DUKE 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2015 
 
 https://archive.org/details/newwoman01hamb 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 BY 
 
 JESSIE DeFOLIART HAMBLIN 
 
 CHICAGO 
 CHARLES H. KERR & COMPANY 
 175 Monroe Street 
 
Copyright 1895, by ' 
 Jessie DeFoliart Hamblin 
 
 Unity Library, No. 48. Monthly, $3.00 a year. August, 18^5 
 
 Entered at the Postoffice. Chicago, es second class matter. 
 
A NEW WOMAN. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 It is an August evening in the metropolis of Eng- 
 land. Two gentlemen are seated in an elegantly 
 appointed room, talking politics, society and scandal. 
 
 "But, my lord, I do not agree with you." 
 
 "Certainly not, Sir Alfred; I didn't expect it. 
 You never agree with any one. But, let's change the 
 subject. Just look at this picture. That — that ob- 
 ject is a female; in other words a woman; and that 
 thing she has on is a divided skirt; and this you 
 probably recognize to be a cigar. It's going to be 
 the fashion pretty soon. Isn't it horrible! Just 
 think of it, Sir Alfred, just think of making love to 
 a divided skirt. Is your imagination vivid enough 
 to picture it? What is the world coming to?" 
 
 "My lord, the world is going to hell at a Nancy 
 Hanks speed. Women, instead of trying to lift men 
 to their standard, are lowering themselves to ours, 
 and we know that has never been very high, mor- 
 ally. But I suppose the poor things have become 
 discouraged; have grown tired of pulling against the 
 tide and concluded to turn and go with us." 
 
 "You are much too particular. It isn't the wom- 
 en of to-day that I'm objecting to, but the inevitable 
 divided skirt. Of course, it will be all right after 
 
 5 
 
(5 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 we become accustomed to it, but at first it will be 
 rather embarrassing, you know. We will half im- 
 agine that we are making love to one of our own sex. 
 Oh, confound it, it will be very unpleasant for a 
 little while." 
 
 "The world is going to hell, that's all," Sir Alfred 
 said with calm earnestness. 
 
 "Well, you must admit the trip is very pleasant 
 and exciting. " 
 
 "It certainly is exciting and there is a kind of un- 
 bridled pleasure about it, but there is no heart-felt 
 happiness, no serene contentment." 
 
 "No such things live to-day, except in poetry. 
 You were born too late. A hundred years ago women 
 were chaste and their delight was in their husbands, 
 but the world no longer produces the sort of women 
 you admire. It's all bosh about the sacredness of 
 the fireside, anyway. WVve outlived such nonsense. 
 Oh, every woman has her hero, I suppose, but she's 
 gotten over wanting to live with just him forever and 
 ever, on an island. The honeymoon is quite long 
 enough for her to see no one but her husband and 
 much too long for him to see no woman but his wife. 
 But have some wine to wash down my argument. 
 You see, we've been out of school nearly twenty years 
 and surely have gotten over hunting for an Alice 
 Darvil or a Sybil Warner. They are simply not to 
 be found in our set, and English gentlemen can't 
 marry beneath their rank, unless, indeed, they go to 
 America." 
 
 "Is the wine something new?" 
 
 "Yes, I just got a cask of it a few days ago." 
 
A NEW WOMAft 
 
 7 
 
 "From where?" 
 
 "Well, I should say hell, if I didn't know it came 
 from France. Say, it will make your hair stand on 
 end if yon take more than one glass."' 
 
 "Nonsense, it doesn't taste so sharp. It's splendid. 
 Let me taste it again," and Sir Alfred poured out a 
 second glass. 
 
 "Certainly, certainly! I never stop from fear of 
 consequences. That's it, take another. But say, 
 have you met Lord Melton's bride yet?" 
 
 "I've seen her, but haven't met her. Quite good 
 looking, but I don't see how she could have married 
 him. There isn't anything about him to attract an 
 intelligent woman's attention; poor, too." 
 
 "Why, he has a title." 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "And she is an American." 
 "Y-e-s." 
 
 "It's as plain as day, now, isn't it?" 
 
 "I'm afraid it is. But isn't it growing terribly 
 disgusting, the way Americans toady to our aristoc- 
 racy? It was bad enough in the women, but now 
 the men are beginning to come here. I tell you, 
 Lord Avon, I haven't words to express my contempt 
 for the snobs. They are despised as much by true 
 Englishmen as by true Americans. Equally despic- 
 able is the conduct of oar noblemen who take their 
 impoverished titles to an American market." 
 
 "Sir Alfred, for heaven's sake, hush. I didn't 
 know that any Englishman would bring such an 
 accusation against his own land. I know that over 
 in America they think that every titled man who 
 
8 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 sets foot upon their soil is in quest of an heiress. 
 That isn*'t all; they are so devilish frank they don't 
 hesitate to tell you so, in no very delicate way 
 either." Lord Avon looked very much disgusted as 
 he reached for another glass of wine. "But you are 
 the first Englishman I ever heard rail at our society. " 
 His lordship's face was beginning to flush as the wine 
 flowed more freely. 
 
 "Well, it's the truth, my lord. England has im- 
 poverished nobles, and America has rich daughters. 
 The exchange is fair enough, as both parties are sat- 
 isfied; but the spectacle is nauseating, just the same. 
 Keach me the wine. Now, as for me, I'm a true Briton, 
 every heart-throb is true to dear old England; but — 
 but I must admit, I must say what I have never said 
 before, that she is retrograding, that she is becoming 
 polluted. She is rotten to the core; from palace to 
 hovel, from prince to peasant." Sir Alfred spoke 
 rapidly. The wine had overcome his habitual reserve. 
 
 "Think what you please, say what you please, but 
 don't slander old England. DonH you slander old 
 England. She's all right. England for aristocracy 
 and America for heiresses, every time. Hurrah for 
 good old England! America is all right; bless her 
 pretty daughters. I may go there for a wife some 
 day, myself; in fact, the more I think about it, the 
 more I think I will. Yes, I will. Sir Alfred, I chal- 
 lenge you — I challenge you to a contest, and bet you 
 fifty pounds that I can go to America and be engaged 
 to an heiress before you are." 
 
 "Do you mean that you will simply be engaged first 
 or that you can be married first?" 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 9 
 
 "I meant engaged, and I can, too; but if I'm not 
 married first, I'll forfeit the bet, for I say I can do 
 it, and I will do it. Sir Alfred, aren't you going to 
 take the bet? Surely an English gentleman — " 
 
 "Fifty pounds! Why didn't your lordship bet a 
 pair of cuffs?" 
 
 "Sir Alfred, an English gentleman won't take such 
 a taunt coolly. I'll bet you fifty thousand. Do you 
 accept?" 
 
 "Most certainly; do you mean to insult me by in- 
 sinuating that I would hesitate to do so?" 
 
 Here they shook hands. The thing was settled and 
 so were they, to some extent. That fifty thousand 
 acted as a cooler. They moved away from the wine 
 and sat down in another part of the room. 
 
 "Did I understand, your lordship, that marriage 
 must follow if such an engagement take place? You 
 know a gentleman would feel a little delicate about 
 marrying a woman he had bet on." 
 
 "I should think he'd feel a little delicate about 
 backing out of an engagement; however, that rests 
 with each as a private matter." 
 
 "My lord, shall we have a contract?" 
 
 "I think, that as we are Englishmen, our word is 
 quite enough. Yours, at least, is sufficient for me." 
 
 "Very well then." 
 
 "Does your cigar taste strong, Sir Alfred?" 
 "Why, no, I hadn't noticed anything of the sort." 
 "Well, mine does. My head feels infernally light 
 and queer. " 
 
 A sickly smile crossed Sir Alfred's face. He knew 
 very well that he was drunk and saw no reason why 
 
io 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 Lord Avon should not be also. Certainly enough 
 wine had flowed, and the excessive bet constituted 
 strong testimony. 
 
 Lord Avon is a typical Englishman ; five feet ten 
 in height; weighs one hundred and eighty pounds; 
 is well built and carries himself with dignity. He 
 has the prettiest blonde hair, silken and curly as a 
 baby's, and the most beautiful of all beautiful mus- 
 taches, which he pets and caresses constantly. He 
 hasn't an enemy in the world; everybody loves him^ 
 quite as much as he does himself. 
 
 Sir Alfred is taller, and although not so handsome 
 as his friend, is more distinguished looking, possess- 
 ing a strong face and reserved, almost haughty man- 
 ners. He is an only child of Lord Gates, a baron of 
 much political sagacity and indefatigable energy, 
 but whose example excites no emulation in his son, 
 for at the age of thirty-eight Sir Alfred has accom- 
 plished nothing for himself, and stands looking dis- 
 dainfully on while others less gifted than himself 
 push forward and secure higher seats. 
 
 These two young men were great friends at school 
 and are friends yet, in a worldly way, but they have 
 long since gotten over the desire to share all their 
 secrets; and now tell each other only of such affairs 
 as any friendly acquaintance might be permitted to 
 know. Like all English gentlemen, they drink, and 
 often to excess, but to-night's spree has gone beyond 
 all precedent, as even their muddled minds are be- 
 ginning to suggest. His lordship threw his half- 
 smoked cigar away — he never smoked more than half 
 of a cigar, lest it might burn his mustache — and 
 looked at his watch. 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 11 
 
 "What time is it?" Sir Alfred asked. 
 
 "Half past one, but I'm infernally sleepy." 
 
 "So am I. I'm going home. " 
 
 "Don't hurry, don't hurry. Let's have some more 
 wine; might as well enjoy ourselves while we may." 
 
 "No, no, I'll go home and to sleep." 
 
 "Good-night, Sir Alfred; pleasant dreams, " gayly 
 chattered his lordship as his friend departed, feeling 
 thoroughly disgusted, heartily sick of the evening's 
 recklessness. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 The next day when Lord Avon opened his pretty 
 brown eyes, something very like an oath was breathed 
 through his blonde mustache. 
 
 "Fifty thousand pounds, as I'm an Englishman! 
 Now, what could have induced me to make such a 
 bet? I really can't understand at all. It was cer- 
 tainly very careless in me. However, it is done, and 
 a gentleman never backs down. But I must win 
 that bet; to lose it would be my ruin. Let me see — 
 what one had I better take. There was Miss Cameron, 
 sensible and rich, but I believe that she was to have 
 been married before this, so she don't count. Then 
 there's Senator Smith's daughter, but if I have been 
 rightly informed, her father has gone to the wall. 
 That lets her out. Miss Craig was sensible and rich, 
 but she had big feet and such a lusty waist ; I couldn't 
 think of her. Lady Avon must have small feet 
 
12 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 and a taper waist as well as a million dollars. Miss 
 Racine was distractingly pretty, but much too fast. 
 I liked her, by Jove, I did, but she won't do to marry. 
 Let's see; are there any more? Yes. Miss E as ton ; 
 quite pretty, very nice and rich; besides, her father 
 is a congressman. Miss Easton will do, I guess. She 
 wasn't engaged, but I can pretend I thought she was. 
 If I remember right she was going to a female col- 
 lege; so it isn't likely she's married, as she hadn't 
 graduated. I think I flirted with her a little. I guess 
 that I can arrange it without any very elaborate 
 explanations. Yes, I can get her all right." He 
 touched the bell and his valet entered. 
 
 "Here, Adams, get some cold water and bathe my 
 head, first thing, then some wine, my coffee, and 
 attend to my toilet." 
 
 Adams slid about noiselessly, performing his duties 
 as systematically as the clock ticks off the minutes; 
 and in half an hour his master was bathed, combed, 
 brushed and perfumed, and looked and felt as fresh 
 as a dewdrop. 
 
 "Why, Sir Alfred, good-morning! I didn't expect 
 to find you here," he said upon meeting his friend 
 in the hall, when going to breakfast. "Have you 
 breakfasted yet?" 
 
 "No. I thought you wouldn't beat me, so I came 
 for you and am barely in time, I see. But — I — I — 
 believe we made a rather foolish bet last night, and 
 I just thought if you wanted to retract — " 
 
 "Certainly not, certainly not! I'm an Englishman 
 and a man of honor. I will not retract unless you 
 wish — " 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 13 
 
 ••I? No. indeed. I was just thinking of you: you 
 know your fortune is not so large as it was ten years 
 ago. " 
 
 ••Very kind of you. Sir Alfred! to think of me, 
 but your kindness is a little offensive; pardon me, i" 
 don't mean any offense/' 
 
 "And I will take none, " Sir Alfred answered, as 
 his face settled into its habitual calm. "When had 
 we better start on this wild goose chase?" 
 
 "You may call it a wild goose chase if you want 
 to, but I assure you that- 1 intend to have a whole 
 lot of fun out of it. You see, the fair daughters of 
 America will fairly swarm around; all we will have 
 to do .will be to open our arms and we can have our 
 choice from dozens of them. So be consoled ; there's 
 no need of coming back without an heiress even if 
 chance shouldn't favor you in time to win the bet." 
 
 Sir Alfred frowned and looked away. Somehow 
 he disliked hearing the truth in such plain language. 
 
 "But you didn't say when we had better start." 
 
 "Xext week, don't you think? This is the tenth; 
 we want to get back for the opening, don't we?" 
 
 "Just as you say. my lord. I don't care much 
 where I am when the season opens. I am getting so 
 infernally tired of everything that I would like to go 
 to sleep and sleep as long as old Rip did; then a man 
 might get through the remainder of his life tolerably 
 
 well." 
 
 "•Sir Alfred, you should be more sensible. What 
 has been can never be again ; we should live right 
 along with the tim^s: this is a progressive age; I 
 wouldn't miss one year of my life now for any 
 
14 
 
 A JMEW WOMAN 
 
 amount of money. We must take the world as it 
 comes; it is certainly revolving faster now than it 
 did one hundred years ago, and it may make the un- 
 initiated a little dizzy, but you and I, who have been 
 on the turf for forty years, ought to be making the 
 most of every minute." Here they came to the club 
 rooms, entered and ordered breakfast — breakfast at 
 fifteen minutes of midday! 
 
 "Hello; there is our friend Kirby. He looks com- 
 pletely knocked up, and no wonder ; the thing is get- 
 ting very public. Poor fellow ! I should sue for a 
 divorce at once. Marriage is a failure anyway, but 
 you and I are in for it; we have a name to per- 
 petuate." 
 
 "Yes, my lord, I believe marriage is a failure." 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Lord Gates was sitting at his desk, reading and 
 writing letters. He is a busy man always, and just 
 now is particularly engaged in writing answers to a 
 large pile of important letters. He is in no mood 
 to be bothered. Sir Alfred, never busy himself, 
 doesn't understand this, and informally enters, seats 
 himself by the desk and waits for his father to look 
 up. He waits a long time, but his presence seems 
 unnoted by his father, who writes steadily on. At 
 last, recalling an engagement which he must shortly 
 fulfill, he begins: 
 
 "Father, I've made a d — d fool of myself." Lord 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 15 
 
 Gates kept right on writing, and finally, without 
 raising his eyes, said : 
 
 "Very likely; I'm not in the least surprised. A 
 man who has nothing useful to do, must employ 
 himself some other way. I hope you'll be a success- 
 ful one. " 
 
 "Well, sir, it's no joking matter. I've made a 
 devilish big bet and one that will leave my finances 
 at a mighty low ebb; I've got a fifty thousand pound 
 bet on hand." Lord Gates laid his pen down, pushed 
 his chair back and sat looking at his son. 
 
 "You see, I was drunk." 
 
 "It isn't necessary to tell me that. You've been 
 drunk before, but never quite so wild. How came 
 you to get in for such a sum as that?" 
 
 "Lord Avon was worse off than I. He bet fifty 
 pounds and I asked why he didn't wager a pair of 
 cuffs. That nettled him and he raised it to fifty 
 thousand, and I was just far enough gone to take it. " 
 
 "Why don't you draw off?" 
 
 "I offered to let him, but he took it almost as an 
 insult, so of course I couldn't, or wouldn't, rather." 
 
 "Well, what the thunder was it about?" 
 
 Sir Alfred cleared his throat, hemmed and hawed, 
 blushed like a boy, and finally said: 
 
 "Why, you see, we got to talking about American 
 women, or heiresses rather; how easily they can be 
 caught by Englishmen, and we drank and talked 
 until he bet he could go over and be engaged to an 
 heiress before I could." 
 
 Here Lord Gates began to rub his hands and 
 chuckle in apparent glee. Sir Alfred looked on in 
 wonder, which finally changed to amazement. ' ' What 
 is so funny?" he finally succeeded in articulating. 
 
16 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "Now, Alfred, my boy; I've got yon. You can't 
 afford to lose that money; you'll have to win it, 
 don't you see? You'll have to marry." 
 
 "I'm afraid I will, father, but I'll be so rushed 
 that I may not be able to get such a wife as I could 
 wish. " 
 
 "I don't care a penny whether you get such a wife • 
 as you could wish or not. Haven't you been dally- 
 ing around for fifteen years and I doing everything 
 to help you on? Didn't I more than half propose to 
 Lady Maud Peckham for you and then couldn't get 
 you to do your part? Ten or fifteen years ago, I 
 wanted to see you happy with some nice, sweet girl, 
 but now I don't care what kind of a tartar you get. 
 But you must marry ; the name must be perpetuated ; 
 so you or I must marry." 
 
 "I would much rather, father, that you would." 
 
 "Of all strange men you are the strangest. You 
 seem never to have been young or to have had a 
 single ambition. You might have attained eminence, 
 even the premiership. What under the sun makes 
 you so indifferent?" 
 
 "I despise this political web of ours; I despise the 
 methods that are used to gain power and prestige. I 
 would scorn an office gained by intrigue. I'd rather 
 be a drone than a knave." 
 
 "You are talking utter nonsense. The end justifies 
 the means; a man should intrigue until he gets the 
 position he wants, then he can throw off his mask, 
 when, if he have a stout heart and a man's courage, 
 he can hold his place. The ignorant and vulgar are 
 eternally howling about corruption in politics. There 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 17 
 
 is no more corruption there than in business life, 
 traffic and trade. That old cry is worn threadbare. 
 We can't revolutionize the world; we can only have 
 a principle and stand by it." Here Lord Gates 
 brought his fist down with a crash. 
 
 "Father, I am sorry that I have disappointed you 
 so. I am not happy in my inactivity, but I don't 
 want to win honors that I can't glorify." 
 
 "Poorer men than you are occupying high posi- 
 tions. " 
 
 "Well, father, if I marry and raise up a family to 
 the good old name, you will forgive me, won't you?" 
 
 "You must marry; you can't afford to lose that 
 money, and I won't promise to help you. I haven't 
 any money to throw away; but I hope, after all, that 
 you will get a decent sort of a wife. I think I would 
 look for a woman rather than an heiress." 
 
 "But she must be rich or the bet is lost." 
 
 "Well, try to find the two qualities combined; 
 a woman with money." 
 
 "I'm in earnest, father; I really intend to make a 
 faithful search for a wife." 
 
 "Search! Great heavens, you talk as if the world 
 were not full of women; and for that matter a man 
 need never leave England. But I must waste no 
 more time; when do you sail?" 
 
 "Next week," said Sir Alfred, as he left his father's 
 presence. 
 
18 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 u My lord, is everything ready? It's devilish early 
 but we must be stirring if we are to get off, " Sir 
 Alfred said, upon entering his friend's apartments. 
 
 "Early! I should say so. Is the sun up, Adams?" 
 
 "Yes, my lord; it has been up two hours." 
 
 "Here, I believe my tie is not on straight. Take 
 that raveling off my leg — button my glove and hand 
 me my cigar case. Everything ready?" 
 
 "Yes, my lord, the luggage is at the pier and the 
 carriage is waiting." 
 
 "Come, Sir Alfred, send your carriage home, and 
 go with me. I don't believe any one knows we are 
 going and they needn't find it out; we'll just lounge 
 around and not go aboard until the last minute." 
 
 "I hope I shan't be seasick," his lordship said, a 
 few moments later, as they stood on deck smoking. 
 "I was, the last time I crossed, and I felt so mean 
 for three or four days that I wasn't fit for anything. 
 It wouldn't do to be laid up this time and give you 
 the start of me. Mercy, look at the sun ; how high 
 he is! I wonder when he rises. But it is so calm 
 and fresh that I don't feel sleepy and I didn't get to 
 bed very early last night either. Say, my friend, 
 you've no idea how melancholy I'm feeling." 
 
 "Why, yes, I had noticed that you were rather 
 quiet and preoccupied." 
 
 "I think you're a little sarcastic, old boy. The 
 worse I feel, the more I talk, so I won't have to 
 think, don't you see? But really I am in trouble." 
 
 "How?" 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 19 
 
 u Why, I went to see Cleonice last night, and really, 
 the poor girl is perfectly distracted. I told her I was 
 going to America and wanted to leave her a little 
 cash, but no; she wouldn't have any. Said she would 
 hire out — go on the stage — beg — starve, but not touch 
 my money. She was morally certain I was going 
 wife-hunting. Just think of it; a man can't cross 
 the water without having that dinned into his ears, 
 both here and in America. Well, she wouldn't take 
 money, and she talked to me in a way that actually 
 touched me." 
 
 "Pshaw! aren't you a little too conscientious?" 
 
 "I admit that I am. You see, I don't know 
 whether I ever promised to marry her or not. I 
 surely didn't, but she swears that I did, and actually 
 wanted me to do so — positively and truly she did. 
 Think of it! Me, an Avon, with only a sickly boy 
 between me and an earldom! She also reminded me 
 that I had seduced her. Now, I suppose that is true, 
 but I do know that if the devil coaxed me into hell, 
 I wouldn't admit to my God that I hadn't gone will- 
 ingly. Well, she just heaped a mountain of re- 
 proaches on my head, and I couldn't say a word. 
 There's too much fol-de-rol about women being 
 betrayed. I think, sometimes, it's the men who are 
 seduced. Well, the whole thing is a horrible bore. 
 The woman has lots of jewelry and all the furniture, 
 which I suppose she will sell when she has to; so I'm 
 not going to worry about it any longer." 
 
20 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Sir Alfeed was sauntering about the deck, think- 
 ing in a dreamy sort of way, what this trip might 
 mean to him. Would he marry, and if so, would 
 he be happy? Would he love? Would he find his 
 ideal? 
 
 Sir Alfred Gates had had an ideal at one time in 
 his life, but now he scarcely ever thought of her; 
 never, except when the thought of marriage was 
 forced upon him. To-day his mind reverted to the 
 fantasy of his youth. She must be beautiful, yet 
 wholly unconscious of that beauty; brilliant, yet- 
 innocent of being so; she must be ail virtue, all 
 truth, all love, all tenderness, perfectly happy in 
 the love and home he would so gladly give her, and 
 she must have no desire, no ambition for anything 
 else — such a woman as it would surely be impossible 
 to find, since Psyche first mirrored her pretty face 
 in the water, or Eve felt the yearning to move in a 
 larger sphere. But we hug a delusion until we find 
 a reality more pleasing. 
 
 And his lordship w r as thinking, too; wondering 
 when he would return to his native land, covered 
 all over with glory and Uncle Sam's dollars. 
 
 ***** 
 
 "Land in sight! Land in sight!" some one yells, 
 and theory, "Homeagain, home again, to America!" 
 
 arises. The gjreat ship draws nearer, the towers of 
 the city are plainly seen, the usual throng awaits on 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 21 
 
 shore, but not the same — never the same. The gang 
 plank slides in place and the home-comers are soon 
 lost among those waiting to receive them. But there 
 was no reception for our Englishmen, and Lord 
 Avon, drawing his friend aside, said : 
 
 "Now, Sir Alfred, hadn't we better part here and 
 each take his own way, or how?" 
 
