Angela's Business

ould have been agreeable to him, at that moment particularly. But the window from which the pretty cou

ly "detached" at this point, the rear of the Flower house commanded a certain view of that handsome thoroughfare; not much of it, of course,-an oblique slice cut in between houses. The distance, as has been said, was rather great f

met in the new city, but she had met him only, as it must now have seemed to her, like ships passing in the night. Not dreaming how she had been figuring in his thought, the girl felt, humanly and femininely, a little depressed. And when she presently r

Mr. Garrott himself, this public promenade was as far fro

decided shock. On the heels of that, he had had a moment of distinct uncertainty. Ought he to cross and join this remarkabl

onsidered the Church of England marriage service a sound start for a union, and associated contrary theories exclusively with inferior morals. To walk Washington St

y over. Not suspecting how his unfavorable scrutiny had be

turned on him briefly a face of almost nun-like serenity, palely lit by a pair of starry eyes. H

the Education Reform League," co

Hardly had he passed out of Miss Angela Flower's range of vision, when the walk of three ended, if t

ANCE TO SHOW HIS FEARLE

d Mary, disappointed, and a little surprised

t my room-some business

is afternoon, do! S

you! I'd like

n the momentary lapse of talk, Charles's eye went after her. He saw someth

in silence, the young man wondered, with a sudden fier

magingly alleged after the crash, and it was recalled that in women's meetings she had sometimes risen and expressed, in the quietest sort of way, ideas which disconcerted even the Hodgers of her day. Duly there had come to town the entirely typical dashing stranger: Robert McKittrick, this one was, an architect in government employ, who came with excellent letters. Mr. McKittrick was see

. Moreover, life does differ just a little from the novels, in that it possesses no invisible author to shut the book splendidly, the moment the case is proved. Life did not leave Mr. McKittrick and Miss Trevenna forever

back than we can remember. But well Charles Garrott understood that Miss Trevenna's "case" had nothing to do with this cheap business. He thought it right enough, of course (theoretically speaking), that Mary Wing should sympathize with a sister in distress. And yet.... Well, no one, certainly, had "deceived" or "betrayed" Miss Trevenna. Quite probabl

re, the young man felt that the net effect was not

roving that he did not pride himse

us than a man's,-yes, considerably so,-while her zygomatic arches

straction with a laugh. She asked him in what

said Charles, "how's that charming l

t had ever risen between him and the best of New Women. All the

would make friends fast enough. Having a passion for biography, especially the biographies of women, he wanted particularly to learn something about this girl, who had given him, Charles Garrott, a phrase. But the talk now too

I've seen those two together latel

ed. "Why!-why, she'd bite

was silent for a space, struck with the thought

ive wave. And meanwhile, there was the personal side. To lecture Mary Wing openly was a thing scarcely to be thought of. Yet, having felt the un

er strike you, by the way, that she's got

ic?-Ho

s to make women more like men. Of course, the object o

Havelock Ellis to me. But," he added, frankly, "I've improved the wording. Why do you say I'm unjust to her? On the contrary, I'd

rights, even if you, as a man, do

d, and then s

ss? She's got them, hasn't she? I thought what Hodger was yelling for was specia

uman being, she would feel that she's entitled to exceptional rights, because

y others would not agree with her. That is just the trouble, isn't it? The do

on," she quali

preme Court of really godlike understanding,

arily at a loss, Charles cont

s wanted to hear somebody-anybody-preach 'personal liberty' with one small qualification. Said he'd waited and waited to hear one person state the creed something like this

egarding him in a curious sort of

is doesn't sound

ood look around, every now and then. Constant discussion

d for people who think that the wa

ipal at the High School and her special adversary in the Schools, against whom in years past she and her friend Garrott had how often scheme

id not appear tha

"and it's only the exceptional people who are capable of superintending these advances. That

ng pressed the case for "exceptional people," Self-Developing People who recked not of Homes

annot possibly point the way without courage,

as beginning to betray signs of exasperation. No more than Mysinger, of course, had he ever been deceived by the delicate girlishness of Mary's face; but the positions she seemed to be taking now passed anything he had ever t

pect people who talk about their Duty to the Race, while overlooking entirely t

ir souls their own, for fear they might be critici

on't you say at once that you've been talki

t at all-or at least only in a general way. One of the

eat work ahead of you, in a special field. Isn't it a pity to confuse your good cause with one

l say that I do think there is a logical connection between Hod

?" said she, with a forthrightness

dstill at the corner, she added,

at finally decided Flora to forget her duty to her sisters, aunts, uncles,

ence in

reserved girl, and I appear to be her only

book!" cried Cha

happened to read a few pages further, she might have no

rise, Mary

st those very words? And what do you suppose she s

g young woman added: "I'm afraid you don't begin to understand

s's bow was characterize

lk. The strongest thought in his mind now was that the end of these

t nothing interfere. Returning to town, and finding "Bondwomen" not yet heard from, he became absorbed in a short story-for the "line" of his new novel could not be laid in a day or a week, of course-and went suddenly upon his emergency sc

ing fiction, the door of the Studio opened without a knock, and Donald Manford

d and cross. "What do you thi

in. But with the aid of an eyebrow he made known, over Judge Blen

h Charles was rather reluctant to lend him. Thus, gradually, they faded from the Studio, much to the annoyance of the Judge,

m was shut, Donald Manford

lk about Mary? I tell you t

t when it became clear that the purpose of Donald's visit was to get h

was pained an

r good jobs, with her morning, noon, and night, having people in to meet her at tea! Now, of course, she just doesn't understand what she's

tle as he sympathized with Miss Trevenna's Blow for Freedom, he seemed

ed Donald, helped pay his bills at college; she had trained him, taught him, filled him with her own ambition. She had got him his first opening, pulled wires for him, hewed out his ascending steps. Fine and confident as Donald

arles dryly. "Prote

was a delicate matter-for him-he declared; beside

ter. You've got some in

influence with the Weather Depart

anded reasons for his strange unpractical behavior. Charles

pect for her if she gave up her principles because you asked me to ask her to. Third, I

the author fitted a cigarette into a holder Mary Wing had

She's acting from principle, as I say, and doing a plucky thing, too. For she does

overed his voic

all this advanced rot of yours was just talk. Come!-say right out you think

se of arguing with a fellow who honestly believed that a woman had but one "virtue," who spoke of her frankly as "the sex," allowed h

it, I tell you!" he was arguing. "There's no puni

ish, don't fret, without M

isn't decent and moral, to stand up and practically say you admire a notorious bad woman! Just think of the effect on other women! They'll argue, 'Well, if that's the way

course I'd not dream of spea

exploded. But prese

e hazardous audacity of such an enterprise to touch his friend's heart, even then. "A

her for this was

se your idea is that this plucky business will bo

d of politics, I suppose? Nothing can shake us in the

e strongest disapproval. "D

, "didn't I see you go by here with Mi

ly sick,

her, old fello

Donald, and b

, beyond doubt, was the most complex and baffling in the whole field of Womanology. And Charles, standing and star

pendent as the Declaration, and