Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1922-05-30
KOye'S e~%e~se
IL Masquerade
BY Idah McGlone Gibson
The other Woman

agine woman such as Harry
describes. remarked John Davis.
''You don't have to imagine
her. Dave" commented DR.. Milton
She's not an imaginary creature,
she's real. She's the new woman.
You haven't looked for her. You
are still under the spell OF the
traditional great secret OF wo-
mans supposed attractiveness to
man--the mysterious, the elusive
and the forbidden"
Well, at least, this woman was
forbidden to Glendening," said
Davis with laugh at his own
bon mot.
mo, she was mott rejoined
Milton; "at least her frankness,
generosity and courage could not
be forbidden to him or anyone
that came into Margaret Earl's
presence, DR.. Milton stopped abb
ruptly, momentarily startled.
Them he added: I did not mean
to tell her name, but 1 know that
she would find no fault with me
for that. Frankly, wuold give
long years of my life to have
woman such as Margaret Earl to
care for me as she does for Harry
Glendening. Margaret Earl has the
power to make me wish that poor
woman out in the insane asylum
was dead and out OF her misery,
and that 1 was free to offer the
devotion of my life to Margaret
Il tell you, Davis, we men must
revise the old order. The idea that
women must only live to attract
us and that her powers of attrac-
ton wane when the promise of
her beauty Is fulfilled at middle
age is obsolete. Not that Margaret
Earl Is middleaged-she is still |
young, as you know-but, more
than any other woman, she has
caught the spirit of the century.
She is youth-gay, enthusiastic,
courageous youth-personified.
Harry Glendening has been
more than interested because of
his surprise at this woman. She
is the first of the kind he has
ever met. She met him on his own
ground. Because of her absolute
lack Of mystery she became the
most mysterious woman in the
world to him. Because she never
tried to elude him she became the
most elusive OF femininity."
Yes" agreed Clavering, 81
think you have analyzed him COR
rectly, Milton. Let me read his re-
marks ON this:
Instead of discomfort and nag
ging, l got from Margaret only
and encouragement.
She talked to me of what I might
do, she made me feel that her
splendid ideas and ideals were
within my grasp. For the first
time of my life, l really began to
i've.
"All through the golden days of
hat early autumn we were togeth-
'r frequently, We used to take
ong rides out into the country, [
through the gloriously tinted {
woods. II
ut was a Joy to me to hear
Ter talk. She never used terms [
If endearment. She never asked /
ne either tentatively or by i'm {
,lication to think up something ,
complimentary to say to her. In /
itead, sometimes she would say: t
l wonder that you let me babble t
IN Oh, If she only knew how / (
Miss that 'babble' now.
She, too, felt the effect OF my 8
mile. Sometimes l would think 9
,ou weren't listening to me If it !
weren't for that wonderful smile 1
IN your lips, she murmured to me 7
'nce. DO you know, boy, 1 believe /
hat most of the good things of q
ife that have come to you have l
,ome at the call of that smile.
God, how have come to hate t
he smirk, and yet when she :
raised 1t I was happy. Once /
aid to her banally: L love to hear
'ou talk, and then l thought of
low many times / had made that
anne speech to other women. But
or the first time, l knew that
he words l was speaking were
rue.
4 love to hear you talk 1 re-
'eated-and then I added some
hing l had never said to any
ther living woman-T seem to
'e living again the lost youth
hat was never mine. You waken
ny forgotten ambitions. Youl
make me think l can still do that
Which l wish to do with my life: T
rou take me out of the lethargy ?
nto which 1 have fallen.
Why. do you know, Margaret.
hat had l known you sooner :
here is nothing that you and I =
ould not have done with this
Id world?'
There is nothing you can't
o with this old world now,' she
nswered. Anyone can do what
9 really wishes with this world
nd himself. 1t is because we lose
he desire to win that we fail.
'ou have wanted the roses and
lies of pleasure. Harry, more E
han the hard knocks by which s
Svarsffv laodS 70 s,,ccass