 "Why, yes, I suppose it would be as well; I don't 
 know whether I will stay in New York or seek some 
 of the more rural districts. But how shall we com- 
 municate? A letter's too slow and a telegram is too 
 public. " 
 
 "We'll have to telegraph." 
 
 "Yes; but the minute your charmer says 'yes,' 
 must you rush pell-mell from her presence to send 
 the news?" 
 
 "Guess so. The end justifies the means. But say, 
 let's make the provision that the money be not paid 
 until the engagement ends in marriage." His lord- 
 ship was feeling a little guilty because of his advantage 
 over his friend, who was unacquainted with the coun- 
 try and the people, while he was able to pursue defi- 
 nite plans. 
 
 "You know there was no provision made either 
 way," he continued. 
 
 "Why, if you wish it so." 
 
 "I thought it might make it a little easier for the 
 unfortunate one to give him a little time. Where 
 
 will you be? You can wire me at S . I will make 
 
 arrangements to get information there." 
 
 "I will be at the U for the present, and will 
 
 notify you if I change location. " 
 
22 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 So they separated. We will first follow Sir Alfred. 
 He takes the train for a suburban locality, puts up 
 at an exclusive hotel, adorns himself with a suit of 
 a gayer sort than usual with him and goes forth in 
 a mood half comic, half desperate, "to conquer or 
 to fall." 
 
 It is seven o'clock in the evening. The most pop- 
 ular park in the place is beginning to show signs of 
 life. There is to be some kind of an entertainment 
 and the crowd is arriving early enough for a prome- 
 nade before the music begins. Sir Alfred is walking 
 leisurely around, looking out for a possible acquaint- 
 ance, and the probable heiress, with all the qualities 
 of his ideal. "Why won't this lady do?" and he 
 stands and looks at a blonde head that is evidently 
 unconscious of being scrutinized. What blonde hair, 
 what a fair skin, such a pretty neck, and so ex- 
 quisitely dressed ! She must be rich and she certainly 
 is young. He wonders how he can make her ac- 
 quaintance in a careless way, and longs for her to 
 drop her handkerchief or fan. But nothing offering 
 itself, he decides upon a bold strike, and making his 
 way to where she is sitting, says in his most winning 
 way: 
 
 "Pardon me, madam, but haven't we met before?" 
 
 Madam looked at him frigidly and remarked that 
 she didn't recall meeting him, and inquired his 
 name. 
 
 "My name is Gates; my home is in England. I 
 can't say where I've had the pleasure of meeting 
 you, unless in London," he stammered. 
 
 "Ton my word, is this Sir Alfred Gates? Ah, 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 28 
 
 don't you remember me; my Dame is Snib? Met 
 you in London several years ago. This is my wife. 
 Sir Alfred Gates," and Mr. Snib, the millionaire 
 brewer, who had at that moment joined them, 
 mopped his face and looked very proud of Mrs. 
 Snib. number three. 
 
 Sir Alfred shook hands with the little woman and 
 at the same time gave her a scrutinizing look. He 
 hadn't noticed before that the fair skin was due to 
 powder, but now he saw it, and also that the hair 
 had been blondined. It flashed upon him suddenly 
 that she was not pretty, only neat and stylish. 
 
 "I'm not sure that I remember you, for you know, 
 so many Americans visit London, and yet I fancied 
 I had seen your wife; perhaps that was the time." 
 
 ••Oh, no, Sir Alfred: we were not married then," 
 she said, shyly dropping her eyes, her coldness sud- 
 denly changing to coquetry. "How long are you 
 going to be in America, and in town?" 
 
 U I hardly know. " 
 
 -*You will come to see us while you are here, won't 
 you? Come to-morrow ; we will send the carriage 
 for you: you must come." 
 
 "Cora, this is Sir Alfred Gates, of London: this 
 is my niece. Miss Dare, Sir Alfred," spoke Snib, as 
 a young woman joined them. 
 
 Mrs. Snib continued: ,k You are going to stay for 
 the music, of course; we are going to have a fine 
 entertainment — first-class talent from somewhere. I 
 can't think where. Ah, there is the music, now. 
 Come with us. there are plenty of seats yet." 
 
 So our Englishman found himself a moment later 
 
24 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 sitting by Mrs. Snib's niece, but he was sure as he 
 compared the two that Miss Dare was the more at- 
 tractive; that her pretty flaxen hair had not been 
 blondined and that there was not a vestige of powder 
 on her face. How small, fair and sweet she looked, 
 sitting there by him and how anxiously he waited 
 for Cupid's little dart to get in its work on him! 
 
 Cora Dare was visiting her aunt, and expecting to 
 make her debut as soon as the season opened. She 
 was eighteen years old, fair and gentle and "accom- 
 plished," and was really quite charming. She cher- 
 ished but one ambition, and that was to obtain a 
 titled husband : — 
 
 " English, Irish, French or Spanish, 
 German, Italian, Dutch or Danish." 
 
 Sir Alfred, ignorant of this, anxiously improved 
 every moment. He had no time for an extended 
 courtship. 
 
 "I may come, may I not?" he said when the con- 
 cert was over.,and she bashfully replied, "Yes, I don't 
 mind." 
 
 "I'll accept your kind invitation, " Sir Alfred said 
 to Mrs. Snib as he helped Miss Dare into the car- 
 riage. 
 
 Now he must ascertain her financial status. But 
 here; doesn't he recognize this young fellow? Yes, 
 surely this is Adolphus Snib, and so it proved; the 
 next moment they were walking together, talking. 
 
 "I have just met your mother — or rather your 
 father's wife. " 
 
 "Yes, my step-step-mother, my father's third 
 wife. I don't believe in mixing one's relationships 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 25 
 
 in such a way; besides, a man of his age has no busi- 
 ness to marry such a young woman, when he has 
 children of his own." 
 
 "Why, your father isn't such an old man; I don't 
 believe him to be ten years older than myself." 
 
 "Well, you're no spring chicken, Sir Alfred." 
 
 "Now, Snib, don't try to get any of your Ameri- 
 canisms off on me," Sir Alfred said jocularly, trying 
 to establish a familiarity that would warrant the ques- 
 tions he wished to ask concerning Miss Dare. 
 
 "That Miss Dare, too— a charming girl ! Let me 
 see — where is she from? I believe she told me, but 
 I have forgotten." 
 
 "San Francisco." 
 
 "Yes, yes; that's it. Her father has an interest 
 in coal mines?" 
 
 "Miss Dare doesn't happen to have a father; he 
 died five years ago, " replied young Snib, eying his 
 companion suspiciously. 
 
 "Oh, then I made a mistake, but I thought she 
 spoke of coal mines." 
 
 "I will have to leave you here, Sir Alfred. I have 
 an engagement. Here is my card; call and see me. 
 
 I've rooms at the L ; good-evening." And he 
 
 was gone, leaving Sir Alfred in a "confusion-worse- 
 confounded" state of mind. 
 
26 
 
 A NEW WOMAtf 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 "Another caller, sir." 
 
 Our congressman took the card, stared at it a mo- 
 ment and said, "Show him in, Sam," and the next 
 moment he and Lord Avon were shaking hands and 
 expressing unbounded pleasure at seeing each other. 
 - "Here, have this chair. Mercy! how hot it is, and 
 you drove from town in this heat! Why didn't you 
 wait till evening? It always begins to cool off about 
 six o'clock. " 
 
 "Wait until evening! My dear friend, you've no 
 idea what brought me here if you thought I might 
 have waited until evening." 
 
 "Why, my lord, I nattered myself that you came 
 to see me, but to tell the truth, I'm surprised. I 
 didn't think you London boys ever lost yourselves so 
 far out in the country. " 
 
 " "My dear Congressman Easton, I have been pin- 
 ing away to get lost out here, and had it not been for 
 a misunderstanding, would have been here long ago. " 
 
 "I don't understand you." 
 
 "Probably not, but I will explain. A year ago this 
 summer, when you were in London, I met your 
 daughter and was much impressed with her, but I 
 understood from young Snib — you remember him, 
 he was with your party — that she was to be married, 
 and while he didn't say it right out, I fancied that 
 he was the happy man. But about ten days ago I saw 
 a Saratoga paper, and looking it through,! ran across 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 27 
 
 an account of your returning with your son and 
 daughter to your country seat, preparatory to your 
 children starting away to school in September. I 
 knew then that it was a mistake about her approach- 
 ing marriage and sailed on the very next ship, and 
 here I am, to ask the hand of your daughter in mar- 
 riage. " 
 
 "You say that Snib led you to believe that my 
 daughter was to be married?" 
 
 "Yes, in an indirect w T ay. I hope I'm not too late, 
 sir; I hope that his confounded chatter hasn't ruined 
 my happiness?" said his lordship in a tone of de- 
 spair. 
 
 "Oh, no; but excuse me if I question you a little. 
 You think Snib wanted a chance?" 
 "Yes." 
 
 "And could you see that she showed him any pref- 
 erence?" 
 
 His lordship was becoming bewildered; he couldn't 
 see the point, though he knew there was one to all 
 this parley, and decided to take a neutral position. 
 The truth was, our congressman didn't want his 
 daughter to marry the Englishman, but any one was 
 preferable to Snibs. 
 
 "I'm sure I can't say, sir; I was too knocked up 
 to notice anything, though I fancied she did prefer 
 him; but that might have been a trick of the imag- 
 ination. I hope, sir, that I have your consent to 
 address your daughter?" 
 
 "Well, I will go and send her to you and it will 
 be as she says, but she must go to school another 
 year; even then she will be young to marry." 
 
28 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "O, don't discourage me by such a provision as 
 that, but of course I will abide by your wishes, " and 
 then followed a murmur about "blessed privilege," 
 "sacred promise," and so forth. 
 
 A few moments later sweet, bashful Agnes Easton 
 came into the presence of Lord Avon. She had no 
 idea whether she wished to marry him or any one 
 else, yet when she went back to her room she wore 
 a betrothal ring, and a few minutes later his lord- 
 ship managed to send a telegram which read : 
 
 "I'm the most fortunate man on earth. Congratu- 
 late me. " 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Mrs. Snib couldn't contain herself. "I do hope, 
 Nannie," she said to a servant, "that everything 
 will go off smooth without any clashing or any mis- 
 takes. " 
 
 "I think everything 'ull be all right," Nannie re- 
 plied, "but what is the man's name who is to be 
 
 here?" 
 
 "Sir Alfred Danville — or was it Damson — oh, any- 
 way he's an English nobleman." 
 
 "What business does he follow?" 
 
 "Oh, dear, he doesn't do anything; he's a man of 
 leisure, a titled man." 
 
 "But sometimes gentlemen work, you know. Mr. 
 Snib, for instance, " Nannie persisted, but keeping 
 her face turned from Mrs. Snib. 
 
 "Oh, well, things are so different here from what 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 29 
 
 they are in England; you can tell a gentleman there 
 without asking any questions, but here — oh, clear 
 me — I'd so much rather live there, " and with this 
 Mrs. Snib betook herself to the parlor. 
 
 "Do, Auntie; let's put Venus in some corner," 
 Cora said, turning from the piano. 
 
 "Why, dear?" 
 
 u Oh, she does look so naked." 
 
 "That is very artistic, dear, and you should culti- 
 vate a taste for such. I don't think it looks so bad 
 for her to be naked as to have only one arm. She's 
 a deformed looking thing, but then it's artistic. 
 What had we better do this evening to pass the 
 time?" 
 
 ik Maybe he plays high five or whist?" 
 
 "Oh, I expect he plays baccarat; I do wish we 
 knew how. " 
 
 "But isn't that gambling, Auntie?" 
 
 "It don't make any difference if it is. It's all 
 the rage in London, anyway, and I would give any- 
 thing to know how to play it," 
 
 At the appointed time, Sir Alfred presented himself 
 at the Snibs' residence. He was met by Mrs. Snib, 
 who was profusely dressed and mannered, and hailed 
 by Snib familiarly. His heart sank, but when Cora 
 in white silk and pearls entered the room his misgiv- 
 ings vanished. He greeted her warmly and decided 
 to settle matters at the first opportunity. Finding 
 it difficult to keep the tortured conversation going, 
 Cora was asked and entreated to favor them with 
 some music. She consented bashfully and shied 
 quickly past Venus as she took her place at the piano. 
 
30 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 Now, this piano was a gorgeous affair, made of the 
 finest woods of some half-dozen different shades, and 
 the polished surfaces were adorned with pictures by 
 great artists. It had cost an immense amount of 
 money and the Snibs were justly proud of it. 
 
 "What an elegant piece of workmanship!" Sir 
 Alfred said while Cora sang. 
 
 "Yes, we had the work done in the old country. 
 Cora will have it when she marries." 
 
 "Your gift to her — or is it from her father?" 
 
 "Oh, from us. Her father died while she was at 
 school before he knew of her great musical ability. 
 He would have gotten it for her, no doubt, for he was 
 very rich," Snib remarked. 
 
 "She will make her debut here in a few weeks, 
 just as soon as she comes of age," Mrs. Snib said in 
 a half whisper. "I do hope you will be here then." 
 
 While this was just what Sir Alfred wanted to 
 know, it almost sickened him to have it so unreserv- 
 edly proclaimed and he rather abruptly asked : 
 
 "Do you like the old country?" 
 
 "Yes, indeed. I've always wanted to go there. I 
 would really like to go there to live." 
 
 "You certainly show excellent judgment, Mrs. 
 Snib." 
 
 "Society is so different." 
 
 "How?" 
 
 "Oh, every way; but in one way especially; peo- 
 ple are not taken into society so indiscriminately as 
 they are here; everybody knows his place and keeps 
 it. And England has had so many great men — like 
 Lord Lytton and Sir Charles Dickens." Sir Alfred's 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 31 
 
 gravity was taxed and he was heartily glad to hear 
 Mrs. Snib begin to talk of the song Cora had just 
 finished. "Do you like that song, Sir Alfred?'' 
 
 "Yes, it's the first time I've heard it; it's very 
 pretty. " 
 
 "Never heard 'After the Ball?' Why, it's been 
 the rage all summer. But don't you know there are 
 some people who make fun of it. I think it's lovely, 
 such pure, sweet sentiment, and it's so true. Just 
 ask Mr. Snib how he likes baching." 
 
 "Please don't remind me of my bachelorhood, 
 Mrs. Snib," said Sir. Alfred, and turning to Mr. 
 Snib, he said something half in fun, half in earnest, 
 about the unmarried man. 
 
 "Oh, yes, indeed. I tell you there's nothing like 
 having a wife to — to — look — er — that is to look — to 
 be looked after," Snib stammered. 
 
 Here they all laughed and Snib left the room for 
 something. Mrs. Snib, wanting to leave Sir Alfred 
 and Cora alone, excused herself and withdrew, but 
 she returned almost immediately with a very signif- 
 icant looking envelope, which she handed to Sir 
 Alfred. 
 
 "I hope there is no bad news, " Mrs. Snib ventured 
 when he had cast his eyes over the message. He 
 looked from Mrs. Snib to Cora, and scarcely repressed 
 a sigh of relief. He'd lost the bet and d — d if he 
 cared; now he'd not marry until he chose. 
 
 "Not exactly bad news, but business will necessi- 
 tate my immediate return to England, " he exclaimed. 
 
 "Oh, that's too bad, we're so sorry," the women 
 exclaimed, while Snib enquired if the matter couldn't 
 
32 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 be fixed up without his going back. When he de- 
 parted he left two very much disappointed females 
 and Snib quite upset. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Two days later our congressman was seated in his 
 library employed in smoking and sweating, when 
 the family carriage drove up and a young man of 
 about twenty-one years of age sprang out, came up 
 the marble walk with a quick, elastic step, and directly 
 into our congressman's presence, with a very-much- 
 at-home air. 
 
 u Hello, my son," the father said— for such was 
 the relationship, "did you have a good time?" ex- 
 tending his left hand— he was holding his cigar with 
 his right — and pushing him a chair with his foot. 
 
 Joe Easton touched the extended hand coldly and 
 stood staring at his illustrious parent with a very dis- 
 gusted look upon his bright, boyish face. 
 
 "Well, now, what's the matter with you? Why 
 don't you sit down?" 
 
 "What's the matter with you, I should like to 
 know?" 
 
 "Now, Joe, just sit down and tell me what you're 
 driving at. " 
 
 "Harris tells me that Agnes is going to marry that 
 Englishman, Lord Avon, with your consent." 
 
 "And how does that concern you, if she is?" 
 
 "Why, I'm in the family, and it does concern me 
 —and yourself — vitally. " 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 33 
 
 "How? I thought you and he were great friends, 
 last year in London." 
 
 •'I haven't anything special against him; he's jolly 
 and a good fellow to be around with; but he's a 
 titled Englishman and you ought to know their 
 trade." 
 
 ••Well, I don't. Maybe you will enlighten me." 
 
 "Fishing for suckers like you and Agnes." 
 
 "Look here, Joe, you've gone far enough. I won't 
 have any more of your impertinence; if you've any- 
 thing to say, say it." 
 
 "Why, he has the honors of a broken down family 
 to support, and he's struck America for a rich wife. 
 He's broke and has come here to make a stake." 
 
 "Oh, pshaw! I believe the fellow is all right." 
 
 "Well, I know what I'm talking about. I know 
 that he's gambled half a dozen fortunes away." 
 
 "How do you know?" 
 
 "Why, Adolphus Snib knows it to be a fact. He's 
 been to London five or six times, is pretty well ac- 
 quainted there, goes into society and knows a thing 
 or two. ' ' 
 
 "I should say he does know a thing or two; he's 
 the fastest young devil in Washington, and I wish 
 you'd keep away from him; but the Englishman I 
 believe is all right. I've seen him in a few quiet 
 games of draw, seen him both win and lose, and I'll 
 swear it did me good to see him hand over the money 
 when he lost, jovial as could be. Some great man 
 has said, 'If you are a beggar spend your last dollar 
 like a prince,' and he would fork over his last with 
 as much spirit as if taking some other man's. There's 
 
34 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 something in that. I despise a man who will cringe 
 
 and cower before anything." 
 
 "Of course he lives like a prince and plays the per- 
 fection of recklessness, if that's all that's necessary," 
 Joe returned contemptuously. 
 
 u Oh, I didn't mean it that way; I was just saying 
 I admired his spirit. But I can't understand why 
 this man who is thought to be so wealthy should 
 come over here to marry for money. There are plenty 
 of rich women in England." 
 
 "There is just where you're off. There are very 
 few wealthy women among the aristocracy. The 
 money goes with the title and the title goes to the 
 oldest son or the nearest male relative and the wom- 
 en have only annuities, while American girls share 
 equally with their brothers. Why, it shows on the 
 face of the thing that he had an object, or why should 
 he rush over here without the least warning?" 
 
 "Well, I don't know, Joe; there may be something 
 in w T hat you say, and yet I can't believe it. I will 
 go and see this young Snib, though I've no confi- 
 dence in him; he's too much like his father. But I 
 don't care for Snib's lies; he can't hurt me now; his 
 brother will never get the nomination again — I wish 
 he would, rather than the man they are going to run. 
 'Twas Snib's money that pulled his brother through 
 the last convention." 
 
 "Yes, and you'll need all you've got before you 
 get through this campaign, and that's what made me 
 anxious about this affair with the Englishman. By 
 the time you have paid off a few of his bets you'll 
 not have enough left to elect you justice of the peace. " 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 35 
 
 "Well, Joe, you see I've given iny word and I don't 
 know what we can do about it. I thought it would 
 be very easy for her to do worse. What can we do? 
 I wish you would find out how Agnes feels — slyly, 
 of course." Our congressman was now thoroughly 
 aroused. He had represented his district for ten 
 years, but his last election had been pretty close and 
 it was costing more every time. He had always been 
 a little suspicious of English titles, but when brought 
 face to face with the bearer of one and it seemed so 
 like an ordinary human being, his doubts fell asleep 
 and our great, wise, shrewd congressman was taken 
 in. 
 
 "I think I w r ould run the risk of her doing worse," 
 Joe said as he picked up his hat to leave. 
 "I can depend on you, Joe, if necessary?" 
 " Certainly." 
 
 u And you will find how Agnes feels and report?" 
 "Yes." 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 When he went in search of Agnes he found her 
 practicing. (Why will women always practice and 
 never play?) 
 
 "Hello, Aggie, strumming away with the patience 
 of an angel! Don't you ever get tired?" 
 
 "Oh, Joe, you've come at last ! I've been so lone- 
 some and blue. Aunt Kate has been keeping me on 
 a diet of oatmeal and scalded milk. I'll be glad if 
 
36 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 the time ever comes when I can eat what I choose 
 and when I choose. Did you get many fish?" 
 
 "You shouldn't be blue; you've had company, I've 
 heard. Yes, I got a few fish, but none so large prob- 
 ably as the one you caught." 
 
 "I suppose you have heard that Lord Avon has 
 been here?" Agnes said timidly. 
 
 "Oh, yes, I've heard that long ago. Does his lord- 
 ship perfume himself as copiously as he used to? Is 
 his mustache as handsome? Of course he is just as 
 fond of it as ever. Kemarkably fine fellow, isn't 
 he?" 
 
 "Yes, I suppose so; I didn't take particular no- 
 tice." 
 
 "You had the best chance in the world, it seems." 
 
 "Well, I don't know anything about it, anyway. 
 But what a* cold you've caught sleeping in the tent." 
 
 "Oh, come off, you can't fake any longer," Joe 
 said, drawing in his feelers and making a straight 
 plunge. "You are going to marry that fellow?" 
 
 "Yes," Agnes answered, and began playing and 
 singing: 
 
 " Just as I am without one plea." 
 "And just as he is, I suppose, debts and all," said 
 Joe. 
 
 Agnes made no reply and Joe's anger began to 
 get the better of his tact. "It would be a monster 
 speculation for some one to have a shipload of titles 
 imported ; the market would be bulled in twenty- 
 four hours." 
 
 "It's none of your affairs anyway," said Agnes. 
 "I'm not particular whom I marry. I'd just as soon 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 37 
 
 live in England as in America; women can't vote 
 here any more than they can there, nor hold office." 
 
 "Of course not," retorted Joe. "She's not capa- 
 ble of wielding the ballot or holding office. She would 
 hop up out of the Senate and rush off to England the 
 first time a curly headed milksop, like Lord Avon, 
 came over here and said, 'Come to my arms.'" 
 
 "Now you just shut up, Joe Easton. I'll tell papa 
 on you. It's a pity you can't refrain from teasing 
 me when you've been away for three weeks and I've 
 been at home on oatmeal and scalded milk." 
 
 "It's a little tough on you, I know, but I wouldn't 
 submit to oatmeal and milk; and I wouldn't have 
 obliged the Englishman when it hasn't been three 
 years since a nice fellow like George Sanderson was 
 sent about his business." 
 
 "But we were both so young, and besides, he 
 drank. " 
 
 "Well, pardon me if I say that you were as large 
 then as now and had better sense. Drank, did he? 
 Well, about the first time your Englishman comes 
 home on a lordly drunk, you'll think a plain Amer- 
 ican jag isn't a comparison. And George doesn't 
 drink now. " 
 
 "How do you know?" Agnes asked quickly. 
 
 "Well, I do know," Joe said, as he lighted a cigar 
 and began to puff away in the most provoking man- 
 ner. 
 
 "Let's sing a song, Joe." 
 
 "All right. What shall it be?" 
 
 "'After the Ball?'" 
 
 "'After the Ball!' No, something with a little 
 sense. 'Over the Garden Wall' is pretty." 
 
88 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "Well, I should like to know which is the softer 
 if you are going to compare them," Agnes said de- 
 cidedly. 
 
 "That's the truth, Agnes, but 'Over the Garden 
 Wall' has a pretty tune. . That reminds me of a 
 little poem I read a few days ago. I cut it out; here 
 it is; I'll read it to you. 
 
