Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1919-07-02

| OuI. AS IL Lle nOlue WeTeu l just as
much labor as the Office"
Leila attacked her from another d.
rection. "For goodness sake, Daphne,
don't lose your head. Don't you i'm
agine for moment that a husband
will be happier and love his wife bet
ter because she earns wages. The
harder you work for men, the better
they like somebody else. The harder
a man works for you the better he
likes you. Best of all, he loves the
woman that tries to break him."
Daphne's answer was a snappy: 81
don't believe it! I'd despise a man
that felt that way"
The three women wrangled with
wise saws and modern instances, and
they were in perilous state Of dis
sension when the telephone rang. Leila
answered it and her outcries of indig
nation alarmed Mrs. Kip and Daphne
till they learned the cause.
Bayard had called up to say that
the luncheon party must be postponed.
Outrageous business had made anoth-
|
Leila came from the telephone in a
state of desperation mitigated by the
fact that Bayard had asked her to
take his mother and Daphne shopping
and buy them and herself something
worth while as an atonement for his
abandonment.
So they set forth again on another
onset against the ramparts of beauty.
TO the silent horror of Daphne and
her mother, Leila was persuaded to
buy new coat and a new hat and to
pay for them by the convenience of
opening two new accounts at the sug-
gestion Of two soapy statesmen. Bay
ards surrender after his first battle
had already accomplished the expect
able result.
Everything was the very latest thing
and yet was marked down. But Daph-
ne priced things now with a new soul
She was thinking in the terms of
wages and toll
She was going to earn fifty thousand
a year some day, but she supposed
that at first she would earn very little
twenty-five dollars week, perhaps.
For the first time in her existence
she wildly understood how all these
fairy tissues were the products of hui
man labor, paid for with wages and to
be sold for other wages. Pearls were
drops of sweat; perfumes were the
signs of weary men; soft fabrics were
the hard spinning of human silkworms
Bayard was even now racking his
brain to accumulate what three WON
en- were squandering.
So Daphne meditated as she had
never meditated before and might not
often mediate again. She refused tC
buy a thing. Her mother could only
explain her mood as a symptom of ar
illness and advise her to get home tC
bed. There was something suspicious
in the condition of a girl who coulG
look with qualms of conscience or ap
petite on such banquet.
At length fatigue and faintness re
minded Mrs. Kip, senior, that she hat
not eaten and the hour was late. She
called for her luncheon and they went
together to a tearoom. Here Daphne
had another attack of eccentricity; 8
stubborn determination to 90 home
and send back to Dutilh the wicked
gown that she had bought of him or
credit.
She had left the house without re
turning it and she was afraid thai
there would be difficulties if she de
layed. Fortunately there had been nc
alterations in the gown.
Perhaps there is no form that satar
takes oftener than that of a fashion
) able gown. In that shape he offers
7 women the conquest of the world. Bu
Daphne resisted him and said to Leila
Get thee behind me, satan! I'm go
! ing to return this gown and let Dutilf
t give Bayard credit for it. l won't lool
: at another gown till 1 can pay for il
t out of my own earnings. I'll not get
: married till I can buy the rest of my
trousseau myself. I've decided thai
t an Independent woman must buy hel
own rousseau"
Even IN the eyes or ambition this
= promised to require a fairly Ions
r period-a period so lengthy that she
|, wondered If Clay's love would outlas
/ it.
Y She did love him and the though
! of losing him alarmed her more thar
l the thought Of losing the preciou:
gown.
Leila woke from her meditation will
! a sudden "Come along; we must dres:
. for the tea-fght."
Mrs. Kip, senior, amused the younl
g Kips by thinking aloud: II wonder Il
r that nice Mr.. Duane will be at the
, tea"
l "Ohl shamie shamel" cried Leila
Q tits regular intrigue. No, he won
be there. Telephone him at the Rae
$ quet club and he'll come to you. He!
usually there"
t She did not see the start the artles.
( hint gave Daphne, who had learned by
e accident what she had not known how
( to find out otherwise. Daphne con
| IL l.