeting Of these two women
80 important in his life.
How would the housewifely and
fsrm-bred mother regard the city and
Office-bred fiancee? At heart Black
stone knew them to be much the same
sort Of women. He consoled himself
in thinking that had his mothers ex-
perience and training been identical
with those of Margaret she. too. would
have wanted the ballot. He also be-
lieved sincerely that had Margaret
been married from a farm. as had his
mother at the age Of eighteen. Mar
garet, too, would have been as keen
about the housewifely tasks as was
his mother.
Would the elder woman be shocked
at the younger7 Would the young
er woman be amused by the elder?
Had he been too lavish In his praises
Of these women to each otherf He
had not, perhaps, thought that they
would meet 20 soon. He had never
dreamed that his mother would have
the opportunity or the means to take
the eastern trip 70 soon. or he might
perhaps not have written SO glOwingly
Of the girl to whom he was to be mar
ried. He might have somehow pre-
pared his mother for the fact that
Margaret was sometimes a little too
advanced and progressive in her views.
It was several years since he had
seen this mother Of his and he had
not had an opportunity to chat with
her about Margaret and letters had
perhaps given q too one-sided view Of
her.
"whatever else happens" he told
the girl on the eve Of his mothers
expected arrival. don't let the mother
know that you are feminist"
Blackstone had planned to make
this request at the outset Of his call
on Margaret In her little uptown apart.
ment. where she kept quarters with
two other young women who were en-
ployed In downtown oflices. But II
hadn't been 10 easy rs he had ex.
pected. and the quick fash that came
from Margaret's eyes made him realize
that his misgivtngs had not been Ill.
founded.
Margaret was outspoken and she die
not mince matters at all now. Con.
ceal from his mother that she was
suffragist, a feminist" as he calls it
why, he was asking her to be traitor.
And what good would 1t dot Wouldn't
the truth come out sometime? Did he
want her to act lie7
Then came the masculine appeal for
nationality. Don't be silly. Margaret
he said. "No one has asked you to
act a lie. You don't have to say TINT
you are an anti. or anything like that
outyou just needn't say anything about
1t & all!'
'But doesn't your mother know that
you are q sunragistf' Queried Mar.
garet.
Il can't say that I have ever told
her-no." Blackstone had to go eau.
dously here, for he was well aware OF
the fact that his conversion to 'the
cause" had been one Of the prerequis-
ties Of their engagement. At FIRST
Margaret stormed and sputtered good
deal over the request, but finally she
acquiesced and gave him to under.
stand that, unless the subject were
brought up by his mother. she would
not volunteer any Information concern.
ing her own convictions.
The next morning early, when Black.
stone went to meet his mother, their
first connected words were directed to
the subject OF Margaret, whom the
mother was to meet that evening at
dinner In Margaret's little apartment.
The other girls had agreed to go out
for the evening SO as to leave her sole
hostess for this little family party.
Blackstone WINGED little when one
Of the first questions the mother asked
was this: II don't suppose your Mar.
garet Is suifragistT
what makes you think she could
BET" he evaded In a way not altogether
worthy Of one who claimed to be a
convert. Just because she works In
an office and hasn't had the advantages
Of having been brought up in the seclu-
sion OF her own home is no reason why
she shouldn't be just as honey as
as you are"
Then he continued: "But of course
you won't discuss that sort Of thing
with Margaret, just for my sake" He
wanted ut least to make 1t easy for
Ne rUu rot Tn IN a nj "a 1 n hpP nOn Cntnmi tal