 THE QUARTETTE ANTHEM. 
 
 " O, yes, I heerd the anthem sung by thet big church 
 quartette; 
 
 My wife she raved about it, but 1 kep' my own mouth 
 shet ; 
 
 'No sweeter song,' she said, ' is sung by angel lip ;' 
 An' I sot still and heerd her talk, an' never raised a 
 
 yip 
 
 " The absence of ideas was drowned in plenteousness 
 of voice. 
 
 "What strict economy of words, an' extravagance of 
 noise ! 
 
 For they were stingy of their words an' generous of 
 their strains, 
 
 An' they were spendthrifts of their lungs an' misers 
 of their brains. 
 
 " An' they call this mighty music ; 'taint for me to say 
 it's not ; 
 
 But I think music's better when it's slightly mixed 
 
 with thought ; 
 I think your lungs give forth a more inspirin' strain 
 If they first have made connection with the ingine of 
 
 y.our brain." 
 
 "Good sound sense in that, Agnes. I tell you I've 
 no patience with this wordless, brainless music that 
 public singers affect to-day. But you may stay and 
 sing what you choose; I'm going out in the shade 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 39 
 
 to- go to sleep. Had a splendid time, but am about 
 used up. Saw some old acquaintances, but no one 
 you'd be interested in now," and with this Joe saun- 
 tered away, leaving poor Agnes very much disturbed. 
 She left the piano and went to the window, then 
 back to the piano, and to the hall, where she stood 
 watching the receding form of her brother, but feel- 
 ing her loneliness insufferable, in a few minutes fol- 
 lowed him. 
 
 "Here, Joe, are some fine apples," she said as she 
 sat down on the grass close by the hammock that 
 Joe was lounging in. 
 
 "Yes, I believe I'll have a couple." 
 
 "I wish I could have gone with you. Boys always 
 have a better time than girls; they can go every where 
 and do every and anything." 
 
 "Well, you see girls ain't built that way." 
 
 "Now,I'll go right in the house, if you don't hush 
 talking so. " 
 
 "Well, go; I'm not dying for your society." 
 
 "Oh, Joe; and I'm going away to school day after 
 to-morrow. " 
 
 "So soon, Agnes?" and Joe sat straight up. 
 
 "Yes, school opens on the seventh, and this is the 
 fifth." 
 
 "I don't go for ten days yet, and I didn't think of 
 your going so soon. Talk away; I'll answer." 
 
 "Well, who did you see when you were away? 
 Frank Farley?" 
 
 "No." 
 
 "Jaspar Godwin?" 
 "No." 
 
40 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "Who then?" 
 
 "George Sanderson, for one." 
 
 Agnes' heart beat strangely, but she tried to dis- 
 guise her interest. 
 
 "He gave me his picture; would you like to see 
 it?" 
 
 "Yes, sometime when it won't bother you too 
 much." 
 
 "All right, sometime then." 
 "Where does he live now?" 
 
 "Wherever his hat's off. He's a temperance lec- 
 turer. ' ' 
 
 "A temperance lecturer!" Agnes echoed. 
 
 "Yes. After he left here he drifted around for 
 a while, finally turning up at his uncle's, who sent 
 him away to be treated for inebriety and then to 
 school for a couple of years. Then George entered 
 the lecture field and has been lecturing ever since. 
 He asked all about you; if you were married or had 
 prospects of that sort. I wanted to bring him home 
 with me and he wanted to come, but he had appoint- 
 ments for the next three weeks and I told him that 
 we would both leave for school inside of that time." 
 
 "Did you hear him lecture?" 
 
 "No. He spoke the first night we were camping. 
 We slept in the tent but took our meals at the hotel, 
 and while I was eating breakfast the next morning 
 he came in." Joe watched Agnes as he talked, and 
 fancied her remembrance of George boded ill for the 
 Englishman. 
 
 "Well, I must go in, Agnes. I haven't unpacked 
 my grip yet. ' ' 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 41 
 
 "Shan't I help you?" she said, getting up as he 
 did. 
 
 "I don't need you particularly;" and then as he 
 looked into the pretty, childish face, so troubled and 
 sweet, his heart smote him. 
 
 ••Yes, come along. Maybe you can help me; I 
 think there are some buttons off that you might fix." 
 
 Agnes didn't wait for a second invitation, but 
 grabbed hold of Joe's natty coat and walked along 
 by his side. Upon reaching the room Joe unlocked 
 a leathern grip and she began with trembling 
 ringers to take out garment after garment. She saw 
 no picture and wanted to ask about it. but couldn't 
 bring herself to do so. 
 
 "Is this all, Joe?" she asked. "Where do you 
 want the buttons?" 
 
 "Here, on this coat — and here is the picture. " He 
 tossed it on the bed, and seeing how her face paled, 
 in kindness turned away and busied himself at the 
 washstand. 
 
 "Let me take the coat to my room, Joe; the light 
 is better there than here," and with a very sober 
 face, Agnes sought her own room. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 The Young Ladies' Seminary in the town of L 
 
 is a large brick structure. A commodious boarding 
 hall stands at its left and both buildings are sur- 
 rounded by a prettily arranged but somewhat limited 
 campus. 
 
42 
 
 A NEW WOMAN. 
 
 It is the fourteenth of September. The little, cau- 
 tious matron was engaged in some overseeing of serv- 
 ants, when she was summoned to the reception 
 room. Hastily smoothing her hair, ruffling her 
 bangs and donning her professional countenance, she 
 passed into the parlor. 
 
 A tall girl in a jaunty traveling dress arose and came 
 toward her. "My name is Helen Herman, " the young 
 woman said in an unabashed, natural way, "and I 
 came to see about admission to the school." 
 
 "The school is full and the dormitory nearly so; 
 we might make arrangements for one more. I see 
 no reason why you should not be admitted to the 
 school, supposing you to be of good character, of 
 course." Here the matron stopped as if she had 
 asked a question and she really did expect some kind 
 of assurance. 
 
 "I guess my character is ordinarily good, "the 
 new-comer said with a half sarcastic smile. 
 
 "What do you mean by 'ordinarily good?'" the 
 cautious little matron said, as she stepped back. 
 
 "Why, that I am as good as the ordinary woman 
 of to-day. I have plenty of money and consequently 
 am not tempted to steal. I have always gone to 
 school ; have associated very little with men, so I 
 suppose would not be considered fast." 
 
 "But have you no letter from your parents or 
 guardian?" 
 
 "My parents are dead. I never had a guardian 
 except my nurse, who died about two years ago ; there 
 are trustees who manage the estate; but T am my 
 own architect; I make and execute my own laws." 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 43 
 
 "Have you any relatives? Are you utterly alone 
 in the world?" 
 "Yes." 
 
 "How sensible of you to come here I Most girls 
 would have rushed off to a mixed school and placed 
 themselves in imminent danger. So young and 
 friendless and pretty, too, I think, if you had your 
 veil off." 
 
 "I am in my twentieth year. " 
 
 "Yes, very young, as I said." 
 
 "I admit that generally speaking it is young," 
 Helen said crisply. 
 
 "I don't quite understand." 
 
 "Well, no matter." Helen turned away and looked 
 at some blooming plants on a stand beside her. 
 
 "I will go and see about a room for you. Nearly 
 all of the rooms have two occupants. Miss Easton, 
 a congressman's daughter, has no one with her. Do 
 you think that you would like to room with her; she 
 is a very sweet, nice girl?" 
 
 "Yes, anywhere." 
 
 "I will go at once. " 
 
 "But wait. There is a consideration that must be 
 mentioned. I see by this catalogue that the students 
 are not allowed, to take lessons outside of the semi- 
 nary. " 
 
 "That is one of the rules, but I can see no reason 
 why any one should wish to do so. We furnish the 
 best teachers in every branch — music, French, Ger- 
 man, Italian, and .everything that a finished lady re- 
 quires. " 
 
 "But voice training, reading, speaking and acting. " 
 "We have a good elocutionist." 
 
44 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "That won't do. I mean some one who teaches act- 
 ing — fits one for the stage." 
 
 "We have no instruction of that sort; we do not 
 turn out actresses, but educate and finish girls for 
 society." 
 
 "That is what T thought. But within a hundred 
 miles of here there is a man who does such work, 
 and I came here thinking that I could attend my 
 books through the week and leave here on Friday 
 afternoon at three o'clock, and get there in time to 
 take a lesson that evening. Then I could easily take 
 two more next day before the return train." 
 
 "I don't think it will be permitted. However, if 
 you desire, I will lay the proposition before the fac- 
 ulty." 
 
 "Do so, please, and say that if I am not accorded 
 this privilege I will not remain." 
 
 The matron left the room for some moments, and 
 returning, bade the new girl meet the faculty in the 
 reception room immediately after dinner. 
 
 Helen presented herself at the appointed time be- 
 fore a staff that consisted of a dozen women of va- 
 rious types and ages. She sat down in the nearest 
 chair and waited to be questioned. With hat, veil 
 and ulster removed, she presented a striking picture. 
 She was tall, athletic, with a fine forehead, large 
 expressive gray eyes, a straight nose and mouth, not 
 of the rosebud sort, but indicative of a strong char- 
 acter. Her complexion, too, was one that no amount 
 of bicycle riding could render less delicate and bloom- 
 ing. She was not pretty, nor yet beautiful, but she 
 excited admiration. The monotony of life 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 45 
 
 seemed broken when in the presence of this 
 thoughtful, original girl; and it seemed impossible, 
 ridiculous, to urge conformity on one so independ- 
 ent and irrepressible. 
 
 "We understand, Miss Herman, that you are de- 
 sirous of entering our school, but conditionally. 
 
 You wish to be permitted to go to M for lessons 
 
 in histrionism. " 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "It is against the rules. " The principal, a mas- 
 culine looking woman, acted as spokesman, and as 
 she said this she removed her glasses and looked in- 
 tently at Helen. 
 
 "Yes, I was so informed by the matron, but that 
 is the only condition upon which I will enter this or 
 any other school. I want to take the regular course, 
 but I also expect to take training in my special line. " 
 
 "Is it your intention to choose the stage as your 
 regular profession?" 
 
 "I have already done so." 
 
 "From necessity or choice." 
 
 "From choice." 
 
 "I do not approve of your ambition, but — don't 
 you think you might be persuaded to abandon your 
 intention?" 
 
 "I am very sure that I cannot be persuaded to give 
 up something I want — something there is no plausi- 
 ble reason for giving up." 
 
 "How old are you?" 
 
 "I'll be twenty my next birthday." Helen an- 
 swered all questions respectfully, yet with an under- 
 tone of quiet determination. The sharp-faced, 
 
46 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 masculine woman saw it useless to argue further, and 
 for a moment was carried back to the days of her own 
 youth, when she too had cherished ambitions. "Life 
 has just so many storms, anyway," she thought. 
 "Why cramp the bud that is trying to open; why not 
 let it blossom and rear its head if it will, just as 
 we allow a quiet, modest one to droop and cling?" 
 Then she spoke. "Well, Miss Herman, I have noth- 
 ing further to say. I think if the faculty will 
 express itself, we may come to an understanding. " 
 So saying, she turned to the long row; but nothing 
 was offered. Miss Vance was their oracle, and things 
 went as she said. 
 
 "Has any one anything to say?" she asked. 
 
 "I think if our principal agrees to the young lady's 
 proposition, we have no objections to offer," some 
 one in the row replied. 
 
 So that was settled and the room question, too, 
 and the new pupil was shown quarters with Agnes 
 Easton, our congressman's daughter. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 The matron escorted Helen to her room. "Miss 
 Herman, this is your room-mate, Miss Easton," and 
 Helen, who gloried in health and spirits, saw before 
 her, half reclining in a chair, the small, fragile form 
 of Agnes, with her fair hair falling in soft masses 
 about her sweet face, her head bound in a white 
 cloth which she constantly wet from a bowl of ice- 
 water. 
 
 "Poor child, does your head still ache?" the ma- 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 47 
 
 tron asked kindly, then turning to Helen said: "Miss 
 Easton is subject to nervous headache and at such 
 times cannot endure noise." 
 
 Now, to Helen, this fair girl, suffering with the 
 headache, looked almost contemptible, and a smile 
 indicative of this feeling unconsciously settled upon 
 her face, which made the timid Agnes think her re- 
 pulsive. 
 
 "Certainly, I shall be as quiet as possible, since 
 Miss Easton is kind enough to share her room with 
 a stranger, but I am so strong and healthy myself 
 that I haven't much patience with people who are 
 afflicted with headaches and hysterical attacks." 
 
 The matron stared at her in undisguised astonish- 
 ment, too astounded to speak. Helen stepped into 
 the hall, took hold of her large Saratoga trunk, and 
 with scarcely an effort dragged it into the room and 
 proceeded to unstrap it. 
 
 "We keep a man for such work, and I will send 
 him up if you will wait a minute," said the matron. 
 
 "I am my own man," Helen said, smiling, as she 
 grasped the second strap firmly with her white, 
 shapely, but strong hands and unbuckled it quickly. 
 "But my wheel is at the station and I would like to 
 have it brought, or be allowed to go for it. What 
 hours do we have for recreation?" 
 
 "We have forty minutes in the morning in the 
 gymnasium and an hour after supper to walk or 
 ride. You may go for your bicycle; a number of the 
 girls have them and others are going to get them," 
 the matron replied and then left the room. 
 
 Agnes sat watching this independent, and to her, 
 
48 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 almost miraculous young woman, unpacking her 
 trunk, but no words were spoken. Helen was not so 
 indifferent as she seemed, for occasionally she cast 
 sly glances at the big chair and was secretly forming 
 an estimate of its occupant, mentally soliloquizing. 
 
 "What does she read, what does she talk about? I 
 wonder if she is bright and interesting or as soft and 
 insipid as she looks — a figure-head at home, at 
 school, and in society. I shan't like her, I know; 
 such a face is well enough on a girl baby, but not on 
 a girl of seventeen or eighteen, especially in this day 
 and age, when women are taking their stand shoulder 
 to shoulder with men, mentally and physically; be- 
 sides, she has nervous headache, and I can't endure 
 nervous people. Such as she, are of no consequence 
 in this world, or the next either, for that matter." 
 
 And Agnes, though awestruck, was anything but 
 pleased with the prospects of association with such a 
 creature. But they were both women and young, and 
 propinquity means more than affinity nine times out 
 often; so they gradually grew friendly enough to 
 talk, though in a cold, indifferent way. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 One evening, a few weeks later, Helen and Agnes 
 had entered, with more warmth than usual, into their 
 conversation. 
 
 "I tell you," Helen said," that I have a supreme 
 contempt for three-fourths of the women. I don't 
 say so before men, but I do believe it's the truth that 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 49 
 
 men have better sense than women. Women are 
 always running after style, and the more disgusting 
 it is, the better they like it. One season it is big 
 hats and the next but the barest suggestion of head- 
 gear; one year it's voluminous sleeves and the next 
 they're tight as the skin. We drag our skirts in the 
 mud, daub our faces, pencil our eyebrows, and color 
 our lips. We say limb when we mean leg; we try to 
 look indignant when a man has addressed us in an 
 offensive manner. Bah! I despise the weakness 
 of my sex. I despise the woman who brings suit for 
 a breach of promise and admits she has been whee- 
 dled out of her virtue, as the world chooses to call it ; 
 but one thing sure, it is something she surrenders 
 willingly and without question to the first invader." 
 
 "And I think we ought not to lay so much stress 
 on these surface faults; we ought to look deeper for 
 the spring that flows from the heart. These faults 
 that you mention are only weaknesses of the human 
 nature; it is only the poor blighted flower that tries 
 to look as beautiful as its neighbor. It is natural 
 for women to desire beauty, and it is right. We don't 
 like a careless, slatternly woman who pays no atten- 
 tion to her dress or hair, or any one who outrages all 
 the laws of society and embarrasses eveiwbody with 
 her eccentricities. Why don't you wear the old short- 
 waisted, flowing-sleeve dresses; why don't you let 
 your hair hang down your back in curls and wear 
 shaker bonnets?" 
 
 "Why, such a dress would be neither pretty nor 
 sensible. " 
 
 "Certainly not, nor does your fair face need pow- 
 
50 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 der, nor your hair the curling iron. And did it ever 
 occur to you that you wear your hair in just the way 
 it is most becoming, and that your dresses, a trifle 
 short, display a neat arched foot and a well turned 
 ankle?" 
 
 "Just exactly! you are no more charitable than I 
 am. Because my dresses are short for convenience, 
 you say it is to show a good foot; if I wore them 
 long enough to sweep the ground you would say that 
 I wanted to hide an ugly foot." 
 
 "No, I didn't say that either; but, candidly, if 
 you had big, ugly feet and awkward ankles, would 
 you wear your skirts so short?" 
 
 Helen stammered and blushed at this good-natured 
 but pointed question. 
 
 "I am sure I don't know, " she finally said. "I 
 don't see why any woman should have ugly feet if 
 she wears neat-fitting shoes, neither too large nor 
 too small. I think women are running big shoes as 
 much to the extreme as they ever did the small 
 ones. " 
 
 "Well, Miss Herman, I know this: that we can 
 see the mote in our neighbor's eye when we can't see 
 the beam in our own. Don't tell me that you are 
 utterly indifferent to the beauty and brilliancy of 
 your eyes, or the curl of that mobile lip — now, just 
 now," said Agnes, catching a hand mirror from the 
 dresser and holding it up to Helen's face, "nor of 
 your hair that scorns the curling iron." 
 
 "But why don't women pay more attention to 
 their mental faculties and depend more upon the im- 
 pression made by the mind instead of that made by 
 the dress and face?" 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 51 
 
 "Why, there has never been a time when women 
 read and thought and studied as they do to-day." 
 
 "I know that, and I know, too, that there has 
 never been a time when women affected so much 
 as they do to-day. We are not natural; we only 
 affect to be natural. We don't laugh; we only sim- 
 per and giggle. " 
 
 "And aren't you disgusted with the woman whose 
 laugh is loud and coarse, and who pitches her voice 
 way up in G for common conversation?" 
 
 "Isn't that affectation; isn't the loud, coarse laugh 
 affected often?" 
 
 "I think a loud voice is very natural with some 
 people. " 
 
 "Not with well-bred people," Helen said. 
 "So then you admit that people need a little cult- 
 ure?" 
 
 "Oh, let up." Helen saw that she was partly van- 
 quished and her astonishment was unbounded; this 
 shy, quiet girl had a few ideas, whether her face in- 
 dicated it or not. "Of course. I suppose nearly all 
 of us need training; but oughtn't the pine grow 
 straight without being propped. The bird flies 
 straight without lessons; so should man or woman 
 grow honorable, pare and noble without training." 
 
 Agnes was trying to think of an answer, when 
 there was a knock at the door and a letter was handed 
 in for her. She looked at the address and knew 
 it was not from home; she looked at the postmark, 
 that, too, was strange; and wondering who in the 
 world it was from, opened it and read; 
 
52 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "Ever Remembered Friend: — 
 
 "I suspected that our correspondence was broken off 
 by others than yourself, and Joe's conversation ver- 
 ified rny belief. Of course he has told you something 
 of our meeting and probably something of our talk 
 and what I am now doing: Although I had but a 
 short talk with him, I learned that you were still 
 'heart-whole and fancy free, ' and I believe he would 
 still be our friend and confidant. 
 
 "Dear little Agnes, I have thought of nothing else 
 these three weeks but a renewal of the relation we 
 once sustained. We were young then and perhaps 
 a little foolish, but our love was sincere; and I would 
 give worlds to know myself still the object of your 
 love. 
 
 "I will be without appointments a few days next 
 week and will take the liberty to come to see you, 
 when I hope to be given, if not an assurance of your 
 love, at least your consent to my winning it. 
 
 "As ever, Geo. Sanderson." 
 
 While Agnes was reading, Helen was doing some 
 troubled thinking. Was it true, as Agnes had said, 
 that her indifference to personal beauty and attract- 
 ive power was simply because she possessed such 
 without thought or effort? Her very unconsciousness 
 grew out of an inborn consciousness. She needed not 
 to pick her words or guard her acts; she could rush 
 boldly in and conquer without a thought. She had 
 been elected president of the girls' society by a unan- 
 imous vote and could dictate among the girls with- 
 out question. "It's magnetism," she said to herself, 
 "it's magnetism; I always believed in magnetism. 
 I always knew I could act in almost any society un- 
 questioned. It's not beauty, for Cleonice Dupont is 
 better looking than I, and the girls don't like her 
 
NEW WOMAN 
 
 53 
 
 and she doesn't like them, but she likes me." Here 
 she looked up, and seeing Agnes in tear.-?, kindly left 
 the room. 
 
 She walked out on the" broad stone walk and on, 
 and on; she would go on. walking anywhere to be 
 alone to think. Again and again she stopped in 
 doubt and perplexity; she felt almost disgusted with 
 herself. Could it be that she was selfish, careless of 
 other people's feelings? No, she knew better; she, 
 with her high resolves and noble ideas; she was only 
 schooling herself for a more useful position, a higher 
 place than chairman of a girls' society. 
 
 The sun sank and still she strolled on with eyes 
 staring far. far away, and mind and heart still farther 
 away. This strange girl, who was only nineteen 
 years old, but truly and honestly wanted to be thirty 
 or more, not because she wanted to look old, or 
 feel old, but that she might know more; she had 
 crowded all the knowledge possible into her brief 
 life and was still thirsting for more. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Helen had been in school about three weeks when 
 it came her turn to conduct morning devotionals. 
 She declined in a very quiet but determined manner 
 
 Instantly every eye was upon her. Some looked 
 placidly indifferent; others, shocked; poor Agnes 
 embarrassed, but a dark, handsome girl across the 
 aisle smiled her approval. 
 
54 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 The difficulty was overcome immediately by the 
 next girl in the order of rotation being called. She 
 responded promptly and prayed for those who were 
 lukewarm, those who were timid and thoughtless, 
 and those who were out of the fold. She made a 
 very nice prayer; that is, she chose nice words; her 
 tone was neither too loud nor too soft; she kept 
 them kneeling just the proper length of time. All 
 except Helen and Cleonice Dupont rose feeling sat- 
 isfied with themselves, comforted by the knowledge 
 that a Christian duty had been performed. The row 
 of bowed heads disgusted Helen, and to think that 
 she was conforming in even the matter of attitude 
 made her feel herself the most contemptible of all. 
 
 That evening Agnes embraced the very first op- 
 portunity to ask Helen's reason for her strange act. 
 
 "Why, I think it was said much better than I 
 could have done. " 
 
 "That is neither here nor there. All of the girls 
 lead when their turn comes and it was your turn." 
 
 "Well, I don't believe in praying by turns any 
 more than I believe in bathing by turns ; suppose I 
 bathe to-day and you to-morrow and Cleonice the 
 next day and so on." 
 
 "That is quite a different thing." 
 
 "But praying by turns and at stated times is quite 
 as ridiculous to me. Pretty soon we'll have nickel- 
 in-the-slot prayers." 
 
 "I'm shocked." 
 
 "So am I," Helen answered provokingly. 
 
 "I mean, I am shocked at you." 
 
 "And I'm shocked at other people; the lack of sin- 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 55 
 
 cerity in everything. Pray with the mouth, bow the 
 knee as the clock ticks out the regular time for do- 
 ing so. You can't understand how I look upon it 
 or how I feel toward such form and system in relig- 
 ion. " 
 
 "But custom has made some things. 
 
 "Custom hasn't made me, thank heaven."' 
 
 "But don't you believe in prayer?" Agnes asked in 
 despair. 
 
 "Not those that are premeditated and seasoned to 
 the taste, and then at the right moment allowed to 
 glide slowly and prettily over the lips." 
 
