The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-12-27
THE NEW
GENERATION
By JANE PHELPS
JOAN TELLS OF HER NOVEL
DREAMS,
By JANE PHELPS
CHAPTER 104.

I'D like to be a regular vagabond
woman, Mumsie, - Joan said as she
pushed her work aside. I'D like to
find the pot of gold at the rainbow's
end. and the treasure of Captain Kidd,
ano the footprints Robinson Crusoe
made in the sand. and every other i'm
possible thing that puts the lure OK
i adventure into ones soul"
Margaret waited a moment before
| she answered. When Joan got no.
| ton into her pretty, bobbed head it
/ usually led to something. Was this to
! be new experience? Was Joan long
| ing to go adventuring? If so Margaret
| could not let her go alone-and Chaig!
| Rather an impossible idea, Joan,
| isn't it?'' she finally said, with smile.
| sRobinson Crusoe's footprints in the
sand must be pretty well obhterated
| by this time, probably washed away
/ by the sea; and as for the pot of gold
] at the rainbow's foot, haven't there
| been many who have chased it when it
was lying right near if they only knew
t-how to reach for it-that a pot of gold
I is happiness, dear"
| You don't catch the idea. Mumsie!
! I'd like to take a tramp steamer and
| just 90 with the tide, not caring where
! I landed or how long I remained. Like
| Frederick O'Brien. L would love to sail
| the South Seas. and like him go where
| my fancy led
| But he is a man, dear"
"A self-evident fact, Mumsie."
! What I meant, Joan, was that a
| man can do things a girl can't do"
II know-and, Mumsie, it may
| sound sacFilegious and you know I
don't mean it SO, but that's one of the
| things blame God for. He shouldn't
| have made us with such a handicap.
! he I'D de Tor
| "Oh, zJoanl"
There, I have shocked you. Sorry.
| Mumsie! But to get back to our NUT
| tons. 7 should love to go adventuring
my own way. I wouldn't give a rap
| to go with a crowd like Cooks tour
| lists. They run about like a flock Of
! Sheep all have to do the same thing
and do it just the same. No indi-
viduaIity. no personal preference. It
| is the thing to see or the thing to do,
so they all see it and all do it, exactly
as the guide intends they shall. 1
wouldn't give a postage stamp to go
that way
perhaps you will travel some day,
Joan.'
IF I hadn't made up my mind not
to take a penny of dads money for
ever and ever so long I'd ship on the
first tramp steamer that would take
me. "A life on the ocean wave, q
home on the bounding deep swou1d
| look mighty good to me for a year"
You'd get tired of it, Joan"
How do you know? How does any
one know what tires unless they try
and see? Experience is the only
| teacher in the world worth a whoopi"
IF you feel so keenly about it give
up this foolish notion of earning your
own living and we will go abroad"
| Margaret said heaving a sigh as she
finished. She had thought of Craig.
'I don't want to go abroad! I
know what you mean. Go in style and
comfort on one of the big liners with
letters to society folk, and all that
nonsense! Not for Joan! When 1 go
I'll either go alone or you'll go my
way. And my way isn't the way Of
school teachers and missionaries, nor
of society folks either. I want to go
to the Orient, and I want to live as
the Orientals do = China. Japan,
Egypt, India and Africa, all beckon
me. Sometimes it seems to me that
/ I heard every country of the earth
here I sit in Greenwich Village pur-
ring like a cat, and let all these won
derful calls go unheeded. I wonder
sometimes why I don't run awayi''
Margaret was speeches. from sur
prise. Never had she heard Joan talk
like this. never seen her so excited
over any subject. Her eyes fairly
blazed as she talked, her cheers took
on a, high color. she gestured excit-
edly-
You wouldn't do that JOAN" Mar
garet finally said. NO matter how
you want to or where, dear, I will go
with you. Never say you feel like
running away again.
"AIl right, Mumsie! Now that I
have worried you almost into a head
ache, you will be nice and make a cup
of tea while I finish this article?
promised the editor he should have 1t
tonight"
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS conffdes in
Craig once more.).