Angela's Business

e told his relative that he was going to it for stimulus, he must have been s

een merely to gather together a few congenial persons to abuse the publishers to. The times, however, chanced to be ripe for a broader forum, one where the most advanced women of both sexes could meet and freely speak out the New Mind. The Redmantle had seemed to fill the long-felt want

ornament gentility. He liked to see Mary Wing lay her hand upon her breast, her Self, and cry out: "So long as I live, whatever I do or think or am, the center of the world for me is here. I will not conjugate dead languages or recite the imports of Uruguay, before I learn the first fact about my Self-my body and my mind, my background and my o

Hodger towered by a baby-grand piano, one hand upon an album, and clamored for her Rights. She demanded these Rights of hers, whatever they were, with such iter

, in sum, an unanswerable demonstration of woman's sacred duty of Developing her Ego. The exposé of the Home proved particularly searching; it brought loud cheers. Much Miss Hodger said, too, of the Higher Law and the Richness of Personality, of Contribution

al, and then general buzzing and commotion. The Programme was over. Everybody was standing: all talking, nobody left to listen. Servants enter

ing. And all the Redmantlers seemed to like to talk to him, too; they would get round him and back him up into corners in a way he scarcely liked. Mrs. Frederick B. Seaman looked as if she meant to kiss him. "And now," she said, beaming, "for a good long talk about my new book." He cleverly evaded her, but in so

eve this White Slave situ

id Charles. "At the moment I can only answer, as

ou have no remedy to la

none. It is on

had been hovering near, exploded a mouthful

Garrott has no remedy for

wage!" demanded the elder Miss Hodger's joyless voice, suddenly at his elbow. "Living wage-bah!" said Professor Pollock, hotly. "A mere sop-a mere feeble tempor

crimson-faced woman in a purple negligée, a stranger to him he felt sure, but she asked him at once, in an angry sort of way, "Don't you favor a public reception immediately to splendid Flora Trevenna?" In spite of his resolution, Charles's eyes fell before the threatening gaze. It seemed to be the sixth time, at least,

rrect statements of things they had lately misread; at best loose bits plucked from authors whom he, Charles, had turned inside out year before last, as like as not. And why, he wondered, need Redmantlers look so queer? Why must ne

a sweet-faced girl from the country, who looked at him with woman's eyes, and spoke simple little t

an extraordina

t years' incessant battling upward. She was also, this long time, president of the State Branch of the National League for Education Reform, with the prospect of presently mounting far higher, to nothing less, if you please, than the General Secretaryship of that rich and powerful body. Considering

y in December. And she was undoubtedly the most distinguished person in tha

of speaking," she said to Garrott. "I'm ravenous. But goodness, there's no nourishment in these little paper things." And almost at once she demanded, firm as a Redmantler, if he had ever been to call on Dr. Flower; some cousin or

h his diagnostic tendency, caught himself eyeing Mary Wing critically, as if she were any other Redmantler. And then he se

id she, popping the second half of a sandwich into her mouth. "I suppo

timated, had no idea of getting sick

ly. "Didn't you tell me there was a girl, twenty-f

rk. She runs

statement that quarter of an hour a day

believ

uarters of an hour in a day, people estimate. Wh

my co

y doesn't she pitch in and earn her keep, like a fr

ir, resembling amusement. "You must really a

ure, the first time ev

she, with a sudden

had whisked him around a knot of Redmantlers, whisked him ar

you've heard so much about-my cousin, Mi

your acquaintance." And so Mr. Garrott did not have to ask the countr

polite sort of way, to another guest-Mr. Tilletts, the wealthy and seeking widower-and fanning away tobacco smoke

s for easy conversation. While he knew of Miss Flower very well, he pointed out, he had had no idea that she was

oft voice. "I don't suppose I understand it all ver

id: "And you see, it's the first party I've

u like

much. D

as to, the Redmantle

seem to have time to enjoy myself any more. You

hed, and again showed a charming na?veté: "You're the very

n, Miss Flower. You appreciate th

hy-I hope he didn't think I was rude! I thought

is girl at sight. Manifestly, she was none other than the Nice Girl, the Womanly Woman, whom he and all moderns were forever holding up to scorn. Dou

air, and large limpid eyes. In her manner there was something soft, simple, and sweet, an ingenuous desire to please and be pleased; Miss Flower was feminine, in short,-it could

. She spoke of bridge, saying that she and Cousin Mary were hoping to "get up a table" one night very soon; of Mitchellton, where she had lived seven years till September; of the maxixe and the smallness of the house

Miss Flower-Donald Manford! The last on

e had been suddenly glimpsed at the doorway. This young man was another cousin of Mary Wing's; she, indeed, h

nt, Miss Flower did not

parently by her cousin's cousin's good looks. "Of

t then," said he, reconsidering, "Donald's out of the cit

e was going to bring him

ow he was busier than usual just now in view of his coming trip to Wyoming; mentioned the g

oncluded, in the justest way, "is

w! She does work terri

girl added: "It's such a pity s

s's mind, and he inquired with authoritative intere

I don'

n how far she could say what she meant; but finding hi

rapped up in business-and all that-she's ap

int deliciousness of that, to hi

t it?" he said, carefully. "I don't suppose work-just mo

everybody ought to have work to do. But-all the work isn't teachi

er. No,

d it work enough just keeping a house and doing

cking up its ears, as it were. And a moment later the simple girl said, in the na?vest wa

ut truly it seems to me that-just making a home is someti

r chance phrase had set this man's mind to working, behind the pleasant mask. In her innocence she clearly did not understand, even after

eeting was about to adjourn. And it was clear to Charles, as a true writer of a phil

d sudd

to you, before I go. May I do it now? Won't you promise to

n impending departure. "Oh, do you have to go now?" she said, and her woman's eyes

disappeared into the company. Directly,

off, truth to tell, in some ill-humor. But Charles, for his part, felt warmly pleased with himself, bringing together these two

rd, at last. We're really sort of c

ed to know you," said Mr. Manford. "I ho

ughed Miss Angela, looking from one man

oan from Mr. Manford. "You mean I look like one? Oh, that's a blow!

m, all the realer in that she, of course, was so unconscious of it. So kindly did he feel toward Mary Wing's cousin, indeed, that when she hoped, in

inine eyes. Charles smiled into them again, pressed h

changed her position, but was still eating sandwiches. Sh

led before he went off, and sketching a few of the qualifications th

mbered,

up your bon mots.

of her cousin from the country, but to none other than M

said G

ent her eyes had followed her

ly educated, the young lady in question, while now taking "two years out" to please her mother, was next year going to work, to please herself-of course, in Social Service. Young and alluring Miss Cars

may be a little firm?

a helpless little silly, do you? But what on earth became of him, did you notice? I

him to Miss Flower. It seemed you'd neglected

Mary, rathe

I'm sorry you took him away from Helen. I'm serious about this m

eu-marital scheme. For, taking even the most liberal view, Modernity was for Moderns; probably always would be. What under the sun did a fellow

arther along, he passed the door of another club, a completely male one. And down the wide steps, between the c

, Cha

ening, M

y School Board, and in the business world known sometimes as a "capitalist," sometimes again as a loan-shark. When in the vein, Mr. Wing could be conv

ocks in total silence, Charles, emerg

believe in the W

r temporarily, promising good sound argument to follow. Charles waited. But Uncle Oliver did not speak; he only continued to shake his head, slowly and profoundly. And w

he looked back over hi

od-night,

ight, M