 "Suppose some evening in the society, you told 
 those, and only those who had prayer in their hearts, 
 to kneel and pray quietly at their chairs, how many 
 do you suppose would do so, even if some were in 
 the mood to pray?" 
 
 "None probably. " 
 
 "Then if people won't pray when they do feel like 
 it, is it worse to do so when they don't feel like it 
 than to abstain altogether?" 
 
 "You forget that we can pray without kneeling; 
 the Lord has commanded us to pray in our closets, 
 that is, in secret, and not to sound a trumpet before 
 us when we do alms, and a number of other things 
 that we don't care to heed.-' 
 
 "And He also said. 'He that is without sin cast 
 the first stone. ; I think about people as the sculp- 
 tor did about the piece of marble, that there was an 
 angel in it. I think we all have our angel side, even 
 you. Helen, who try to do everything unnaturally 
 or in an odd way. You are the queerest girl, Miss 
 Herman. What does make you so?" 
 
56 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "Well, you see I was 'brought up by hand. ' I have 
 been an orphan since I was a year old ; I always had 
 my own way, pretty much, both at home and at 
 school. You see, you've been dieted and trained up 
 while I, like Topsy, have 'just growed' ; consequently 
 I am strong and healthy and spirited. I would just 
 defy any man of my size to endure more than I. But 
 you have a lame back and a head not much better. " 
 
 "No, Miss Herman, there is just no use talking; 
 you are naturally stronger. I wouldn't dare do such 
 things as you do. Why, it would give me a fearful 
 cold to sleep in a draught, and the way you get your 
 feet wet would just kill me, I know it would. I have 
 the headache an awful lot, oftener than I used to; 
 I don't think I'm as strong as I was once," Agnes 
 said wearily, taking a pillow from the bed and put- 
 ting it behind her head. Then she opened a text- 
 book and began studying. 
 
 Helen stood watching her a moment and then 
 turned and left the room. 
 
 A few moments later she knocked at a door across 
 the hall, which was immediately opened by Cleonice 
 Dupont, a tall, handsome, but fierce looking woman. 
 "Oh, Miss Herman, I am so glad to see you; my 
 room-mate is calling and I am alone. I have been 
 trying all day to get a chance to tell you how glad 
 I am to see one girl anywhere who has the" nerve to 
 be independent; it does take nerve, I know. I 
 couldn't do what you did, but I just wanted to say 
 'amen' when you said so politely, 'I beg to be ex- 
 cused.' I liked you the moment I saw you; so mag- 
 nificently independent. I can guess your politics, I 
 warrant." 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 57 
 
 "Well, try." 
 
 "You are an anarchist." 
 
 "Why, anarchists are not politicians. They argue 
 with revolver and dynamite instead of brains. No, 
 I'm not an anarchist." 
 
 "Well, you are a Populist; that's the next thing. " 
 
 "Populist or Democrat, it's all the same; they ad- 
 vocate the same principles." 
 
 "Well, Democrat, Populist or anarchist; I like you 
 and always have since I have known you, and you 
 have arisen greatly in my estimation since morning. 
 We pray the good Lord to continue to bless us, when 
 He never has blessed us,and thank Him for blessings 
 we have never received; thank Him because it has 
 not been His pleasure to cast us into hell, as Holy 
 Willy says." 
 
 Helen felt a little shocked at this woman's bitter 
 denunciation of prayer and things sacred. 
 
 "Well, MissDupont, I don't agree with you, either. 
 I do pray. It is this formal praying, this systematic 
 way of worshiping God that I object to, for the reas- 
 on that it seems sacrilegious to me. If we are in 
 trouble it isn't necessary for us to be told to pray. 
 Why, we pray naturally, just as we drink w r ater when 
 we are thirsty. Then if we are happy, overjoyed, 
 don't we say, 'Thank Heaven;' don't we feel kindly 
 toward everybody; do not our glad hearts and 
 smiling faces thank God? It is done silently as 
 the parched and withering flowers manifest their 
 gratitude for the rain. You know we shall not be 
 heard for much speaking." 
 
 "Then do you believe in the Bible?" Cleonice 
 asked. 
 
58 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "Yes, don't you?" 
 
 "Why, no, I can't believe it; it is just one con- 
 tradiction after another." 
 
 "Well, I've had to study it a good deal and do so 
 yet; and lots of things that were impossible for me 
 to understand at first, are clear to-day." 
 
 "Then how is it that they hold great revivals and 
 try to convert people who know little or nothing 
 about the Bible, little children, for instance, and 
 fill up their churches with the ignorant as well as 
 the wise?" 
 
 "That has been a mystery to me always; but I 
 have known people who have declared that their con- 
 version had been instantaneous. It wasn't so with 
 me; I had to satisfy my reason first. I don't know 
 when I was converted, when it commenced and 
 where it left off. I only know that five years ago I 
 didn't look upon things as I do now, and hadn't the 
 faith I now have. And I suppose I'll grow stronger 
 in faith as I grow older, at least, I hope so." 
 
 "Well, we are all accorded the privilege of believ- 
 ing as we want to, or rather, as we must, for the will 
 has nothing to do with it. I can't make the Bible 
 agree with me, and I can't possibly agree with it, so 
 I let it alone entirely. But we won't quarrel over 
 trivial matters. Let's drink to good fellowship and 
 mutual disagreement." So saying, Cleonice went to 
 the drawer and came back with a bottle of wine and 
 two glasses. 
 
 "You must excuse me, Miss Dupont, but I don't 
 drink wine. " 
 "What!" 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 59 
 
 "I don't drink wine," Helen repeated 
 
 "You don't? All right Ihen, I shall only have 
 the more for myself," Cleonice said good-naturedly, 
 and proceeded to empty a glass at one draught. u Eut 
 I confess that I am surprised. " 
 
 Helen frowned. "Why are you surprised?" 
 
 "I can hardly explain, but from your looks and 
 actions, I supposed that you had too much nerve to 
 hesitate to do things that nice, moral people might con- 
 demn; that is, I thought you were not afraid to do 
 things that look questionable." 
 
 "Miss Dupont, you don't understand me at all!" 
 Helen said decidedly. "I might do things that look 
 questionable, but I don't do things that are ques- 
 tionable. You don't understand me." 
 
 "Well, I'm beginning to. You are much better 
 than you would have people believe. I can hardly 
 understand, though, how you came to be elected pres- 
 ident of the society. Anna Boyd hated to give it 
 up and a dozen of the other girls wanted it. Some- 
 how you seem to command in some indescribable 
 way; you wanted to be elected and you were. The 
 girls and even the faculty all admire you and listen 
 to you, and yet none of them are very fond of you. 
 No girl ever throws her arm around you and whispers 
 a secret to you; that isn't the way you excite regard; 
 you command respect rather than affection. What 
 a politician you would make if you were a man I 
 Don't you wish you were? And what a fine looking 
 man you would make! your features are just a little 
 too pronounced for a beautiful woman, as you would 
 undoubtedly be called in society." 
 
60 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "Why, it is supper time," Helen said, looking at 
 her watch. "I must go to my room," and as she 
 went she kept saying to herself, "Respect, rather 
 than affection; that is what I want, of course it is. 
 I don't want love. I wouldn't be a success if people 
 loved me ; it would make me weak and I should fail. 
 I must be admired for my unyielding principles and 
 .noble aspirations, not for any pretty frivolous ways. 
 My beauty is masculine, thank heaven, it is!" and 
 repeating "Spartacus to the Gladiators, " she tripped 
 lightly to her room, brushed her hair back from her 
 fine forehead in a masculine fashion, and hurried 
 down to supper. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 When it came Agnes' tarn to lead in morning ex- 
 ercises, she selected a portion of the seventh chapter 
 of Matthew. 
 
 "'Judge not that ye be not judged. 
 
 "'For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be 
 judged: and with what measure ye mete it shall be 
 measured to you again. 
 
 "'And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy 
 brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is 
 in thine own eye? 
 
 "'Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, "Let me 
 pull out the mote out of thine eye;" and behold a 
 beam is in thine own eye. 
 
 "'Thou hypocrite; first cast out the beam out of 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 61 
 
 thine own eye; and then thou shalt see ciearly to 
 cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.'" 
 
 As they knelt, Cleonice cast a significant glance at 
 Helen, but it was lost. Helen's head had been bowed 
 during the reading; the words, which in someway 
 took on a new meaning under Agnes' reading, in- 
 duced the same. state of mind that her friend's ques- 
 tions frequently did. 
 
 As they passed out Helen heard a wicked voice — 
 "Now there is work for us; we must fish for the 
 beams. Maybe that is what ailed me all my life 
 and — " .Here Helen, with a dark frown, turned ab- 
 ruptly into a class room. 
 
 That evening upon returning from a walk, Helen 
 found Agnes sitting with a book in her lap, gazing 
 vacantly out of the window. 
 
 "What are you reading?" she asked. 
 
 "I have just finished 'The Last of the Barons,' by 
 Lord Lytton." 
 
 "Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton, you mean. There 
 has been any quantity of Lord Lyttons, and several 
 authors among them; but the series in the library 
 are the works of Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton. What 
 a man he was, if he did happen to be an Englishman ! 
 Isn't that perfectly splendid?" 
 
 "Yes, I like it tolerably well. This is the first 
 time I've read it and it's the only one of his that 
 I've read. " 
 
 "It is? Why, I've read them all. I read that when 
 I was only fifteen years old. I've read all of Scott's, 
 and all of Dickens', and all of George Elliot's and 
 all of Thackeray's, and all of Lew Wallace's, up to 
 
62 
 
 A NEW WWMAN 
 
 date, and Hypatia — that's all of Kingsley's I've read." 
 
 Helen paused, quite out of breath. 
 
 ••Well, you've read everything. I don't expect to 
 read as much while I live as you have read already." 
 
 "No, I haven't read one-tenth — um— one-hun- 
 dredth as much as I expect to, only I wish I'd not 
 read all of those wonderful works of fiction." 
 
 "Why?" 
 
 "Because there's nothing left of this wonderful 
 line to read. Yes, we've still Lew Wallace, but what 
 it takes him years to write, we can read in a few 
 days. ? ' 
 
 "You're a sort of Alexander." 
 
 "Oh, there's plenty of literature of other kinds — 
 history, philosophy and scientific works. But Sir 
 Edward Bulwer Lytton was a historian, philosopher, 
 and novelist combined; there's more philosophy than 
 romance in some of his works." 
 
 "And what do you think of this one?" 
 
 "I think it his strongest, though I believe the crit- 
 ics pronounce 'What Will He Do With It?' the 
 best," 
 
 "What character did you like best?" 
 
 "I admired the Earl of Warwick most, but was 
 more interested in old man Warner and Dick Al- 
 wyn. " 
 
 -Why, I thought Lord Hastings was the hero." 
 "He was, of the romance. I liked him for a while, 
 but I despised him in the end." 
 
 "Why?" asked Agnes with pretended indifference, 
 still looking out of the window. 
 
 "Why? Because he deceived Sybil. I didn't 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 63 
 
 admire her style, but he should have done as he 
 promised, even if he did find another woman more 
 to his fancy. " 
 
 "It is wrong, then, to betray — " 
 
 "It is the meanest thing on earth. I wouldn't 
 betray the devil if he trusted me." 
 
 Agnes did not reply, but turned her face from 
 Helen and sighed deeply. Just then some one rapped, 
 and it proved to be the matron with a card for 
 Agnes. "There is a young gentleman in the parlor 
 to see you," she said. "He says he is an old friend 
 of your family — that he used to work for your father. 
 You know, MissEaston, that the rules forbid a young 
 lady from receiving visits from a young gentleman, 
 unless they are engaged. Are you and — " 
 
 "No, " Agnes faltered, catching hold of the back 
 of a chair for support. 
 
 "He didn't state in what capacity he served in 
 your father's household. Now, was he coachman?" 
 
 "Oh, no, he was papa's confidential — " 
 
 "You see we can't be too careful. You say you're 
 not engaged?" Here Helen in half pity for the em- 
 barrassed Agnes, disgusted with such inquisitorial 
 proceedings, interposed: 
 
 "Miss Scott, you are not exactly fair with Miss 
 Easton. She is not engaged to the man at present, 
 but you see she might be before she leaves him. You 
 don't prohibit the students from becoming engaged, 
 do you?" 
 
 "Oh, no, certainly, but we must be careful. You 
 know engagements might be entered into which 
 would not be agreeable to the parents. I would go 
 
64 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 to the reception room with her, but I must go down- 
 town at once. The bank closes in twenty minutes, " 
 she said, looking at her watch. 
 
 "Why can't I go with her?" Helen asked. 
 
 "Well, that might do. Yes, go with her — but I 
 can't spare another minute." 
 
 "Wait," Helen called after her as she was descend- 
 ing the stairs, "I forgot, I have an appointment; 
 I can't go with her." 
 
 "Very well, she will have to — " Helen missed hear- 
 ing the last word, for the matron did not speak dis- 
 tinctly, provoked at having to answer at all in such 
 a place and on such a subject. 
 
 "It's all right, Miss Easton, " Helen said, stepping 
 back into the room where Agnes was lying in a con- 
 fused little heap among the pillows on the sofa. It 
 was with some difficulty that Agnes made herself 
 presentable, and 'twas a sorry, tear-stained face that 
 greeted the hopeful, almost happy young lover. 
 "What is it, Aggie? Wouldn't they let you see me? 
 Well, it needn't be long until — " Here Agnes broke 
 into tears and tried to say something about her en- 
 gagement; but her love, long slumbering, awoke and 
 was too strong for concealment. Her lover gathered 
 her in his arms and had poured forth a torrent of 
 endearing terms, before she could find words to tell 
 him that it must not be. "But you love me, Aggie, 
 don't you?" he expostulated when she finally suc- 
 ceeded in making him understand that somebody 
 else, somewhere, had usurped his place. "Oh, George 
 — but I mustn't even listen to you now," and gath- 
 ering all her force, she bade him good-bye. 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 65 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 "How good of you to cornel" Cleonice Dupont said 
 upon opening the door for Helen; "I am nearly al- 
 ways alone; my room-mate cliques with that stupid 
 Miss Jones, and is with her every idle minute. What 
 fools girls are! Each one has a bosom friend to whom 
 every secret must be told, and that bosom friend 
 promptly repeats it to her chum and so on. I find 
 it the best plan to keep one's secrets to one's self, 
 don't you?" 
 
 "Every one to his taste, but I have no secrets that 
 would interest any one." 
 
 "Let me see, I believe you do not drink, but I do, 
 and I want some now. I always need a stimulant 
 when I talk with you; you don't talk nonsense like 
 most of girls. Why, I could talk to my room-mate 
 in my sleep and she wouldn't know the difference. 
 But why don't you drink wine? Don't you like the 
 taste of it, or is it the effects you're afraid of?" 
 
 "It is because I believe in total abstinence. No 
 one courts the effects and I don't know anything 
 about the taste. " 
 
 "That's all right for you, but you and I are very 
 different women ; you have something to live for and 
 somebody, and I haven't." 
 
 "Yes, I've something to live for, an object, as 
 every one has, but I have no particular person or per- 
 sons to live for. " 
 
 "Why, haven't you parents, brothers and sisters, 
 somebody?" 
 
66 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "No one. I'm an orphan without relatives; so you 
 see, I have no more than you to make life worth liv- 
 ing. " 
 
 "Then why do you live?" 
 
 "That's a queer question. I never thought sane 
 people raised the to-be-or-not-to-be question. I am 
 sure all of my hopes and ambitions are of the sort to 
 be realized hereupon earth. Why, I've never thought 
 of not living, but I've thought a great deal about liv- 
 ing. You see I've a mission to fulfill." 
 
 "Oh, yes, I like to see a girl enthusiastic about her 
 mission, provided she subsides in time to save her- 
 self." 
 
 "From what?" 
 
 "Why, from folly," Cleonice answered with a 
 forced, mirthless laugh. 
 
 "Miss Dupont, you don't make yourself clear ; I'm 
 no wiser than I was." 
 
 "You may be innocent, Miss Herman, but you're 
 not ignorant. Folly in a woman means ruin." 
 
 "But why should — In what respects does it differ 
 from man's folly?" 
 
 "If you don't know, you'll find out before your 
 mission is fulfilled." 
 
 "But you don't know what my mission is." 
 
 "Don't I? Well, I think Ida Oh, you fancy 
 yourself standing before ten thousand eyes, arrayed 
 in the finest velvet and lace; blazing with jewels, and 
 —-oh, stuff 1" 
 
 Helen's face turned scarlet under Cleonice's gaze, 
 but she tried to reply with indifference: "You guess 
 pretty well, Miss Dupont; you are a good guesser. " 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 67 
 
 "It's no guess. Your face bespeaks your charac- 
 ter; I could almost read your life." 
 
 "Do, please. I have always wanted to have my 
 fortune told." 
 
 "I can't do that, but I can tell you what nature 
 has marked you for, if you will follow your reason 
 and do nothing rash." 
 
 "Very well, that will do." 
 
 "You are proud to a fault, sensitive, passionate, 
 putting your whole soul into everything you do, even 
 your bicycle riding. You are impulsive and at the 
 same time cautious; you look at all sides, but you 
 do it instantly. You may love, and deeply, but not 
 wholly. If you must surrender your ambitions it 
 will be with reluctance, perhaps with bitterness. I 
 couldn't imagine you romping with a laughing child 
 in a quiet, sheltered home, but I could well imagine 
 you with a hundred little gaping mouths and eager 
 countenances turned to you, as you in forcible, elo- 
 quent language delivered an address upon the neces- 
 sity of education, ethics or something equally idiotic 
 and beyond their minds. You would scarcely be at 
 ease caring for a sick person, but you might give or- 
 ders to a score of nurses. You could never be hap- 
 py in the love of one man, but you would be de- 
 lighted, inspired by the honorable admiration of a 
 thousand. But your room-mate, 'sweet fool, ' would 
 be divinely happy in a little secluded home, with 
 a lover for a husband, and curly-headed babes 
 for heavenly torture; she would be content and 
 true as steel. " 
 
 "Then ycu mean to insinuate that I would not be 
 true?" ' " 
 
68 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 ''Never pick a person up, Miss Herman; never 
 make him explain himself ; just draw your own con- 
 clusions in silence and stab back at the first oppor- 
 tunity. " 
 
 "You startle me. You have drawn my character 
 so truly, that I fancied you might see farther than 
 I, and discover insincerity." 
 
 "You would be true to a purpose, but I shouldn't 
 want to answer for your acts if you renounced your 
 liberty to think and do as you pleased, for the adora- 
 tion of a husband and the four walls of home. You 
 can cage a canary and it will love its captor, but 
 when you cage a lioness, you must ever be on the 
 watch lest in some unguarded moment she spring 
 upon her captor and devour him. Do you under- 
 stand?" 
 
 "Yes, too well. You have drawn a proud though 
 terrible picture. So I must avoid matrimony if I 
 would be happy and useful." 
 
 "Draw your own conclusions." 
 
 "And stab back?" 
 
 "That is your privilege, " Cleonice said, laughing. 
 
 "Well, thank you, but associating with you is 
 likely to make me conceited. I must go. Come and 
 see me sometime." 
 
 "Maybe, but I would rather you would come here, 
 instead. Miss Martin is always gone as soon as study 
 hours are over. I would just as soon go to your room, 
 but I don't think that little room-mate is much in 
 love with me. She shies off from me as if she 
 thought I would eat her. She needn't be afraid; I 
 wouldn't hurt the precious little cotton-head." 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 69 
 
 "For shame, Miss Dupont! I think she is nice 
 and good, although she doesn't interest me." 
 
 "Well, we won't quarrel. I think she is nice, too, 
 but of small consequence." 
 
 Helen went to her room feeling her power to her 
 very finger tips. After working off her surplus en- 
 ergy on "Spartacus to the Gladiators" and "Marco 
 Bozzaris" she thought to experiment with something 
 of a sentimental sort, and tried to render Maud Mul- 
 ler in what she thought the appropriate style, and 
 was struggling with the expression of the lines: 
 
 "Of all sad words of tongue or pen 
 The saddest are these: It might have been." 
 
 when Agnes with tear-stricken face entered the room. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 "We might be better friends," Agnes was saying 
 one cold winter evening as she and Helen sat in their 
 cozy room. As time had gone by they had become 
 better acquainted, but were no better friends than 
 at first. "I might be different, and you might be 
 different. " 
 
 "I don't dislike you, Miss Easton, at all, but we 
 don't interest each other. We don't read the same 
 books, talk on the same subjects nor admire the same 
 things, consequently we don't enjoy each other's 
 society — that's all." 
 
 "Miss Herman, I do like to hear you talk, only 
 you seem so unsympathetic. You use good language ; 
 
70 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 your extemporaneous speech last night was just splen- 
 did, but while you are sympathetic to the generality, 
 you are like ice to the individual." 
 
 "I have no sympathy for people's selfishness." 
 
 "But you don't know anything about my aims." 
 
 "Well, I know the ambition of all such girls as 
 yourself. Nearly every woman centers all of her aims 
 on some one man, whether he loves her or not. To 
 get married is her one hope, and her mind holds 
 nothing but her own little world. What has your 
 love affair to do with the questions that are perplex- 
 ing the world to-day; with the wide-spread home- 
 lessness, want and misery? What interest do you 
 feel in the doings of this Congress, which is expected 
 to adopt measures that will bring about better times? 
 Imagine yourself, Agnes, a laborer out of work, or 
 employed at starvation wages. How much heed are 
 you giving to the fact that thousands of mothers in 
 our own country are haggard with anxiety, heart- 
 broken at the future of their children?" 
 
 Agnes shuddered and her blue eyes filled with tears. 
 "Such things are terrible, I know; and Heaven knows, 
 I sympathize with the suffering and distress, but what 
 can I do? I can only pray and I do pray." 
 
 "'Prayer without works availeth nothing,' "Helen 
 said. 
 
 "If I can do anything, tell me what it is and I will 
 willingly and gladly do it. I always give when I am 
 solicited, and what more can I do; what more can 
 you do?" 
 
 "Tears do no good and prayers are but half. First 
 we must keep posted on the condition of things ; we 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 71 
 
 must read and investigate and think. If people had 
 done this, things would be far different. Men vote 
 blindly for certain men, whether those men are suffi- 
 ciently intelligent and honest or not, and then seem 
 to dismiss the subject of public welfare from their 
 minds, while the women, as a rule, see no connection 
 between their affairs and those of the nation, and 
 'twould do them no good if they did. How many of 
 the girls, do you suppose, read of what is going on 
 in Congress? Yet the question to-day is the poverty 
 question, and certainly woman has quite as much at 
 stake as man. We've got to think of these things. 
 I can't exactly explain the qualifications of the use- 
 ful woman, but I know you must think of being use- 
 ful and desire to be so; above all things disdain 
 petty selfishness, and live so as to force an acknowl- 
 edgment from every one that you are somebody and 
 can do something."' 
 
 "If I wanted advice upon any subject that required 
 brain power. I would go to you. but I'd as soon think 
 of pouring out my soul to the marble Venus in the 
 hall as to think of opening my heart to you." 
 
 "If you were troubled about something connected 
 with anything high and noble, you could, indeed, 
 depend upon me : but if it were about some trivial 
 personal affair, you might as well — I'd rather you'd 
 go to Venus. " 
 
 "Well, we won't talk about it any more; my head 
 aches so." 
 
 -•I'm not surprised; this room is stifling, I'm be- 
 ginning to feel languid and sleepy myself. I think I 
 shall go and see Miss Dupont ; she always stirs me 
 
72 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 up. By the way, has she ever been to school be- 
 fore?" 
 
 "No. You are such friends; I should think you 
 would have learned that from her." 
 
 "Well, I have never asked her; there are some 
 people, who, for some reason, one doesn't care to 
 question. How handsome she is and what a magnif- 
 icent form. " 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "I wonder if she is an American; she seems to 
 have a slight accent. Did you ever notice it?" 
 
