The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-06-15
Eoening Story
EIiza,s Plan.

den together, motored together. Fred
had called several times at the apart
ment where Eliza, with another young
woman, lived in town with a distant
cousin of ago to act as chaperoH. He
had also spent the day at the Stone
country place, where Eliza spent
week ends-this to give Eliza's par
ents and brothers and sisters an op-
portunity to say pleasant or unpleas-
ant things about him. So far, so good.
1t seemed as if the rest-pleasant lit
tie episode of making desperate love to
Eliza and being accepted-would be
supremely easy.
s'Eliza has a lot of funny notions"
suggested Mrs. Clifford, who played
the role of chaperon, one day when
Fred dropped in the apartment on his
way from a canter in the park before
Eliza had come home from one Of her
lectures. "She likes men and she
thinks a lot of you-it isn't that she
is averse to marriage. But she takes
different sort of seriousness from that
Of girls when I was young"
This only served to spur Fred on to
the Characterization of his love. He
determined that the time should be
that evening and the place, if Mrs.
Clifford would have the good grace to
leave them alone, would be the apart
ment where he was then sitting.
And Mrs. Clifford did make or find
an excuse and pointed1y remarked as
Eliza. had returned from lectures that
she would not be back until half past
six. and that Hazel, her other charge,
would not be back until after dinner.
So there was an hour and a half be-
fore them. Surely troth could be
pHghted in that time, after all pre-
liminaries had been so carefully at
tended to.
Eliza refused to be the least bit SEN
timental. AS soon as he launched out
IN a dofinita nTnnnSal she SRRnnad TO
command all her powers of reason
ing.
i've been doing a lot of thinking"
Eliza began. "Of course it would be
the easiest thing in the world to give
in completely. yield to the natural in
clination and promise to be yours for
ever
Then you love me-Eliza-please."
Don't be foolish or impatient.
That isn't really the point at issue. 1
tell you I have been thinking a. lot
lately. Girls have the hardest roles
to play in this question of choosing
mates. A man goes ahead from the
time he is a. boy and searches out his
natural bent and educates himself to
that one goal in view. He wants to be
a doctor, or he wants to be g, finan-
cier. or he wants to build a. house
and all his education is directed to
that end. He marries and he goes
right on being a doctor or financier
or a carpenter and his wife lives in
a realm of doctoring or financing or
house building for the rest of her
married life.
But when a girl starts in to edu-
cate herself she has in the back of
her mind that tho she would perhaps
rather live in the realm of doctoring
or financing than anything else, she
had better not become too specialized,
because, after all, the chances are that
she will marry. To become too
specialized rather units one for mar
riage-that is. unless one is lucky
enough to marry a man who has
specialized in the same way that she
has She always goes about with the
feeling that she might marry a lawyer
or writer or a college professor and
that she mustn't do anything that
would unfit her for anything. So you
see a girl wastes lot of time and
mental energy.
nj discovered this state of affairs
some time ago." continued Eliza IT
decided that 1 really did want to
marry; that I was best suited to a
married life. But I also wanted to
have som ething to do with doctoring.
Every one tells me that my talents all
lie in that direction. So, tho I am not
studying medicine for degree, 1 have
begun taking courses at the medical
college am going to marry doc
tor"
But suppose the doctor doesn't
turn up? That is, suppose you don't
ildPpSn 10 1d1i 1ONe WITH any OIL lI1C
doctors that want to marry you?"
Eliza smiled a little indulgentlyy
you put things so bluntly some
times said Eliza. My point is that
a woman ought to be specially edu-
Gated to be q helpful and intelligent
wife, and that it is easier to select a.
husband to suit your capabilities than
to modify your capabilities to suit the
first man you take fancy to-"
That's certainly very interesting
h AZ o16 Nrnd =
are quite frank in explaining it in
stead of beating around the bush and
keeping me in suspense" Fred held
out his hand and said goodbye. OBJ
viously there was only one thing he
wished to talk about, and that was
seemingly taboo. He turned back
after he had reached the threshold.
Anyway you have no personal objec-
tions-that is, if I happened to fit in
with your scheme of activities you
would give me chance"
Eliza looked reproof. "You know
I would, Fred she said. please don't
make me feel any worse about it than
I do"
After that. six months passed, but
Fred Titus never called at the apart
ment or country home of Eliza Stone
From time to time he wrote to her
so that she might not feel that he
bore her any resentment. He pre-
ferred, he said, not to see her, since
she had explained her plan to him.
Then, after the six months had
passed and the mild days of spring
were alternating with warm days of
summer, Eliza returned to her apart
ment one day to find Fred Titus in
the little reception room. The cousin
had admitted him, but having an err
rand had left him alone in the apart
ment until Eliza s return from classes.
Are you still sworn to your plan ?"
Fred asked her after the brief prelinf-
naries of greeting
why, yes" said Eliza, tho Fred
thought without as much conviction as
she had shown six months before
Have you found your doetor2"
"No-that is, I haven't found any
who appeal to me as possible hus-
bands But of course I'm ready to