Widnes Examiner. — 1914-04-04 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

RISERVID.  KING CIRCUMSTANCE.  BY JOHN FOSTER FRASER, Author of "A Lover by Proxy," "Jenkins of the 52nd," "Batter,," "The Deputy Collector," 'When Mary and I were Wed," &c.  There was a glow of colour about Winifred's face, not entirely due to the breath of summer, that drowsy afternoon. Somebody had been telling her something. Of course it didn't affect her. She didn't care two pins if the Rev. Walter Graydon married Mabel Forrester or half a down Mabel Forresters. Why ehould she? So she took her big sun hat, with the string of wild king-cups chasing round the brim, and savagely drove two long pins right through it. But she wasn't angry. Doris, who had imparted the news, was lying back in a camp chair beneath the verandah, playing with the tendrils of a variegated creeper. .  "Don't you think it horrid of him?" she suggested. • •  "I don't think anything about it." And Winifred stabbed a king-cup to the heart with one of those murderous pins. "And after his being so awfully nice," added Doris.  "1 don't—don't think Mr. Graydon has been any nicer than—than a curate generally iy,." Winifred took hold of a spray of the clinging creeper, gave it a tug, and fastened a few of the rich coloured leaves at tb-D waist of her muslin frock.  "But I thought that you—that is. that ho----"  "Then you're a silly girl." She stood for a moment ori the edge of the verandah, with the light playing about her dark hair, and the colour dancing on her sun-kissed cheeks. She looked idly across the lawn and watched the fluttering o the noisy crows in the tree-tops of the plants tion beyond. "1 think I'll go down to the school," she said. "The school!" repeated Doris.  rig"hieths, attounethuef uDso _ . rcshaosuldmgeeotisnoginetimlte's A s. onlys the daughters of the—of the squire, it's our. dutY to—er take an interest in--in the village affairs." "Oh, duty fiddle-de-de," said Doris. "I'm not going to play about making great ugly flannel shirts for great, ugly, beery men, or red flannel petticoats, or—or—," "Bat it's our duty, and I'll—l'll just go down for an hour." • With the murderous pins she fastened the great shady hat. "But Winnie dear, Mr. Graydon said he would come and have a game at tennis this afternoon." "Then you can entertain him." "Don't-don't you want to see him? you're not running away because he is going to marry Mabel?" Waif red gave a little shake •of the head. "Running away indeed! But one ought to have something better in life than—than tenn”is playing. There is one's—one's duty and— "Do give over and get away to see your frumpy old shirt makers,' and Doris threw back her arms and yawned. And then as she watched her sister cross the grass, the yawn gave way to a quiet laugh, and she muttered, "What a joke; but she'll never forgive me." Winifred recognised, as she walked down the lane to the village, that man was base. What had put such a terrible thought into her mind this dreamy, delightful afternoon, she didn't know. But there was the consciousness Of the fact. Man was a tyrant, lie was never happy unless he was trampling on woman, or she was fawning to him. Besides, he was treacherous and selfish, and unworthy of confidence. Women had too long submitted; she wondered how long they were to submit? It only required a strongwilled woman to throw off the shackles, to break the ;halm asunder, to—to—