 "Yes, her speech does seem a little peculiar, but 
 I never thought of it before." 
 
 "I think, Miss Easton, that if you would wrap a 
 shawl about your shoulders, open that window and 
 sit for half an hour with your head out you'd feel 
 better. I would get over the habit of having head- 
 aches if I were you. The time is fast approaching 
 when a woman will be as ashamed to confess having 
 a headache as she would now to having the itch. " 
 
 "Oh, you great goose! I think you are drawing 
 on your imagination a little, " Agnes said with rising 
 temper. 
 
 "Well, I'm not. The itch is a sure sign of filth, 
 and the headache only arises from one of three 
 causes. " 
 
 "And what are they?" 
 
 "First, and most common, is too tight clothing; 
 second, an overloaded stomach; third, nervousness. " 
 
 "You know I ate scarcely any dinner and no sup- 
 per, and this Mother Hubbard is not sqeezing me to 
 death." 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 73 
 
 "There is still -another cause." 
 "I know I'm not nervous," Agnes said, laughing, 
 and then began to cry. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 "At last!" Cleonice said, as she opened the door 
 for Helen. "I thought you would never come. Have 
 you seen the evening paper?" 
 
 "No. What is the matter?" 
 
 "Only that another millionaire has reduced his 
 employees' wages and another strike is on tap." 
 
 "Awful, awful 1 Is there any distress among the 
 families of the strikers?" 
 
 "Not yet, of course, but there will be." 
 
 "Well, we've one consolation; there's a hell yawn- 
 ing for the wicked." 
 
 "Oh, mercy; if I thought of hell as some people 
 do, I'd be miserable. You read the Bible so much, 
 what is your idea of hell?" 
 
 "Why, a just and reasonable punishment for sins, 
 and I think it will be right here on earth after the 
 resurrection." 
 
 "Do you believe there will be a resurrection of the 
 dead?" 
 
 "Of course, and I think it is very near." 
 Cleonice looked startled. "What do you mean?" 
 she asked. 
 
 "Why, that the last days are at hand, the time 
 
74 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 Christ speaks of in the 24th chapter of Matthew and 
 again in the last chapter of James, where it says: 
 
 "'Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for the 
 miseries that shall come upon you. 
 
 "'Your riches are corrupted and your garments 
 are motheaten. 
 
 "'Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of 
 them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat 
 your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasures 
 together for the last days. 
 
 "'Behold, the hire of the laborers, who have reaped 
 down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, 
 crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped 
 are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. ' 
 
 "Don't you see? rich men were never so troubled 
 about their gold as they are to-day, and never before 
 in the history of the world have there been so many 
 fabulously rich men ; they have heaped up treasure 
 for the last days. And look how the laborer is de- 
 frauded of his rights. There is another place in the 
 Bible where it speaks of the great inventions that 
 will multiply in the last days. Oh, the whole thing 
 is plain to me; the world is six thousand years old 
 and the seven thousand is the great Sabbath, the era 
 of peace and rest." 
 
 "Who has put such ideas into your head?" 
 
 "Nobody," Helen said contemptuously. "It is in 
 the Bible as plain as the commandments." 
 
 "Then how is it so few find it?" 
 
 "Because so few want to find it. Preachers don't 
 want it. People don't want to know that the time 
 is near when we must deal honestly with our fellow 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 75 
 
 men, when each must stand on his own merits. We 
 refuse to think of it because it makes us uncomfort- 
 able in our selfishness, and preachers don't want to 
 know it because it means a death blow to the church. 
 The Catholic church tried to keep the Bible from 
 the people because they knew that as soon as the 
 people became educated the church would be dead, 
 and it is just so to-day. Preachers are either igno- 
 rant themselves or they want to keep the people 
 down. Oh, there is such appalling ignorance in the 
 church! If it were just of the quiet, meek sort it 
 might be borne, but this kind that goes out and ped- 
 dles itself is past all charity." 
 
 "You have given several reasons why the people 
 do not want to know the truth, as you term your 
 fantasy, but you omitted one — the most important 
 one, too." 
 
 "What is it?" 
 
 "Why, they probably realize that they are not 
 ready for the coming of Christ." 
 
 "No, they are not ready and they don't want to 
 get ready. We are nearly all usurpers and we don't 
 want to give up our offices and high worldly positions 
 for 'The first shall be last, and the last shall be 
 first.'" 
 
 "Well, Miss Herman, I admire the sheep more that 
 strays into forbidden pastures, but let me tell you 
 that those that follow the bell are the happier. The 
 common herd, after all, have the best time of it, 
 whether they are wisest or not. Now, there is the 
 calm, sweet Miss Easton, who kneels every Sunday 
 in her Presbyterian pew; she was born and will live 
 
76 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 and die, and though she may be recorded in heaven, 
 she scarcely will be on earth. She folds her hands 
 on her peaceful breast and walks uncomplainingly 
 in the straight and conventional way, but you place 
 your arms akimbo and push and surge and knock 
 against everybody. Take care, Miss Herman, you 
 will wear your life away swimming against the tide." 
 
 "If the sheep are happy in the herd, the stray 
 would be miserable there, and I shall continue to 
 follow my inclinations and browse in strange pas- 
 tures. " 
 
 "Yes, you are all right. As I said once before, a 
 meek and gentle spirit may be caged, but there are 
 some natures that will not be restricted. 'All the 
 world's a stage,' and on her broad boards many 
 dramas are played; there are comedies, melodramas, 
 farces and tragedies, but after each and all the lights 
 go out and the stage is dark." 
 
 Here as if to lend effect to the somber words and 
 ominous half-prophecy, the electric lights were turned 
 off. The signal had been given, but neither had no- 
 ticed it, so interested were they in their talk. 
 
 "Mercy! I must go," Helen said, springing up. 
 "My door will be locked." 
 
 "Sleep with me," Miss Dupont said. 
 
 "But your room-mate?" 
 
 "She hasn't come yet. I suppose she will sleep 
 where she is. " 
 
 "No, I mustn't stay, " Helen said, as she opened 
 the door noiselessly. She liked Cleonice, was inter- 
 ested in her, but could not endorse her bitter, strange 
 denunciations, nor enjoy her grim, contemptuous 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 77 
 
 moods. She could not think of spending the night 
 with her, and hurried to her own room. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 "Are you going to church?" Agnes said to Helen, 
 one Sunday morning in January, as they returned to 
 their room from breakfast. 
 
 "I think not — maybe I will, too, for I can't ride 
 my wheel to-day, and if I don't go to church I won't 
 get out at all. The Sundays are so dull here after 
 spending them in a large place like R — . " 
 
 "It was too bad about the blockade keeping you 
 from going home, when } T ou wanted to go so bad." 
 Then after a moment: "Pardon me, Miss Herman, 
 but it is queer to me that you do not belong to some 
 religious denomination, when you read the Bible so 
 much and quote Scripture like a phonograph. " Agnes 
 looked up in bashful expectancy. She feared she 
 had gone a little too far, but had been dying for 
 months to know why Helen didn't belong to any 
 church, and had never before had courage to ask. 
 
 "I might tell you," Helen returned, "but you 
 wouldn't be satisfied. You know all people do not 
 see alike." 
 
 "But what are you, anyway? You must be some- 
 thing." 
 
 "Maybe I am, but I haven't found a name for it 
 yet," 
 
 Agnes looked up quickly. 
 
78 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "Well, it's the truth," Helen said dryly. "I've 
 a little sect of my own, I guess, and I don't quarrel 
 with the churches any worse than they do among 
 themselves. 
 
 " 'And concerning- the road they can never agree, 
 The old or the new way, which shall it be? 
 And never a moment stop to think 
 That both must pause at the river's brink. 
 
 " Sprinkled or plunged, may I ask, my friend, 
 How you attained to life's great end?" 
 "Thus, with a few drops upon my brow 7 " — 
 "But I've been plunged, as you'll see me now, 
 
 " •" And I really think it will hardly do, 
 
 As I'm in close communion, to cross with you; 
 You're bound, I know, to the realm of bliss, 
 But you must go that w r ay and I'll go this." 
 
 " ' Then straightway plunging with all his might 
 Off to the left, his friend to the right, 
 Apart they went from this w T orld of sin, 
 But at last together they entered in.' 
 
 "And just so it will be in the end. Just as every 
 river runs directly or indirectly to the sea, will every 
 soul get into the abode of the saints. God doesn't 
 tell us things that are unreasonable. When we un- 
 derstand his laws we see them to be reasonable and 
 methodical; we see that he had a plan and didn't 
 just flop things together. Why, the whole universe 
 is governed by law ; life and death are according to 
 law. Philosophers study and dig, and when they have 
 discovered a law they see it to be simple enough. 
 The sun, shining through falling water, creates what 
 we call a rainbow, yet people were once superstitious 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 79 
 
 about it, as they also were about the sun, the moon 
 and nearly every aspect of Nature, until study re- 
 vealed law behind all phenomena. We discovered 
 the law of gravitation after it had been in operation 
 for thousands of years. All of these things have ex- 
 isted like the coal mines which, though unknown to 
 man, have been in the depths of the earth awaiting 
 his discovery of them. I think the time will come 
 when we will understand that God knew what He 
 was about when He made the world." Here Helen 
 paused to give Agnes a chance to offer something, 
 but the latter was in no mood for logical religion and 
 absently replied, "Most probably." 
 
 Helen then launched into politics, began to talk of 
 tariff, free silver, capital and labor, corrupt politi- 
 cians and incomprehensible things in general, but 
 Agnes only replied, "I don't understand it at all." 
 But Helen was wound up and her tongue just had to 
 relieve the tension on her mind, so she struck off on 
 the temperance question, and here, to her surprise, 
 Agnes pricked up her ears and began to show a de- 
 cided interest. 
 
 "Do you think it is wrong for men to drink?" she 
 asked. 
 
 u Oh,itall depends upon the man; if his hands are 
 soft and white, and his purse is well lined, why, it's 
 too bad ; he is such a fine man otherwise — so influ- 
 ential; but if his hands are rough and horny it's 
 awful — beastly. " 
 
 "But what do you think of the gold-cure so many 
 are taking?" Agnes asked, smiling. Helen's irony 
 grated on her, bat still it amused her, 
 
80 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "Why, I think it is the best thing we have. It is 
 doing more for the cause of temperance than the W. 
 C. T. U. and church combined. It takes hold of a 
 man in a different way; makes him feel ordinarily 
 respectable; tells him that he is diseased andean be 
 cured, just as he could be cured of any other disease. 
 You see, it doesn't degrade him as other temperance 
 work does. The preacher says, 'You poor, degraded, 
 wretched, miserable old sinner, come up here and 
 kneel at this altar and pray the blessed Lord to save 
 your sinful soul from Hell. ' The church might save 
 him if it could convert him, but it doesn't go about 
 it in the right way to succeed." 
 
 "Oh, I never heard a preacher talk that way." 
 
 "Well, I have. I heard a preacher tell his audi- 
 ence that they were not fit for the buzzards to puke 
 on, and a year later when he came back, the first 
 thing he said was, 'Well, you old cusses are here yet; 
 I expected you would all be in hell by this time.'" 
 
 "Oh, mercy! You must have lived in Arkansas or 
 Texas." 
 
 "Don't insult Arkansas or Texas by insinuating 
 that such are peculiar to them. Why, these self- 
 styled 'evangelists' are not confined to any locality, 
 but are lunatics at large." 
 
 "But this man didn't get any converts?" 
 
 "Yes,he did, dozens and scores of them, and when 
 he preached his farewell sermon women wept, and 
 the whole congregation went forward to say good-bye, 
 and some clung to his hand as if they never could 
 bear to let him go. Indeed, they are very successful; 
 so much so that local preachers are aping them until 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 SI 
 
 the pulpit is becoming — is the scene of the most dis- 
 gusting sensationalism." 
 
 "Such a man would be hissed from any pulpit I 
 know of. Our town is small, but our preachers are 
 at least refined. But about the temperance union. 
 You wear a white ribbon, but you speak of it as if 
 it were doing the temperance cause no good." 
 
 "No, I think it does some good, of course. It at 
 least appeals to refined women if not to men. Re- 
 fined women will not drink." 
 
 "Oh, Helen, do not say that. You have never been 
 in Saratoga; you have never been in London; the 
 finer the lad} r the more she drinks. We were invited 
 to spend a few days at Lady Cornwall's country 
 place, and I tell you a waiter could bring you a glass 
 of wine quicker than he could a glass of ice water. 
 Papa isn't a temperance man, though he cannot be 
 called a drinking man, but he made some excuse and 
 got us away before the time set, and told Aunt Kate 
 not to accept any more invitations; he was so afraid 
 Joe would get to drinking. It's different in Eng- 
 land; any one who turns his glass down at the table 
 there is a conspicuous figure. Joe tried to turn his 
 once at dinner, but in trying to be quick so as to 
 avoid notice, broke it. His hostess promptly bade 
 the waiter bring him another, never suspecting 
 what caused him to do it." 
 
 "She probably knew that he was a congressman's 
 son. " 
 
 "Oh, yes," Agnes answered, innocently, "and the 
 hostess is a prominent woman in London." 
 
 "Well, I have my own private opinion of what is 
 nice, but I have never been in society." 
 
82 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "But," said Agnes, recurring to the treatment sub- 
 ject, "did you ever know any one who took the gold- 
 cure and always stuck to it?" 
 
 "I know a man who has 'always stuck,' for seven 
 years. " 
 
 "And you think the cure a good thing." 
 "Most certainly. " 
 
 "And you think a majority are cured for good?" 
 "Why, yes. But why are you so interested; does 
 your father or brother drink?" 
 "No." 
 
 "But somebody does— your sweetheart, maybe?" 
 Agnes blushed and looked appealingly at Helen. 
 "Well, if he does, I should prescribe the cure for 
 him." 
 
 "Oh, Helen, Miss Herman, I wish you would show 
 half as much pity for me as you do for a hungry dog. 
 I believe you spend two or three dollars a week buy- 
 ing meat for hungry dogs." 
 
 "I don't believe you are hungry, Agnes, and if you 
 are it is your own fault; you eat at the same table 
 with me, and I always satisfy myself." 
 
 "I'm not hungry, but my heart is breaking, " Agnes 
 said with a sob and buried her face in her hands. 
 
 "Well, Agnes, if you've anything to tell, I'm ready 
 to listen. I can't promise any great sympathy in a 
 love affair, but I will at least respect your confidence. " 
 
 Agnes raised her head and looked her thanks 
 th rough her tears. Like any other tender-hearted girl, 
 she had longed for a confidante, and whileHelen's odd, 
 careless way had chilled her every time she would 
 have divulged her secret, yet she longed to tell her. 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 83 
 
 Slit knew that a girl who fed hungry dogs must 
 have a warm spot in her heart. She felt great con- 
 fidence in Helen's power to move things. A girl 
 who led in devotional exercises or not. just as she 
 chose, a girl who had been elected president of a 
 college society on a three weeks' acquaintance, and 
 who stood right in with the brainy principal must 
 be endowed with uncommon ability ; and the depend- 
 ent, clinging Agnes wanted just such a friend. 
 
 "Oh, how good of you! I expect it's awful in me 
 to want to bother anyone else with my troubles." 
 
 ••It won't bother me. If I can give you any advice 
 I will do so, and if I can't I will dismiss it from- my 
 mind. " 
 
 So without any more preliminaries. Agnes began. 
 She didn't want to lose the vantage ground she 
 had gained. 
 
 "Papa, until the last two years, fed stock. Three 
 years ago he hired a young man to come to the place 
 to take charge of the business, buying and so forth. 
 The young man's name was George Sanderson, and 
 he was very bright and well-mannered. Father took 
 a liking to him and treated him as a friend. The 
 next summer when Joe and I went home we got ac- 
 quainted with him and liked him as well as papa did. 
 We used to go on horseback with him all over the 
 country when he was out buying stock. I was only 
 fifteen and George twenty-two, but we thought a 
 great deal of each other, and. with Joe as our confi- 
 dante, we made arrangements to marry when I got to 
 be eighteen, and go to California. George had been 
 buying on the Board of Trade and had made some- 
 
84 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 thing and we thought that in three years he would 
 have money enough to buy a ranch. How we planned 
 and how I hated to come back to school I but of course 
 I had to. I got a letter every other day. He was 
 still making money and our planning continued and 
 our affection grew stronger all the time. Papa was 
 reelected that fall. He had always kept wine, but 
 the boys were never allowed to drink any and they 
 never seemed to want to ; but when papa knew him- 
 self elected again, contrary to his usual way he gave 
 the boys wine, and after he had gone to his room they 
 got up and came back to the dining-room and drank 
 and drank. There is where it began, but not where 
 it ended with poor George. .Joe hadn't been in school, 
 having been around with papa during the campaign, 
 but the next day he was sent to school — one that was 
 very strict — so he was all right, but George kept on 
 until papa had to discharge him, and a letter was 
 sent to school telling them not to let me correspond 
 with him. So we lost each other. I heard afterward 
 that he lost his money just as he had made it — on 
 the Board of Trade, but heard nothing from him 
 directly until last summer, when Joe accidentally 
 ran across him. Papa felt so bad about the affair 
 that he had the wine locked up in the cellar and is 
 awful careful who he treats now. 
 
 "A year ago last summer I went to Europe with 
 papa and Aunt Kate and Joe. We traveled some, 
 but spent most of our time in London, where I met 
 a Lord Avon. He was handsome and rich and was 
 very nice to me, but I thought nothing of it at the 
 time; last summer he datae unexpectedly, one day, 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 85 
 
 and talked with papa ; told him that he had fallen 
 in love with me in London, and was just on the point 
 of proposing to me when he heard I was engaged. 
 But fortunately he had just discovered the report to be 
 false and had hurried right over to ask me to be his 
 wife, and he begged papa to consent. Papa said he 
 would leave it to me and sent for me to come down'." 
 Agnes blushed and stammered. "I — well— I don't 
 know how it happened. I don't think I intended to 
 say yes, but when he went away I was — we were en- 
 gaged. 
 
 "Two days afterwards Joe came home — he had 
 been off with a fishing party. Well, he was so dis- 
 gusted with me to think that I would marry an Eng- 
 lishman, and a titled one at that, that he got me as 
 disgusted as himself. And then he told me that he 
 had seen George Sanderson; that George's uncle had 
 paid for his treatment and sent him to school ; and 
 that George hadn't drunk for over two years and was 
 a temperance lecturer. Then after I came here I got 
 a letter from him, and 'twas he who came to see me 
 that day, you know." 
 
 "The most serious kind of a love affair is trivial 
 enough to me, but I really do feel a little sympathy 
 for you. What are you going to do about it?" 
 
 "Why, what can I do? I must keep my promise." 
 
 "But couldn't you do something to make him 
 draw off?" 
 
 "Oh, a man never breaks an engagement." 
 
 "Well, Miss Easton, I would help you if I could, 
 but I see no chance. I am interested in other things, " 
 and Helen turned and looked absently out of the 
 
86 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 window. She felt sorry for her room-mate, yet she 
 had no admiration for the woman who could spend 
 her life weeping and mourning over an unhappy love 
 affair. With a world to save; with riot and blood- 
 shed on every hand and the fierce fight between 
 capital and labor threatening dire disaster to the 
 country; when every day brought fresh news of se- 
 rious trouble somewhere, such mooning was con- 
 temptible. She was educating herself to take part 
 in the struggle, and so strong and vivid was her 
 thought that she irrelevantly quoted aloud: "For 
 when you see these signs, you may know that the 
 time is near, even at the door." 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 "Won't they ever do anything with the silver ques- 
 tion?" Helen said to herself, as she threw the even- 
 ing paper down and left the reading-room. Every 
 day since Congress had been called together she had 
 watched the papers, and every day it was the same 
 thing. Some senator six or eight, or even ten hours 
 on the floor and talking as long as he had anything 
 to say; when he had nothing more to say he was 
 privileged to hold the floor and keep his mouth go- 
 ing. The country raved and swore vengeance on the 
 traitors, 
 
 " Whose treason like a deadly blight 
 
 Comes o'er the councils of the brave; 
 ' And blasts them in their hour of might. " 
 
 In disgust Helen sought Cleonice. She could de- 
 
A NEW WOMAN. 
 
 8? 
 
 nounce a Democratic, congress to Cleonice, but she 
 couldn't let Agnes know how disappointed she was. 
 A Democrat can scorch his party's doings to another 
 Democrat, but not to a Republican. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 Cleonice Dupont, acting upon Helen's suggestion 
 to study the Bible for the sake of knowledge, if noth- 
 ing more, had gradually grown so interested in it 
 that she studied it more than any of her books. One 
 day she was sitting reading page after page. 
 
 "Now learn a parable of the fig tree; when his 
 branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves ye may 
 know the summer is nigh. 
 
 "So likewise ye, when ye see all these things, know 
 that the end is near, even at the door." 
 - "It is true, " she said, "I believe it is true; the 
 time of the end is at hand. But with all the proof 
 at hand there is still strong evidence against. For 
 no bastard can enter the Kingdom of Heaven ; how 
 can she reconcile that? Oh, they ran, and pray and 
 adore the blessed Lord, and yet in His Word He says 
 no bastard shall enter heaven. Why should I want 
 to be there and my precious innocent darling not 
 with me?" Here she opened a drawer and took a 
 picture from it and gazed at it with streaming e} T es. 
 
 "No, my baby, I must be with you wherever you 
 are; I must be with you and no bastard can enter 
 the Kingdom of Heaven. Oh, God, why can't my 
 sin fall upon my own soul?" she said, sobbing wildly. 
 
88 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "Why, Cleonice, what is the matter? . You didn't 
 hear me knock and I heard you crying, so I came 
 in." 
 
 "Helen Herman, you here!" Cleonice said, spring- 
 ing to her feet, the tender expression gone and a look 
 of proud defiance settling on her dark face. "You 
 are here to spy upon me, you false friend, you deceit- 
 ful comrade. I was fool enough to like you; I would 
 have trusted you, because with your frank, open, in- 
 dependent manner you seemed worthy of trust, but 
 now I know it to be but a mask to cover your deceit- 
 ful purposes. " 
 
 "Cleonice, you had no cause to trust me. I never 
 asked, never wanted your confidence. I don't invite 
 the confidence of any one, for I do not care to be en- 
 cumbered with the troubles of individuals. I liked 
 you because you were not a silly, giggling girl ; be- 
 cause you were original, well read and good company. 
 You interested me because you are not so foolishly 
 conventional as the ordinary woman. 
 
 "1 know your secret," she continued, "but I did 
 not seek to discover it. I suspected nothing, but 
 hearing you sobbing, thoughtlessly hurried in. I 
 heard your last words and caught a glimpse of the 
 pretty baby picture, and though country born and 
 bred I'm not an innocent fool. But before now I 
 never suspected you, considering you a woman of 
 courage and strong character, above the frivolity of 
 love and weak passion. Alas, I find my mistake 
 and I cannot help showing what I feel, contempt for 
 one who, endowed with God's choicest gifts, intelli- 
 gence, keen perceptions, allowed herself to be whee- 
 dled and coaxed like any pretty silly girl out — " 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 89 
 
 "Helen Herman, there is the door. Go, and tell 
 what you know — I defy you. The same trouble that 
 has befallen me has befallen many others. You have 
 chosen the same profession that I chose. Y.ou will 
 admire what I admired — the society of the polished 
 gentlemen; you have the same weaknesses and pas- 
 sions that I had. Be warned and go, but remember 
 'the rapids are below you."' 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 "The headache again, Agnes?" Helen said one 
 day when she came up from dinner and found Agnes 
 bathing her head in ice water. "I missed you at 
 dinner and knew what the matter was, of course. 
 Well, if you're determined to have the headache, I 
 can't do anything for you." 
 
 "It's so fearfully warm," Agnes said, paying no 
 attention to Helen's remark. She had grown accus- 
 tomed to her room-mate's way, and though she dis- 
 liked it, paid no attention to it. 
 
 "There is a black cloud coming up in the north- 
 west. We will get rain this evening, maybe, and the 
 atmosphere will be cooled off." 
 
 "Are you going down?" Agnes asked as Helen 
 turned to leave the room. 
 
 "Yes, I'm going to get a book." 
 
 "Bring me something." 
 
 "What shall it be?" 
 
 "Oh, something light." 
 
 "Shall I bring you a magazine, Scribner's or the 
 ArenaV 
 
90 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "Oh no, something light — something that won't 
 
 make my headache worse." 
 
 "I might find Mother Goose's Rhymes." 
 
 "Helen, you are just hateful, you are. Because I 
 can't plow through the 'Age of Reason,' or the 'De- 
 scent of Man, ' or something equally absurd and con- 
 trary to the Bible, is no reason why you should speak 
 to me as though I had no sense. You believe the Bi- 
 ble, or claim you do, and I don't see how you can 
 read Darwin's books trying to prove man came from 
 a monkey and a monkey from something lower. You 
 are not consistent. I believe you are afraid that 
 somebody will know something that you don't." 
 
 "Well, forgive me, Agnes, I was just joking. But 
 you and I look upon books in a different way; I 
 should want to read something good if I read at all. 
 The Arena is the best magazine going; there's vari- 
 ety of reading in it, and you can pick out what you 
 want. Mercy! what a clap of thunder ! how quickly 
 that cloud has come up ! Well, shall I bring you a 
 paper?" 
 
 "No, no, that clap of thunder has nearly set me 
 crazy. Oh, my head 1" 
 
 "Sha'n't I do something for you?" 
 
 "I don't know what you could do. I'll feel better 
 after the rain. Gracious! that thunder! Go to the 
 end of the hall and look, Helen! How the wind 
 blows, and such lightning. Come back, Helen!" 
 Agnes screamed frantically. Just then a blinding 
 flash of lightning and a deafening crash of thunder 
 rent the air and Agnes saw Helen fall at the farther 
 end of the hall, just as she turned to run. 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 91 
 
 "Oh, Heaven! Helen, come — I'll help you — can't 
 yon help yourself a little?" 
 
 But Helen was senseless and white as the dead. 
 The storm was growing fiercer; the great branches 
 of trees dashed against the windows, smashing as 
 they went. The hysterical screams of the girls, added 
 to the storm, made an indescribable din. 
 
 Agnes called loudly for help, but none came: then 
 with a strength wholly foreign to her small fragile 
 form, she seized Helen and dragged her the length of 
 the hall to the stairway, and then looked around in 
 despair; she could go no farther, so she dropped her 
 burden and started for help; she had reached but the 
 middle of the stairway when she was roughly pushed 
 aside by Cleonice Dupont. 
 
 "You coward girl; the building is on fire. I 
 wouldn't leave a dog to be burned to death. " 
 
 The building was filled with smoke and the wind 
 lashed the flames to a fury, but Agnes hadn't noticed 
 it; she crouched down on the steps against the ban- 
 ister to allow Cleonice to pass, carrying Helen in 
 her arms as if she had been an infant. 
 
 A moment more and the storm was over. The 
 cloud had spent its force, and rode past still looking 
 inky and awful. The sun shone out and it was very 
 calm 
 
 The lightning had struck a wing of the structure 
 easily accessible, but the fire-company extinguished 
 the flames with little difficulty. 
 
 When Helen came to herself she was in bed and 
 Agnes was bencling over her. The matron stood at 
 
92 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 the foot of the bed and the doctor was busy at the 
 table preparing medicine. 
 
 U A11 right," he said as he saw Helen return to 
 consciousness. "She'll get along all right now; just 
 follow up with these drops every hour and if she is 
 restless and sleepless to-night, give one of these 
 powders and another in three hours if she is still 
 restless. Can this young woman be trusted to watch 
 her?" he asked the matron. 
 
 "Oh, yes, I think she can, if you give full direc- 
 tions. You say there is nothing serious?" 
 
 "Oh, no, as "much fright as anything. You un- 
 derstand about the medicine; the drops every hour 
 and the powders if she should be restless; and report 
 to me in the morning." Then he took his hat and 
 went to the door, where he stopped and again gave 
 orders about the medicine. 
 
 Helen waited until the doctor and the matron had 
 gone, then turned to Agnes: "So they've got me 
 bundled up in bed and somehow I feel satisfied to be 
 here. How did it happen? I remember the storm 
 breaking and my feeling dizzy and faint, but that's 
 all." 
 
 "You were shocked by the lightning." 
 
 "No, Agnes, it must have been the thunder. The 
 awfulest crashes I ever heard!" 
 
 "The thunder frightened you, but it must have 
 been the lightning that shocked you." 
 
 "No, I am sure, I remember the thunder plainer 
 than the lightning. But what else happened? I see 
 the building is left standing." 
 
 "Yes, but it came near burning down; the floor is 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 93 
 
 all burnt away where you fell and the walls are in 
 such a shape that that wing will have to be rebuilt. " 
 "And who got me away?" 
 
 "Why, I dragged you to the head of the stairs and 
 Cleonice Dupont came running up and carried you 
 down. " 
 
 "You got me away, Agnes; yo u dragged me to the 
 stairs?" Helen asked in amazement, as she looked 
 at the girl she had always thought to be so insignif- 
 icant. 
 
 "Yes, I got you that far, but couldn't get you any 
 further, and if it hadn't been for Miss Dupont you 
 would have been suffocated by the smoke." 
 
 "Well, Agnes, I r m grateful to you and Cleonice, 
 but words don't mean anything. Maybe I'll be able 
 sometime to show my gratitude in some more sub- 
 stantial manner; for the present I'm terribly in 
 your debt. Now I will rest; I feel sleepy," Helen 
 said as her eyes filled with tears; and she turned her 
 face to the wall. 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 A few days later Helen was up, and she and Agnes 
 were very close together, talking in the most friendly 
 way in the world. 
 
 "Agnes, I arranged it all while I lay in bed. I will 
 hunt the Englishman up — make desperate love to 
 him and take him off your hands." 
 
 Agnes threw her arm around Helen's neck and tried 
 
94 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 to remonstrate, but Helen stopped her. "You see, 
 I owe you something. Of course I don't know any- 
 thing about your lordling,but if he's like all the others 
 my three millions will catch him. Then if he's a 
 little fastidious, why, I'm pretty enough. I'm not 
 awkward, appear well, and I've enough education; 
 and then you can have your boy lover." 
 
 "Oh, Helen, Helen! I used to think you had a 
 heart of stone, but you are an angel. You would 
 ruin your own happiness — no, I can't let you." 
 
 "I've no happiness to ruin. I'm not in love with 
 anybody and I don't see why I might not fall in love 
 with the Englishman as well as with anyone else and 
 make him treat you so you could break off the 
 engagement." Helen was very sure she could do any- 
 thing she chose and Agnes thought her almost super- 
 human. 
 
 "I positively believe you could do so if you 
 wanted to; but it does look so awful, so wicked for 
 us to be planning on such a thing." 
 
 "Looks wicked for a girl to be planning to secure 
 a titled husband? I have w r anted one ever since I 
 was ten years old, and now — Oh, ye gods! I will have 
 him in spite of you; I will captivate him with my 
 three millions and my smile. Oh, I'm determined, 
 Agnes; but the thing is, how shall I meet him?" 
 
 "You shall go home with me in June." The 
 temptation was too strong. '^He is invited to be 
 there and we are all going to Saratoga or Newport 
 to spend the hottest part of summer." 
 
 "I positively believe there is something natural in 
 me despite your constant assurance that I'm the 
 queerest girl on earth. I already feel quite jubilant 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 95 
 
 over the prospect. I believe I know how to flirt, if 
 I haven't had the experience. But I must have some 
 new dresses, and instead of taking my lessons next 
 Saturday I'll go to the city on a shopping excur- 
 sion. Can't you go along? But I must go to Cle- 
 onice. You say she didn't come near while I was 
 in bed?" 
 
 "No, but she asked after you several times." 
 
 "Well, I will go to her room." 
 
 "Yes, I would. You two haven't been very friendly 
 lately; and she did more than I to save you." 
 
 A few moments later Helen knocked at Cleonice's 
 door. It was the hour when she had always found 
 Cleonice alone, and this time was no exception to 
 the rule. Cleonice opened the door and stepped back 
 and motioned Helen to enter. 
 
 "Cleonice, " Helen said, much embarrassed, "I want 
 to thank you for saving me as you did. I want to 
 say that I appreciate what you have done, and I don't 
 consider a mere 'thank you' sufficient. Cleonice, I 
 want to be your friend. I want to be on the same 
 terms with you that I was three weeks ago." 
 
 "Miss Herman, you could do nothing less than 
 offer your friendship. But tell me the truth fully, 
 have you missed my companionship, would you have 
 offered your friendship if I had not rendered you a 
 service?" 
 
 "Yes, I have missed you; my evenings have been 
 dull. No, I probably would never have come to you 
 had you not done as you did, for I shouldn't have 
 known that you possessed true courage; I would still 
 have fancied you as weak in every way as — " 
 
96 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "As I have been in moral courage," .Cleonice said. 
 "Miss Herman, you can't possibly feel any more 
 contempt for me than I feel for myself. It will not 
 be possible for us to be to each other just what we 
 were ; we stand" upon different planes ; you are higher 
 and nobler in my sight than you were, and I, alas, 
 am a depraved creature to you.'' 
 
 "How? Didn't you save my life in return for the 
 denunciation I hurled at you? How have I risen in 
 your estimation?" 
 
 "Because you have known my secret and kept it 
 and allowed no one to see by your manner that we 
 were not friends. Haven't you spoken just as courte- 
 ously as ever, and wasn't it an effort? Your face 
 crimsons; it is true; I have felt the same even when 
 leading an immoral life myself ; I have drawn my 
 skirts aside that I might not brush against one of 
 my own kind; and to-day I despise immoral women, 
 and those most who cloak their sin with assumed 
 purity. " 
 
 "Oh, Cleonice, you can't know what contempt I 
 feel for myself for treating you as — " 
 
 "We can't be the same again, Helen," Cleonice 
 interposed. "I don't expect that; but we can spend 
 an evening together occasionally. You advised me 
 to read the Bible just for knowledge'sake, and I find 
 that it satisfies more than knowledge, but there are 
 places that I do not understand and I want your 
 help." 
 
 "I will do all lean for you; but I feel so insignif- 
 icant. Oh, I feel so weak and small in the sight 
 of God. Do you know, I had often thanked Him 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 97 
 
 that I was not as others, as you and Agnes Easton. 
 She with her child's face and almost child's form, 
 did for me what I with my great strong body might 
 not have done for her. And you, whom I had wronged, 
 rushed back in a burning building and rescued me." 
 Here the last vestige of her pride vanished and she 
 burst into tears. 
 
 "Sit down, Helen, I'm going to tell you some- 
 thing of my past life, that you may take warning. 
 Don't ever be deceived by the idea that marriage in 
 the sight of God is equivalent to marriage sanctioned 
 by man. As sure as you do, your peace of mind is 
 gone. You take to trashy literature, wine and gam- 
 bling. You must occupy yourself with something, 
 and your paramour cannot take you among women 
 of his acquaintance. You go down the ladder, step 
 by step, first with fear and trembling, then with less 
 trepidation, finally carelessly and recklessly. Fifty 
 outcast women die in sin to one that is reclaimed. 
 Few men of these whom we recognize as gentlemen 
 will marry the mistress of another man, and there is 
 no happiness to be had in such marriage, for the 
 man never trusts such a wife and is always suspi- 
 cious. I don't know how God punishes the libertine 
 and seducer after death, but his happiness is not 
 marred on earth. Bat the Lord did curse Eve and 
 that curse still rests upon her daughters." Helen 
 sat with her face hidden in her hands. A few mo- 
 ments ago her pride seemed entirely gone, but now 
 it began to rise. Why should she be warned against 
 such things; she with her stout heart and dauntless 
 courage? But she was silent, feeling that she must 
 listen to anything that Cleonice'had to say. 
 
98 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "You are left just as I was," Cleonice continued, 
 "an orphan, without friends, beautiful, and very sure 
 of your own strength. You are about to go upon 
 the stage. That is what I did. A few words more 
 then you may go, and we will ignore the subject for- 
 ever. Remember to avoid wine, first, last and al- 
 ways, and that though you may sail smoothly for 
 a time, 'the rapids are below you. '" 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 Congressman Easton and his son were in the li- 
 brary, Joe having run down from school to spend 
 Sunday at home. 
 
 "But about this unpleasant little affair with the 
 Englishman; just how will we manage it? You are 
 sure Aggie doesn't care anything for him?" 
 
 "Not a continental, " Joe returned in a man-of- 
 the-world fashion, as he bit the end off a Havana 
 and lighted it. "She don't even rave over his hair 
 and mustache." 
 
 "Then the evidence is conclusive, you think — keen 
 perception, Joe — evidence that you will be a success 
 at law — but have you any suggestions to offer?" 
 
 "Why, he is already invited to spend the summer 
 with us. " 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "Well, invite some other Englishman, so he won't 
 be lonesome; then a girl or two — rich ones, of course 
 — and I'll manage to give out the impression that 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 99 
 
 your finances are not what they might be. There's 
 the thing in a nutshell." 
 
 "My scheme exactly! But what girls shall we 
 
 ask?" 
 
 "Had we better invite two or only one?" 
 "Why, if we have two, he'll have a variety to choose 
 from." 
 
 "That's what I'm afraid of, Pa; a variety might 
 rattle the poor fellow; he might not be able to de- 
 cide between them, and after all take Agnes." 
 
 "Keen perceptions again, Joe; I've really cause to 
 be proud of you. But who shall the one be? Most 
 rich girls will be wanting to go to Saratoga or New- 
 port as soon as the season opens. They won't want 
 to come out to a country place even for a fortnight. " 
 
 "Don't you fool yourself," Joe said as he daintily 
 tipped the ashes from his cigar. "Just casually men- 
 tion in your invitation that Lord Avon, of — shire, 
 England, will be here, and see how quick she'll re- 
 nounce Saratoga and the pretty bathing suits of New- 
 port, " 
 
 Our congressman chuckled; his son was indeed 
 promising. "Well, you've done so well, so far, that 
 I might have left the whole thing to you, as I intend 
 to from now on. Whom will you invite?" 
 
 "Did Agnes ever say anything to you in her letters 
 about her room-mate?" 
 
 "Not that I remember of." 
 
 "Well, she has to me; wrote that she had a room- 
 mate who was an orphan without relatives and very 
 rich — worth three millions." 
 
 "Just the very thing. But wait; I believe she re- 
 
100 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 ferred to her a time or two, but never very warmly 
 — didn't seem to like her, in fact. " 
 
 "Write her and tell her to be good to the widows 
 and orphans ; tell her that you liked the description 
 of her friend and to bring her home with her in 
 June. That wasn't the one Agnes helped in the 
 storm?" 
 
 Here the mail was handed in. "Give me the news, 
 quick, Joe; I wonder how the market closed off." 
 Then hastily scanning the prices, our modern legis- 
 lator ejaculated, "By G — d, I'll hold on a while 
 longer. " 
 
 "Here is a letter for you from Agnes. Shall. I 
 open it?" 
 
 "Of course." And Joe read: 
 
 "May 23, 1894. 
 
 "My Deae Fathek and Auntie : — I haven't had an 
 answer to my last, but I suppose you are both busy. 
 I will pass all right, though I don't expect to come 
 out with honors. I wish some of you could be here 
 to see me graduate, but of course I know that to be 
 impossible, unless it might be that Aunt Kate could 
 come, if she could be content to leave off prepara- 
 tions for our English guest. 
 
 "I wish I could bring a friend home with me — 
 Miss Herman, my room-mate. I didn't used to like 
 her, but since the storm we have gotten to be great 
 friends. She's just splendid, only she's a Democrat, 
 but surely you won't care for that. She can't vote 
 but she can talk like everything, yet I know she 
 won't do anything to injure you while she is our 
 guest. I think she is the finest girl in the world, and 
 so will you. I do hope I may bring her. Let me 
 know at once. Lovingly, 
 
 "Agnes." 
 
A NEW WO. MAN 
 
 101 
 
 ''Everything plays into our hands," Joe said, as 
 he laid the letter down. "I'll answer it, Pa." 
 
 "Wish you would. I'll have to start for Wash- 
 ington this evening. Every Republican has to be 
 on duty these days; we must defeat every Demo- 
 cratic measure. D — d if they haven't got things in 
 a precious muddle! Can't agree among themselves 
 about tariff or silver; haven't done anything but 
 empty the treasury, and the people are disgusted 
 and mad. This congress' doings will kill the Demo- 
 cratic party and we're going to assist the business all 
 we can and get ready to preside at the funeral. Don't 
 know as the Eepublicans are united on issues, but 
 we're hell on methods. But I tell you, Joe, you 
 want to keep your weather eye open for developments 
 among the people. If I'm not mistaken, a few years 
 will show different issues and maybe new parties, 
 and you want to be onto the racket so as to know 
 which way to jump; but tariff for the people, and 
 'The Substantial' for We, Us and Co., is the game 
 just now. " 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 We are in London again, in the apartments of Sir 
 Alfred Gates. Lord Avon has just been ushered in. 
 He offers one hand to his friend while caressing his 
 mustache with the other. 
 
 "How are you, Sir Alfred?" 
 
 "Splendid; and how is your lordship?" 
 
102 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "Violent, desperate, on the verge of suicide," he 
 said as he dropped into a chair. 
 
 "What's the matter; don't your new trousers fit?" 
 
 "Worse yet. Just listen to this," and he drew a 
 letter from his pocket. "I will waive all ceremony 
 and plunge right into the business part: 'You have 
 already promised to come, this summer, and accom- 
 pany us on our summer outing. Now, it is my in- 
 tention to have a few guests here at my country 
 home for a few weeks, before going to a summer re- 
 sort. It may be a little lonesome for you here among 
 strangers, so you may bring some friend if you wish, 
 and I assure you that he, as well as yourself, will be 
 most welcome. My sister, Mrs. Daniels, my son and 
 daughter, a friend of the latter, and possibly one or 
 two others, will be here to meet and greet you. Come, 
 if possible, by the twenty-fif th of June, ' and so on." 
 
 "You ought to be delighted," Sir Alfred ventured 
 to say. 
 
 "What! Delighted to be drying up in the back- 
 woods with Saratoga in full blast?" 
 
 "But it seems there is to be a sort of house-party. " 
 
 "Yes, consisting of a homely widow, fifty years 
 old, a boy of twenty or thereabouts, who possesses 
 all the conceit of the typical American, coupled with 
 the arrogance of a congressman's son, and a couple 
 of school girls. " 
 
 "Well, I say again that you ought to be delighted. " 
 
 "So I am, so I am," returned his lordship, chang- 
 ing his tactics in an instant, "and I came to delight 
 you by inviting you as the specified friend to go with 
 me. " 
 
A NEW WOMAH 
 
 103 
 
 u But it is a wholly different thing with me. You 
 are going to your betrothed and I should have only 
 the unsatisfactory pleasure of looking on and real- 
 izing what I miss. " 
 
 "But there is Miss Easton's friend. She may be 
 very agreeable, is probably rich, and possibly pretty. " 
 
 •*Yes, she might be all that, but I'm not curious 
 enough to cross the ocean to find out." 
 
 ••But we will have a perfectly lovely time. Amer- 
 ica is so different from London. Out in the country 
 there -is no constraint; we will be told to make our- 
 selves at home; and we can find the cellar if there is 
 nothing on the sideboard.'' 
 
 "Pardon me," Sir Alfred said, springing up. 
 '"Have a glass of wine." 
 
 '•Thank you, " his lordship returned, laughing as 
 he drank. "Then we can have a second dish of pud- 
 ding and everything to match.. There's no limit to 
 liberty in 'the land of the free and the home of the 
 brave. ' Why, we can do anything, unless it be to 
 kiss the cook, and we might find something more 
 agreeable to kiss. Do go ; what will you do this sum- 
 mer if you don't?" 
 
 "When is the wedding to come off?" 
 
 "Oh. sometime in the fall — October, I believe. 
 And you always promised to be best man." 
 
 "And so I will I will go over in the ship with 
 the trousseau and be there in plenty of time." 
 
 "Well, I don't know what fresh argument to offer, " 
 and his lordship actually pulled his mustache in de- 
 spair. 
 
 "Well, cheer up. then: I'll go. I don't mind much 
 
104 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 where I am, anyway. 'There's nothing new under 
 the sun. ' One might as well watch the world going 
 to hell from that side as this. There's as conclusive 
 evidence there as here, but tell me about their cus- 
 toms; what's expected of one?" 
 
 "Why, weren't you there? I thought you figured, 
 or tried to, for a while in American society." . 
 
 Sir Alfred blushed. "Don't mention it, please. 
 But I might as well admit that I never felt very com- 
 fortable over the encounter I had, and I don't be- 
 lieve I fell in with the best society. If I thought 
 you had done no better I would offer you condolence 
 instead of congratulations." 
 
 "I don't know what you struck; you have never 
 told me. Anything — -ahem — compromising? Ha, 
 ha!" 
 
 "No, no," Sir Alfred hastened to say. "Just 
 trades-people, rich, but vulgar. And I thought I was 
 going to have to marry the whole family. Did you 
 ever see anything like the American appetite for 
 titles?" 
 
 "I swear I never did. I didn't fare as roughly as 
 you did; but Gad! I was gobbled up the instant I 
 offered myself." Then bethinking himself, his lord- 
 ship said, "The Eastons are fine people, of course; 
 there are none finer in America. But a new coun- 
 try cannot be expected to display the excellencies of 
 an old established one like ours. You know our turf 
 is the product of centuries, just as we are sprung from 
 a long line of aristocratic ancestry. " And he caressed 
 his mustache complacently. 
 
 "But society has some kind of requirements. One 
 
A XEW WOMAN 
 
 105 
 
 doesn't care to run against the merest idiosyncrasies 
 of those with whom he associates. Do the women 
 expect to be flattered as much there as here?" 
 
 "They don't resent it, I assure you. You can act 
 just the same there as here, but you mustn't say the 
 same things. It's limb instead of leg; it's the Court 
 here, but the Four Hundred there. You just simply 
 shake hands with everybody, high and low, and offer 
 a cigar if you want to. It isn't likely we'll meet the 
 President at the White House, but if we should be, 
 invited don't get excited; you don't have to tip-toe 
 in, nor back out, nor kiss his hand.'" 
 
 "Oh, thunder, I understand such things. I want 
 to know how to treat the ladies. Do they dance as 
 they do here?" 
 
 " Just the same, and their waists are quite as small. 
 You mustn't smoke in the presence of a lady either 
 in the house or in the carriage." 
 
 "Now you're coming at it. Keep on." 
 
 "Don't ask every lady to drink with you. When 
 you see a woman with a knot of white ribbon on the 
 front of her dress, don't ask her what it means- 
 total abstinence. A yellow one's female suffrage, 
 but if you should meet one of them you wouldn't 
 have to ask; she'd announce her principles at long 
 range. Just make it a rule to be a little cautious at 
 all times." 
 
 "Thank you, my lord. I must not ask the ladies 
 indiscriminately to drink; I must not smoke when 
 promenading in the — what do you call it? I must 
 steer clear of the woman's rights advocate, talk 
 about the Four Hundred, and when I want to say leg 
 
106 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 I must say lim— by the way, how do you spell it?" 
 
 "Go on, go on. You'll pass muster. Oh, we'll 
 have a glorious time. I tell you, if you want to be 
 drunk mentally, and morally, all summer, just go 
 to Saratoga, and that is probably where they will go. 
 I assure you that Saratoga is right on top; she's up 
 with Paris, now; in another season she'll be out of 
 sight. But I must go; I can't squander time in this 
 way. I will see my tailor and you'd better do the 
 same. We must go well dressed ; they know how to 
 dress over there," his lordship said gayly, as he 
 stepped into the hall. 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 Our congressman was at home again after another 
 installment of legislative jangling, and was lounging 
 in the library feeling in the best of humor. His 
 daughter, with her friend, would come in a couple 
 of days; the Englishmen would be on hand accord- 
 ing to request; while Joe might turn in any minute. 
 
 Now our genial, popular legislator was a good, 
 kind father; he loved his sweet daughter and was 
 fond and proud of his Joe. He was also a generous 
 host and meant to entertain his guests in the best 
 style, priding himself with the thought that he would 
 give them a taste of hospitality of the American 
 brand. He had had a tilt with his conscience, as 
 well as with his sister — who was a white ribboner, 
 — -on the subject of wine for the guests. He had al- 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 107 
 
 ways kept wine, but never since the fate of George 
 Sanderson had it been kept on the sideboard or table. 
 Realizing that one might as well offer an Englishman 
 a bed without springs, or a table without legs, as a' 
 dinner without wine, he had reasoned with his con- 
 science, overruled Mrs. Daniels' objections, bitter 
 though they were, and ordered his already really 
 fine stock replenished with some of the choicest 
 brands to be had. But for all that, he knew the evils 
 of intemperance and was waiting to have a serious 
 talk with his son. There was a swish and a buzz, 
 and a bicycle stopped at the gate. Joe sprang lightly 
 to the ground and ran to meet his father, who wsls 
 coming to greet him. 
 
 •'Hello, Joe, how do you come on?" 
 
 "Firstrate. Pa. How are you and how did you 
 come out in your last deal?" 
 
 "I'm holding on yet; corn will go up, there's such 
 a scarcity of rain." 
 
 "Yes, looks like a general drouth. Have you heard 
 from Agnes?" 
 
 "Yes, they'll be here day after to-morrow." 
 
 "Got second honors, Pa." 
 
 "That's good, but come in; I want to have a quiet 
 talk with you. " 
 
 "What's the matter with out here? There's the 
 hammock for you and I'll take the grass," and suit- 
 ing the action to the word, he stretched his shapely, 
 athletic legs on the ground and rested his head on 
 his hand. 
 
 "Well, you know that we are going to entertain 
 two Englishmen soon." 
 
108 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "Well, I want to entertain them in style; and to 
 do it, must furnish them something to drink." 
 "Of course." 
 
 "And it must be on the sideboard and table; I 
 can't invite them to the cellar." 
 "Well?" 
 
 "Why, Joe, I shall expect you to abstain." 
 "Indeed!" 
 
 "Yes, indeed; it won't do for a young man of 
 your age, who expects to carve out a name for him- 
 self, to begin to tip the social glass. In fact, I be- 
 lieve the man who lets the stuff alone without being 
 a crank on the subject, is the most successful. When 
 a man applies for a position, the first question is, 
 'Does he drink?' There are three things a promis- 
 ing, ambitious young man must avoid." 
 
 "What besides wine?" 
 
 "Cards,. except in a social way; and women with- 
 out any exceptions. I don't want to exclude all forms 
 of pleasure; you can sow your wild oats, of course — " 
 here the politician floundered. 
 
 "Please tell me, my dear father, where I'm to sow 
 my wild oats without wine, women and cards!" 
 
 "You can smoke the best cigars and go hunting 
 and fishing all you like, and have all the white 
 breeches you want, " the father said very soberly. 
 But Joe laughed aloud ; he was anxious to turn the 
 whole thing into a joke. 
 
 "I'm in earnest, Joe." 
 
 "And — I'm twenty-one, father." 
 
 "I know that, and of course you can get into all 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 109 
 
 the d — d meanness you want to, but I thought I 
 could trust a little to your judgment and common 
 sense. " 
 
 Joe sobered at this. He was proud of his distin- 
 guished father and proud of the place he held in his 
 father's estimation. "Well, father, I'll promise on 
 the wine question and study about the other. Will 
 you have to go back before our guests arrive?" 
 
 "I hope not. I won't unless they wire me that 
 I'm needed ;" and as they sauntered toward the house 
 he added, "Remember, Joe, I don't object to an in- 
 nocent flirtation. Here, have a smoke." 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 Commencement was over at the seminary and the 
 students were in the delightful confusion of leave- 
 taking. Our girls were up before daylight, having 
 been unable to sleep much. In fact Agnes had not 
 slept at all and Helen's fitful slumber had, at an 
 early hour, terminated in a dream of personal con- 
 quest in the Mother Country — having forced the 
 Britishers to acquiesce to a bimetallic standard. 
 This waked her up ready for the work at hand. 
 
 Before long the whole dormitory was awake. There 
 was a constant opening and shutting of doors ; trunks 
 and boxes were dragged into the hall. Clatter and 
 chatter reigned everywhere; and Agnes and Helen 
 did their share to make the din a merry one. Helen 
 seemed to have forgotten this ever-dying world, cap- 
 
110 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 ital and labor, repeal of the purchasing clause, tariff 
 and the thousand other subjects she was wont to 
 spend much breath and energy upon. She had either 
 dropped with enthusiasm into the ordinary role of 
 woman, that of contemplating flirtation and con- 
 quests, or she was playing her part well. 
 
 "Here, Agnes, will you button my dress? I didn't 
 think three months ago that I'd ever be fool enough 
 to have a diess that buttoned under the arm. What 
 a nuisance they are, and mercy, how tight!" she 
 said with a half scowl as Agnes proceeded. 
 
 "No, it's not very tight; it's just the stays that 
 make it stiff. " 
 
 "Well, I couldn't handle the dumb-bells in this." 
 
 "It won't be necessary. You won't even have to 
 walk without support when you are with his lord- 
 ship; Englishmen are so much politer than Ameri- 
 cans — at least they make a greater ado over things. " 
 
 "It's the latter, I think. There's an Englishman 
 back home who came over when he was only twelve 
 years old, and he can't bend his head to spit without 
 a flourish, and his manner is so obsequious that he 
 absolutely seems to be deferential to fence posts, 
 doorsills and the like. And he's only an ordinary 
 man, so I sha'n't be surprised if his lordship is much 
 more elaborate. You say he has curly. hair?" 
 
 "Yes, such beautiful hair; as fine and soft as your 
 own, and the finest mustache I ever saw. And so 
 handsome! Oh, Helen! I just know that you will 
 marry him and go to England, and I won't see you 
 again. " 
 
 "Maybe not, Agnes." 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 111 
 
 "Oh, aren't you in earnest with me?" 
 
 "Yes, Agnes, I am in earnest with you. Now I 
 will go and say good-bye to Cleonice. " 
 
 But Cleonice was gone, having left on the mid- 
 night train, leaving a short farewell note for Helen, 
 which was handed her by Miss Martin. Helen read 
 it and returned in a preoccupied state of mind to her 
 room, where she sat silent until train-time, much to 
 the discomfiture of Agnes. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 Joe met the girls at the end of their journey. "My, 
 ain't she a stunner!" he said under his breath, as soon 
 as Helen appeared on the car platform. "She'll 
 rattle that dude all right." 
 
 Helen and Joe readily became acquainted, and be- 
 fore the first day was over had had a race on their 
 wheels, and a political scrap, in which both claimed 
 the victory. 
 
 But now the evening of the twenty-fifth had come. 
 Agnes had finally stopped fussing over Helen's hair, 
 had pinned flowers in the meshes of the lace at her 
 throat, and pronounced her perfect. Joe scowled as 
 they entered the parlors. "Togged up for the for- 
 eigners! Pa and I haven't seen anything but plain 
 brown or gray duds, " and Joe turned to go in disgust. 
 
 "Don't go off, Joe; I'm horribly nervous; stay and 
 see the thing through and lend your assistance, if 
 necessary, as every American should, " Agnes pleaded. 
 
112 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "A true American doesn't amount to anything in 
 the eyes of the American women." 
 
 "I don't know the kind of women you have been 
 brought in contact with, but I know they have not 
 been of my stamp," Helen said decidedly. 
 
 U I hope you will prove your patriotism in deeds," 
 Joe said, somewhat mollified. He was forgetting his 
 game, it seemed. "Let's walk out to the gate, Miss 
 Herman, and watch for the carriage. You will have 
 plenty of time to run back without being seen." 
 
 u Oh, Helen, don't go; you will get your dress 
 mussed and your flowers all every way, "Agnes, said. 
 
 But Helen went. The house stood quite a distance 
 back from the road and the walk and the excitement 
 brought the color to her cheeks and a brilliancy to 
 her eyes. Joe thought her magnificent and said gal- 
 lantly, "What if the roses at your throat are wilted? 
 they are fresh enough in your cheeks, and such beau- 
 tiful eyes; by heaven!" 
 
 "Yes, indeed," Helen said with affected earnest- 
 ness which completely dumfounded Joe. 
 
 "You can't make fun of me," he stammered. 
 
 "Nor you of me." 
 
 "Oh, confound it, Miss Herman, I don't under- 
 stand you at all. " 
 
 "Well, I don't understand you." 
 
 "How? What? Explain 3 T ourself." 
 
 "Why, you are a bright, generous, whole-souled 
 boy, who, from a mistaken idea of gallantry, has started 
 on the road to moral ruin by being insincere." 
 
 "By Jove, Miss Herman, you're an oddity. I 
 thought women liked flattery." 
 
A NEW WOMAN 113 
 
 "We like honest praise from honest hearts, but 
 detest flippant compliments." 
 
 "By Jings, I do like you, Helen." 
 
 "There, Joe, well said; you meant that. And I 
 like you, for I know the conventional veneer isn't 
 very thick on you and you really enjoy being sincere. " 
 
 "Oh, Lord, yes," Joe said fervently. "Hark, take 
 to your legs, the carriage is nearly here." 
 
 Joe shook hands with the guests at the gate, and, 
 together with his father, escorted them into the 
 house. As they entered the parlor, Mrs. Daniels and 
 Agnes went forward to meet them, while Helen stood 
 in the background. Her heart fluttered strangely, 
 for after all a man is a man, whether an American 
 or not. Here. Helen was brought forward to meet 
 them and say her little speech. 
 
 The Englishmen could scarcely refrain from inter- 
 changing looks, for all three of the women wore the 
 white ribbon. Lucky it was that Helen had not 
 worn the badge of yellow. Her supply had been too 
 soiled for her costume and Agnes had had none to 
 replace it. It was an awkward moment, and after 
 they were all seated, it was worse. 
 
 Our congressman cudgeled his brains for a topic 
 that would be suitable to all, but in vain. Had he 
 been alone with them he could have sprung American 
 politics, "our securities abroad" or some such sub- 
 ject, but it was obviously out of place on this occa- 
 sion. Finally Joe asked if they had had a pleasant 
 voyage, which started a conversation which hung on 
 in some sort of fashion until supper was announced. 
 
 When asked which he and his friend preferred, 
 
114 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 cards or dancing, his lordship inquired what Ameri- 
 can ladies played. 
 
 "Oh, they don't play baccarat, but they are often 
 quite good at whist or pedro. " Joe had gotten it 
 into his head that baccarat was the English national 
 game. 
 
 "There are hardly enough of us to dance," his 
 lordship ventured, utterly ignoring Joe's remark. 
 
 "But we can waltz. Your Lordship is a good 
 waltzer and Miss Herman wants to learn, don't you, 
 Helen?" Agnes said. 
 
 "Oh, yes, indeed." So Agnes played and his 
 lordship led Helen forth. The host engaged Sir 
 Alfred in conversation and poor Joe was left to him- 
 self. He turned the photographs and fumbled with 
 some books, feeling altogether disgusted and miser- 
 able. Helen had been very nice to him all evening 
 and he had felt much elated until she evinced such 
 a readiness to dance with his lordship. "I can waltz 
 as well as he, but she never offered to learn of me," 
 he said to himself. It was all right for him and his 
 father to lay the plot, but for the girls to walk into 
 it so readily was strange, he thought. He wasn't so 
 much surprised at Agnes, for he understood her feel- 
 ing for George Sanderson, but for Helen, such a girl 
 as Helen Herman, to be so delighted with the hom- 
 age of a foreigner was hard to understand. 
 
 "It must be that such hair and mustache are fatal 
 when such a girl succumbs," he concluded. Joe was 
 secretly envious of his lordship's attractiveness, es- 
 pecially of the mustache. 
 
 When the evening was over and all had gone to 
 their rooms, Agnes went and tapped at Joe's door 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 115 
 
 "What is it, sis?" he said upon opening the door. 
 
 "Oh, nothing. I just thought I'd drop in a little 
 while." 
 
 "Well, I was just thinking of dropping into bed, 
 but sit down, I'm not sleepy. By Jove, how well Miss 
 Herman looked to-night! and she seemed to be flat- 
 tered by that — " 
 
 "His lordship's attentions, " Agnes said eagerly; 
 "and he seems to be struck with her." 
 
 "He certainly wasn't struck blind. Englishmen 
 do lack in delicacy." 
 
 "Oh, Joe, foreigners are as good as our own coun- 
 trymen. One always has a weakness for one's own 
 country, but after all, a man's a man wherever he is. " 
 
 "And a jackass is a jackass wherever he is, and 
 that's his lordship every time; but patriotism isn't 
 patriotism when it wants to swell in with some other 
 country. She talks patriotic enough and I'd formed 
 a great opinion of her, but I'm cooked now. She 
 didn't don pink silk for us. Oh, she'll prove herself 
 as conceited and as — as — ambitious, as they call it, 
 as anybody, after all. Yes, I am satisfied that she 
 will prove to be utterly devoid of patriotism, sense 
 and everything else; she's just an empty shell." 
 
 "Oh, shame upon you! She's just the best girl I 
 ever knew. I know she is a little queer on religion 
 and politics, but she has got a good big heart and 
 she would do anything for a friend." 
 
 "Oh, yes. She's sharp enough to take you in." 
 
 "I can't bear to hear you talk so about her. You 
 don't know her as I do. She is going to — to — »" 
 
 "Well, to what?" - 
 
 "Why, she's going to— to — >" 
 
116 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "For God's sake Agnes, can't you talk?" 
 
 "Well, you know I don't want to marry his lord- 
 ship, and she is going to flirt with him and give me a 
 chance to break the engagement. Oh, Joe, she is 
 going to marry him so I won't have to." 
 
 "What a martyr she is!" 
 
 "I hope not, Joe; I hope she will fall in love with 
 him, and I know he will with her. She is so beau- 
 tiful he scarcely took his eyes off her to-night." 
 
 "And did you tell her the secret of how to keep 
 her face and arms white, that she is under such obli- 
 gations to you?" 
 
 "Why, don't you remember the storm, Joe? I 
 wrote papa all about it. I helped to save Helen's 
 life." 
 
 "That makes the thing a little different." But 
 Joe was still doubtful and vexed. Of course he had 
 been fooled, he thought. It had seemed to him too 
 strange to be true, that she should be what she pro- 
 fessed — any girl that wouldn't be mashed on that 
 hair and mustache was simply a freak. 
 
 Agnes reassured him concerning the import of 
 Helen's actions, and went to her room. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 Helen was perhaps the only one of the party who 
 was having a really good time. Here she was having 
 opportunity to display all of her many phases. When 
 in a careless mood she flirted with his lordship; when 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 117 
 
 thoughtful she talked religion and science with Sir 
 Alfred; a patriotic mood brought her to talk politics 
 with the congressman; and when burning with am- 
 bition she found a congenial spirit in Joe, who, while 
 often disagreeing with her, still liked her comrade- 
 ship. 
 
 At first Sir Alfred was awfully bored. He thought 
 Agnes a-sweet, modest little woman, as became her, 
 but she was supposed to be his friend's special com- 
 panion. He liked Mrs. Daniels, approved of her 
 care of the young ladies and the house. Now. Mrs. 
 Daniels was a hygienist, very particular about diet 
 and clothing; was always looking after the health of 
 the household ; saw that the girls didn't put on freshly 
 ironed linen nor eat between meals; attended to the 
 ventilation yet never allowed, a draught. In short, 
 she was one of those women who have a bad stomach 
 and a vivid imagination, and having to regulate her 
 own diet, she simply couldn't see how anyone could 
 live and eat anything and everything. But Sir Alfred 
 saw only that she was careful and prudent. One 
 afternoon the young people, with the exception of 
 his lordship, were seated in the shade upon the lawn. 
 That personage, thrown upon his own resources in 
 the matter of making himself presentable, consumed 
 a good deal of time and experienced a good deal of 
 trouble with his toilet ; and at this time was strug- 
 gling to decide which would be most becoming, a 
 pale pink or a creamy white necktie. 
 
 "I don't object to suffrage so very much," Sir 
 Alfred was saying, "but with suffrage comes woman 
 politicians, lawyers, doctors, preachers, lecturers, 
 usurpers of man's sphere." 
 
118 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "The world is progressing, " Helen said calmly. 
 
 "Yes, the world is going—going — mad." 
 
 "Sir Alfred, you, like thousands of others, under- 
 stand that the world is running in a strange way, 
 but cannot see the cause. We are going with the 
 current, after a phantom, and though it is but a 
 phantom, we could not turn back if we would. The 
 current grows stronger and more rapid; some are 
 floating idly, carelessly along, bravely buffeting the 
 waves, but the greater number are grabbing, crying, 
 cursing, sinking or rising by pushing others under. 
 There is not room for all; the banks are narrowing; 
 an eddy starts in the center; we reel as if drunken, 
 we speed round, dizzy, breathless, faint, exhausted; 
 none have gained, all have lost. And that phantom 
 is wealth and power." 
 
 "Yes, that is true. But the women are largeiy 
 responsible for the condition of things; if they would 
 keep to the shore and leave the men to struggle with 
 the current, why — 11 
 
 "What is to be will be. If you would study the 
 Bible, you would see that the world is in just the 
 condition that Christ spoke of as the time of the end. " 
 Here, as if to contradict in living, glowing colors, 
 Helen's dark prophecy, his lordship appeared on the 
 scene fresh as a new blown rose and certainly more 
 fragrant, a happy, careless smile on his handsome face. 
 Upon seeing him advance toward them, Sir Alfred 
 began to gently swing the hammock Helen was oc- 
 cupying, reconciling the action with the thought 
 that it wasn't best for his friend to pay too much 
 attention to one girl when betrothed to another. Con- 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 119 
 
 tinning the conversation, though in a gayer manner, 
 he said, "Look here, Miss- Herman, you're always 
 quoting Scripture to prove your theories, and yet you 
 don't believe much that's in the Bible; old-fashioned 
 hell and other things that are as plain as can be. 
 Your belief is nothing but a theory that, like any 
 other one, can be either proved or disproved by the 
 Bible." 
 
 "I know it is but a theory. I wouldn't give two 
 cents for a person without a theory; but the thing 
 of it is, which theory is the most reasonable." 
 
 "Your argument sounds very reasonable, Miss Her- 
 man," his lordship, who had been listening a few 
 seconds, said, "but now let us try some of God's pure 
 air and sunshine. What do you say to a race on the 
 wheels?" 
 
 "Capital, " Helen said, rising and excusing herself. 
 A few moments later they were skimming down the 
 smooth road. Helen wore her gymnasium costume, 
 but his lordship either didn't notice it or he didn't 
 care. 
 
 "How I do enjoy bicycling!" she said. 
 
 "So do I when I have good company, "he returned, 
 guiding his wheel a little nearer her. Agnes had 
 casually told him of Helen's three millions, and this, 
 coupled with Helen's charming personnel, was rapidly 
 getting away with his lordship. He calculated in 
 his quiet moments to simply flirt with her as was 
 his wont with any young woman, but her power over 
 him when they were together made his speech a 
 queer mixture of flattery and sincerity. 
 
 "And I'm certainly enjoying this ride," he con- 
 
120 
 
 A NfeW WOMAN 
 
 tinued. "The exercise brings roses to your cheeks 
 and your eyes are like stars." 
 
 u Oh, Your Lordship thinks he can flatter an in- 
 nocent country girl." 
 
 u 'Pon my honor, no. Your innocence only makes 
 you that much more lovely in the sight of a gentle- 
 man. It's rarely we meet with such charming sim- 
 plicity; and a man whose every breath you might 
 say has been drawn in society's hot-house, knows 
 how to appreciate that nature which is yet untainted." 
 
 Helen's face was turned away. She felt an almost 
 uncontrollable desire to call him a fool, but, remem- 
 bering her part, she turned her face toward him, 
 beaming with the most vacant smile she could muster. 
 
 "My Lord has no idea how much I appreciate his 
 candid expression of regard for me." 
 
 "A man would be a brute who would deceive such 
 innocence as yours." They rode in silence for a few 
 minutes and then he asked her if she had ever been 
 to England. 
 
 "No," she answered, "I've never traveled, even in 
 my own country. I've been in school nearly all of 
 my life; and I'm an orphan, and friendless girls like 
 myself have so little chance to go about." 
 
 "But an orphan girl can find a protector in a hus- 
 band as well as a girl blessed with parents." 
 
 "Well, I've never been fortunate or unfortunate 
 enough to. But we are a long distance from home. 
 Hadn't we better turn back?" And during the re- 
 mainder of the trip Helen adroitly kept the conversa- 
 tion upon the topic of scenery, allowing nothing but 
 the lightest sort of flirtation. 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 121 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 Helen boasted the understanding of a vast num- 
 ber of subjects, but she was beginning to wonder if 
 she understood herself. Her whole life had been 
 spent in dreams of ambition, of glory, and she had 
 always looked upon society as the amusement of fools 
 and of course not for her. She had never known but 
 two people with whom she could really affiliate, 
 Cleonice and an old man, a recluse scholar in her 
 own home, until now, when she found the society of 
 each one of the party enjoyable. She liked the light, 
 frivolous nature of Lord Avon, when he talked of 
 something other than herself, and even his adoration 
 of her, which was becoming evident to everybody, 
 interested her when she thought how well her scheme 
 was working. She liked to slip into the library when 
 the host was at home and tease him on politics until 
 he would put her out bodily and lock the door. And 
 Sir Alfred — well, she never feigned headache when 
 he asked her to walk or ride, nor ever overslept when 
 challenged by him to a six o'clock game of croquet. 
 But it was with Joe that she felt most like herself. 
 After they had had a long confidential talk about 
 their ambitions, she would feel herself equal to any- 
 thing; and in her own room would sing, dance, de- 
 claim and execute high tragedy with even more than 
 her old-time gusto. Upon one such occasion as she 
 was reciting her favorite portion of the Iliad, where 
 the haughty Atrides demands Achilles to surrender 
 Briseis,it popped into her head to dramatize the Iliad. 
 
122 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "And I mustn't moon much longer, " she said aloud, 
 and fell to calculating how much longer it would 
 take to effect Agnes' release. She felt provoked at 
 herself for entering into such an agreement. "Wast- 
 ing time when I know my power. My teacher assured 
 me that I had 'the voice that all modes of passion 
 could express,' and I can, oh, I can — " here her 
 thoughts became too ecstatic for utterance as she 
 again indulged in the ambitious dreams of the nat- 
 ural actor. 
 
 "I'll look for a position right away and go as soon 
 as I can. It's pleasant here, but it's too enervating, " 
 she had decided, when happening to look out of the 
 window she saw Sir Alfred sitting alone on the lawn. 
 Recalling an interrupted conversation on Darwin- 
 ism in which she had not time to make herself clear, 
 she, after rearranging her hair and donning fresh 
 flowers, joined him. 
 
 At that moment Agnes was giving her aunt, who 
 was subject to a nervous dizzy headache, an ice water 
 treatment. "Wouldn't it be nice, Agnes," said Mrs. 
 Daniels, as she saw Sir Alfred rise to give Helen the 
 hammock, "if they would fall in love?" 
 
 "Oh,Auntie,do you think they will?" Agnes asked, 
 trying to conceal her anxiety. 
 
 "There is a possibility," Mrs. Daniels returned 
 complacently. "He is a very fine man' and it would 
 be very fortunate for her to get any one of his age and 
 judgment. She is attractive and sensible in some 
 ways, but is young and has never had the care of a 
 mother. I do wish she would wear a night-cap ; can't 
 you persuade her to? Jennie says she draws her bed 
 
A XEW WOMAN 
 
 128 
 
 right up to the window and Bleeps with her head 
 against the screen; why she doesn't catch her death 
 of cold. I can't see. Girls are so imprudent." 
 
 "But he is so much older.'- Agnes remonstrated. 
 
 "Yes. but when men reach his age, unmarried, they 
 nearly always marry young women, which isn't al- 
 ways prudent in the man, but very fortunate for the 
 girl. I think if there is anything disgusting, it's to 
 see very young people marry, for what do they know 
 about taking care of children or living on their in- 
 come? But Sir Alfred and his lordship are about the 
 same age. I should judge, and Helen is older than 
 you. Have you decided about your dress yet?-" 
 
 "No, not yet. Please don't worry about it; there 
 is plenty of time. If your head is better. Auntie, I 
 believe I will go out in the open air." 
 
 "Go on, dear, but throw something light over your 
 shoulders and take something to Helen. That great 
 maple throws such a shade that it is positively chilly 
 under it. " 
 
 Agnes, whose anxiety was increased by seeing Sir 
 Alfred gently swinging the hammock, was glad of 
 this excuse to break up the tete-a-tete: so. picking 
 up a cashmere shawl for herself and a flimsy lace 
 scarf for Helen. she joined them only to find them ar- 
 guing upon evolution. 
 
 "But Darwin demonstrates everything so clearly. " 
 Sir Alfred was saying. 
 
 "Yes. I know he does, and I can readily see how 
 a skeptical person would accept his theory unques- 
 tioned. 
 
 "But he has left no room for question." 
 
124 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "No, not if one accepts his premise. But the idea 
 that everything started from one of four forms of life 
 is absurd to me. Now, a thousand primary forms are 
 as easy to suppose as four or just one. Don't you 
 think he begs the question?" 
 
 "Then you think Darwin and Wallace spent their 
 whole lives concocting an illogical theory?" 
 
 "I think if we study the Bible we find something 
 much more simple, reasonable and that which satis- 
 fies the heart. " 
 
 "But there is as great, yes, greater diversity of 
 opinions in regard to Bible teachings than there are 
 differences among scientists." 
 
 Sir Alfred knew nothing about the Bible and really 
 cared nothing about Darwinism, but he availed him- 
 self of every opportunity to talk with Helen on any 
 subject. 
 
 "But one can't estimate the worth of the Bible 
 from simply an intellectual standpoint," she re- 
 joined. "Its truths must be experienced, just as we 
 put our arithmetical training into practice to under- 
 stand it fully. Fractions nearly drove me crazy when 
 a child; they were simply inexplicable until I was 
 sent marketing; and geometry and surveying are 
 misty to me yet, just because I can't go out with 
 tripod and chain. When one looks about and notes 
 how man is conquering everything and making even 
 electricity serve his purpose, and especially when an 
 individual studies his own abilities and powers, he 
 sees that it is true that God placed him at the head 
 of his creation to have dominion over all things. 
 Yet there are some who believe, or profess to believe, 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 125 
 
 that man came up from amoebae. Truly 'they strain 
 at a gnat and swallow a camel. ' But then it is the 
 easiest thing in the world to be skeptical. I used to 
 be." Sir Alfred smiled. "But I was finally con- 
 vinced, not by scholarly argument nor in a revival 
 meeting — " Here Helen paused 
 
 "But how were you convinced?" Sir Alfred asked. 
 
 "Such incidents have been related in the pulpit 
 until people have grown to think lightly of them, 
 but this I saw with my own eyes and not only that, 
 but felt it in my soul." Helen's manner was so 
 earnest and her voice so low and clear, that her 
 listeners were deeply moved. "I once stood by 
 the deathbed of a young and beautiful girl, and 
 just a few moments before she died her pale, wan face 
 became so strangely radiant, her eyes so luminous 
 and wondrously beautiful, that we stood breathless 
 with expectation. Well, I can not describe; it is 
 beyond words. The skeptic might say it was the last 
 effort of nature, just as the candle will blaze up just 
 before it goes out, but we who stood beside her real- 
 ized that we looked upon the soul's awakening." 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 Sir Alfred found himself strangely attracted to 
 Helen. Her variegated nature was an ever-increas- 
 ing wonder and delight to him who had grown dis- 
 trustful of nearly everything. But 
 
 " The thickest ice that ever froze 
 Can only o'er the surface close, 
 The quickening stream still Aoavs beneath." 
 
126 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 He began to think that there were women in the 
 world, who, if not of the trusting, confiding, Alice 
 Darvil sort, were yet true women with pure, noble 
 sentiments. Yet, while he admired Helen in her 
 argumentative moods, 'twas in her lighter role that 
 he most loved her. And his lordship was fairly dis- 
 tracted. Three million dollars that could be had for 
 the asking, and a lovely girl thrown in; an orphan, 
 too, without a brother to treat him half disdain- 
 fully, or a father to suspect him of being a fortune 
 hunter and a libertine! But his environment aggra- 
 vated him awfully. Of course he could not claim 
 any of Helen's time, but just had to trust to happy 
 intervals and lucky chance ; and such were all too 
 rare, even when he was ready to improve them. Oh, 
 how he missed Adams! for looking after his clothes, 
 going every morning to the village to be shaved, and 
 struggling before the mirror to make himself pre- 
 sentable, took so much time that he felt himself not 
 "in it" like the others; he was jealous of Sir Alfred, 
 jealous of the supercilious Joe, and even jealous of 
 his genial host. 
 
 One day when he was trying with nervous fingers to 
 girt his snow-white trousers to just the right length, 
 he heard Helen's laughter and Sir Alfred's voice 
 below. He gave way to profuse perspiration and red- 
 hot regrets. Something of relief came to him, how- 
 ever, when he ascertained that the whole household, 
 including Mrs. Daniels, with head bundled up, se- 
 cure against a possible draught, were upon the 
 lawn. 
 
 "The day of flowery oratory is past, " the con- 
 gressman was saying. 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 127 
 
 "Yes, we have come to the day and age of the 
 world when things must be said and done simply and 
 quickly," Sir Alfred rejoined. 
 
 "And the man who soars on the pinions of the 
 wind is a dolt," interposed Joe. 
 
 "I don't agree with any of you," Helen said. She 
 always wanted to have her say. "We don't admire 
 the simple things of life; it's the display, the splen- 
 dor, the pageantry; that which delights the senses. 
 We admire the smooth, prepossessing rascal more 
 than a common every-day villain. Now, don't we?" 
 
 "It isn't the villain, but his graces that charm 
 us," Agnes said, half timidly. 
 
 "But all of our best writers, whether of prose or 
 of poetry, have soared in imagery and flowery lan- 
 guage. Look at the Iliad, the grandest of all poetry; 
 reduce it to simple language and would it appeal to 
 us as it does now? Take some of Byron's poetry, for 
 instance this: 
 
 " 'Thou glorious mirror! where the Almighty's form 
 
 Glasses itself in tempests ; in all time 
 Calm or convulsed — in breeze or gale or storm, 
 
 Icing the pole or in the torrid clime, 
 
 Dark, heaving, boundless, endless and sublime, 
 The image of eternity — the throne 
 
 Of the Invisible ; even from out thy slime 
 The monsters of the deep are made ; each one 
 Obeys thee— thou goest forth s dread,fathomless,alone.' 
 
 Reduce that to simple language and see if it means 
 the same." 
 
 "But that is poetry," our congressman said. 
 "Yes, and I don't like to hear anything said in a 
 plain way that can be rendered poetically. Our lives 
 
128 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 are too prosy. I think we would do well to cultivate 
 poetry in both thought and speech." 
 
 "You are right in one way, Miss Herman," the 
 host answered. "We are not exactly prosy, but we 
 lack sentiment. Sentiment is dubbed 'gush' to-day. 
 Oh, the whole world is wrong somewhere. There's 
 a mighty big screw loose somewhere, and the machin- 
 ery is rattling away at a terrible speed. The world 
 is—" Here he looked at his watch, sprang up sud- 
 denly, and taking Joe to one side whispered, "Jump 
 on your wheel, Joe, and hurry to town ; the market 
 closed fifteen minutes ago. Be quick; I'll stand 
 here at the gate. " 
 
 Here Mrs. Daniels, seeing a chance to leave Helen 
 and Sir Alfred together, arose and went into the 
 house, and a moment later called the reluctant Ag- 
 nes. Poor Lord Avon, who had just succeeded in 
 getting one trouser leg just right, must yet fix the 
 other one and arrange his tie! How could he know 
 that they were talking only economics? 
 
 "It's a very difficult question," continued Helen. 
 "The wrong is in our hearts; we are hard-hearted 
 and selfish. " 
 
 "Because a man occupies himself in making money, 
 looking after his financial affairs, he is hard-hearted 
 and selfish, is he? And yet I've heard you say you 
 despise a lazy fellow, me, for instance," Sir Alfred 
 said, smiling, but watching her face. 
 
 "I don't like to see a man put his every thought 
 and energy into making a fortune. He ought to 
 think some upon other things, I don't care what, but 
 something that will mark him as a man with thoughts 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 129 
 
 and feelings. I despise a man who is merely a ma- 
 chine to make money." 
 
 "But we all bow down to the rich man." 
 
 "We do not. Maybe you do over in England, but 
 it is not so here in Democratic America. Our rich 
 men are just now being censured for reducing the 
 wages of their employees." 
 
 "It is common in all countries for a man to hire 
 cheap labor. " 
 
 "Yes, I know that. We will pay a dollar if we 
 must, but will get the same work done for twenty- 
 five cents if possible. And yet the conditions of the 
 late strikers is comfort itself compared with other 
 classes, — the women employed in sweaters' estab- 
 lishments and the children in the crowded factories. " 
 
 "Well, Miss Herman, we must take into consider- 
 ation the worth of these laborers. Isn't it the truth 
 that merit wins? These people are mere machines. 
 If they w r ere worth more they would rise higher. 
 Isn't it true that a bright boy will begin work as 
 an office boy and rise to be a member of the firm? 
 You see he has true worth, and makes himself in- 
 dispensable to his employers. But these poor, mis- 
 erable wretches of whom you speak, must either live 
 and die on the pittances they receive or rise and 
 prove themselves worthy. " 
 
 "It is like placing a man in a skiff in the middle 
 of the Pacific, and expecting him to get to shore. One 
 out of a million might succeed, but starvation, the - 
 hurricane, and torture and death at the hands of 
 savages, would be the common fate. Sir Alfred, you 
 are a scholar, — a well-read man. Is it possible that 
 
130 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 you are blind to the conditions as they are to-day? 
 Can't you see the signs of the times point to some- 
 . thing — to the last great day when Christ's Kingdom 
 shall be set up on earth?" Helen said in deep ear- 
 nestness, but seeing a faint smile flickering over the 
 face of her companion, she leaned back, clasped her 
 hands above her head and defiantly said, "Laugh 
 right out, Sir Alfred, I don't mind it at all." 
 
 "Thank you for according me the privilege, but I 
 don't care to take advantage of it. You see a man 
 of my age has heard all sorts of theories for the re- 
 demption of the human race. There are all sorts of 
 enthusiasts, but you are the first young woman I've 
 ever known to go so deeply, and I must say, with 
 such sincerity of purpose, into such schemes. I've 
 heard middle-aged and old women, and disappointed 
 men talk such things; one of their favorite notions 
 being to divide up the wealth into equal portions. 
 But the time has never been, and I think never will 
 be, when men will be dictated to as to how they will 
 spend their money, or as to what they will do with 
 their own possessions. " 
 
 •'That idea has not held good in the past." 
 
 "How so?" 
 
 "Why, England once owned the American colonies, 
 but she failed to do as she pleased with them. I should 
 think that an immortal precedent. " 
 
 "That was a great political question." 
 
 "But so is the capital and labor question becoming 
 national, yes, an international question. " Just as 
 negro slavery was put down, so will the bondage of 
 the white laborers lake]) in hand and. abolished." 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 131 
 
 Sir Alfred floundered and positively blushed. No 
 man likes to be beaten by a woman. But Sir Alfred 
 would not acknowledge himself beaten, even to him- 
 self, and, feeling rather short of off-hand arguments, 
 besought to side-track the discussion by remarking in 
 a careless way, "Well, I don't care to worry myself 
 about it; I'll leave it to older and wiser heads than 
 mine. " 
 
 Helen understood the insinuation. It raised her 
 temper and she wanted to stab back. "I am very 
 sure that the cause will never miss you," she said 
 sweetly. 
 
 Sir Alfred writhed inwardly. It was strange to 
 him how the words of this little girl, as he had first 
 considered her, could affect him. But a moment 
 since he had thrilled with pride that she had con- 
 sidered him scholarly, and now his heart ached. And 
 here, to add to his misery, his lordship, fresh and 
 handsome, came upon the scene and took Helen for 
 a ride. 
 
 "Do you know yet where they are going to take us 
 for the summer?" Helen asked, as they wheeled 
 along. 
 
 "No; I think, though, it will be Saratoga. Are 
 you getting tired of the country? You are certainly 
 not as happy as I am or you would not even hint 
 at such a thing. " 
 
 "Oh, I am happy here. They are all so kind. Mrs. 
 Daniels takes the liveliest interest in me, health and 
 all ; Agnes is like a sister, Mr. Easton is like a father; 
 Joe is devoted and your friend is very nice to me." 
 
 "And hsVenH you one poor little word for me?" 
 
132 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 His lordship asked dejectedly. And Helen, recalling 
 his gifts of bon-bons, his little polite services, and 
 also remembering her part, said, "I didn't say any- 
 thing in praise of you, my lord, because I simply 
 can't express my thanks to you in words— oh, I mean 
 I can't express my thanks at all," sl\p quickly ex- 
 plained, feeling a little guilty. "But I'm in for it; 
 I don't have to marry him and it's for Agnes' wel- 
 fare," she said mentally. "I wish I could show my 
 admiration for you in either words or acts." 
 
 His lordship sighed. Gay, good-natured Lord 
 Avon was quite upset. "Dear Miss Herman, I was 
 grieved at you the other day ; I really was, but per- 
 haps I misunderstood you. One so just and good 
 and noble as you could not believe such a thing." 
 
 "Why, what was it?" 
 
 "You were talking with the young Mr. Easton. I 
 wasn't eavesdropping, but I thought I heard you 
 declare against the marriage of your countrymen 
 with foreigners. Why, I think all homage is due 
 the American woman who leaves all, her country, 
 her parents and friends, to follow the man of her 
 choice to Spain, to France, to dear old England. 
 I hope you are not like the woman who said that she 
 could be convinced, but she'd like to see the man 
 who could convince her." 
 
 Conquering her disgust she ventured, "I have never 
 yet met the man who cared to trouble himself enough 
 about me, to try to convince me." 
 
 His lordship was almost desperate; he talked about 
 'merciless fate' and groaned audibly. Helen was 
 greatly relieved at their nearing home, which caused 
 his lordship to regain his composure. 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 133 
 
 That night Agnes followed Helen to her room. 
 When the door was closed and they were alone Agnes 
 threw her arms around her friend's neck and ex- 
 claimed," "Bless your dear heart, you are a friend 
 indeed; and if I were at all in love I should be furi- 
 ously jealous. I am going to give back this ring to- 
 morrow. He adores you; oh, Helen; I'm almost 
 ashamed to say so, but he never treated me one-half 
 so nice as he does you. I could almost believe he 
 never did care for me, and yet he must have; oh, I 
 can't understand it all." 
 
 "Do you know where we are going for the sum- 
 mer?" 
 
 "No, papa will decide in a day or two. For my 
 part I don't care much where we go, but Aunt Kate 
 thinks the water at Saratoga beneficial. I'll just 
 tell you the truth, Helen; I like fun and want to 
 have a good time, but Saratoga is a bad place. Why, 
 nearly everybody drinks and gambles, and you mix 
 with everybody, good, bad and indifferent ; you must 
 sit at tables with women you would not speak to at 
 home. " 
 
 "I know it isn't pleasant, but that's the very place 
 to set an example." 
 
 "You might as well throw a reed into the Missis- 
 sippi to obstruct its progress. And you can scarcely 
 brace yourself, much less tower in strength. I tell 
 you the wickedness is positively contagious." 
 
 "Will your father be there with us?" 
 
 "I hope so, at least for a part of the time. Isn't 
 it awful that congress must be in session all sum- 
 mer?" 
 
i34 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "It's awful that men of the same party, elected 
 on the same ticket, will pull and haul in different 
 directions, when they are honor bound to work for 
 the same things. When women go to congress they'll 
 work for principle regardless of personal interests. 
 Honestly, Agnes, don't you ever wish that you could 
 fill some office of public trust?" 
 
 "No, not exactly. I think we have as good a chance 
 to do good by using our influence in other things. 
 I have sometimes thought I would like to be married 
 and go to Saratoga to show other women that one 
 woman could think more of her own husband than 
 of some other woman's." 
 
 "That is right enough, Agnes, but every married 
 woman can do that, and so few women hold offices 
 of trust." 
 
 "Well, let women who are capable of holding 
 office, and who wish to, do so, but as for me, I don't 
 crave any such distinction. It is different with you, 
 Helen. I would like to see you happily married, as 
 you surely will be soon, but still I think you capable 
 of other things, I must go now and not keep you 
 up any longer. " 
 
 A feAV minutes after she had gone, Helen received 
 a note which read: 
 
 "I challenge you to a game of croquet at half past 
 six in the morning. Don't fail me. Gates." 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 135 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 The next morning Helen awakened before six and 
 rose immediately. More than once while she was 
 dressing did she peep out from behind the shade, 
 and it wasn't long until she saw Sir Alfred emerge 
 from the hall door and go toward the croquet ground. 
 At fifteen minutes past six she was ready and sat 
 do^Yn to read, but five minutes of time seemed an 
 age, and so a little earlier than the appointed hour 
 she joined him below. 
 
 "Good morning, Miss Herman. So you concluded 
 to give me a game, did you? I was awfully afraid 
 you would prefer to sleep." 
 
 "I will give you a chance for a game, "she said, as 
 she took the mallet he held out to her. 
 
 "That is all I want," he returned, letting his hand 
 slide down the handle and cover hers. Here this self- 
 willed, ambitious young woman who thought love a 
 weakness, blushed as red as the roses at her throat, 
 stammered, but did not try to free her hand. "Would 
 you like to have my mallet as well as your own?" 
 she finally managed to say. 
 
 "Oh, no." he said, releasing her, and the game 
 began. The conversation was a little strained at 
 first, until they fell to talking about where the party 
 would spend the summer. 
 
 "Miss Easton told me last night that she thought 
 her father would decide this week. Lord Avon pre- 
 fers Newport, but Mrs. Daniels would rather go to 
 Saratoga. Nobody else seems to care." 
 
136 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "Have you no preference?" he asked, and looked 
 at her while he tried to send the ball through the 
 basket. 
 
 "I want to go where there will be the most good 
 theaters." 
 
 "But there won't be any theaters anywhere during 
 the summer." 
 "What?" 
 
 "There aren't any theaters anywhere during the 
 summer. " 
 "Why?" 
 
 "All good players rest during the hot weather like 
 other people. Sometimes a cheap troupe stays on 
 the road, but the artists are off recuperating." 
 
 "Then what on earth do people amuse themselves 
 with at watering places?" 
 
 "At Long Branch they bathe, go to church, play 
 games and dance. At Newport they do the same, 
 and at Saratoga they go to the races and bet instead 
 of bathe, dance, drink, play games and flirt; at least 
 I have heard so from my friend, who has visited all 
 the principal summer resorts here. This is my first 
 stay in America, and it was with reluctance that I 
 agreed to come this time, but I'm glad now that I 
 did; I wouldn't have missed it for a fortune," and 
 he looked at her again and missed the stake. "So 
 you haven't gone about much, it seems." 
 
 "No, I've never been anywhere but in school. I've 
 never heard any good actors." 
 
 "Several American artists are spending the season 
 in England. " 
 
 "Playing?" 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 137 
 
 "No, just traveling and having a good time. They 
 seem to prefer our society and scenery. American 
 women like England." 
 
 "Yes, and not to their credit," Helen said decid- 
 edly, trying to be true to her ideas of patriotism. 
 
 "How so?" 
 
 "Why, it's disgusting for Americans to spend half 
 their time in other countries. I intend to travel, 
 but I shall do my own country first, and return to it 
 gladly after seeing the sights elsewhere. She's faulty 
 enough, Heaven knows, but she's the very best of a 
 bad lot." 
 
 "When do you intend to travel?" 
 
 "Just as soon as I am of age and get control of my 
 own property. " 
 
 "And get a husband," Sir Alfred said, missing 
 the stake for the third time. 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 Sir Alfred was nonplussed. His face grew very 
 sober and he finally said, "Pardon me, Miss Her- 
 man, but I was not aware that you were contemplat- 
 ing matrimony." 
 
 "Well, I'm not and don't intend to." 
 
 "I hope you are not of the class who are crying 
 down matrimony." 
 
 "No, I'm not of that class, at least not that I 
 know of, for I don't know of any such, except as I 
 read of them. But to-day woman's chief aim is not 
 marriage, as it used to be. We are taught to think of 
 other things.'-' 
 
 "Yes, they are being trained to stifle nature," he 
 almost snapped. "They are taught to make prudent 
 
138 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 marriages, to look at the financial status of a suitor 
 instead of at his mind and heart." 
 
 "It strikes me that a good many women are mar- 
 ried to men who are bankrupt in every way. And 
 from the number of divorces, one would judge that 
 nature had been having its own way; people must 
 have been listening to their hearts instead of being 
 guided by common sense." 
 
 Helen's sarcasm seemed insult added to injury and 
 he broke into a series of expostulations that he would 
 have readily seen to be illogical and inconsistent in 
 any one else. "No, nature was all right in the first 
 place; nature was all right; the heart was all right. 
 They were led away by their ambitions; they go after 
 your phantom riches and power, the two principal 
 producers of corruption. True nature is all right 
 after it has received its education and polish ; it's 
 the counterfeit natures that are making the trouble. 
 The rough and gross are being veneered and mixed 
 in with the naturally refined. Fifty years ago things 
 were not as they are to-day." 
 
 "Haven't I been telling you so all along? Things 
 are coming to a climax and the 'end is nigh, even 
 at the doors!' Oh, can't you see? but no, 'you have 
 eyes, but you see not, ears and you hear not,'" Helen 
 said hopelessly. 
 
 "I've eyes that can see.and a heart that can feel, " 
 he said, looking longingly at her. 
 
 But Helen w T ith the greatest indifference rolled her 
 ball around and began a new game. Sir Alfred 
 dropped his ball in place and struck it with such 
 vengeance that it rolled clear through the central 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 139 
 
 arches and struck the lower stake with a pop. ''Ed- 
 ucation is the ruin of the world instead of its re- 
 demption. The higher education is responsible for 
 the attitude of women toward marriages and has dis- 
 satisfied her with home life." 
 
 "I know," Helen said, her tone as sweet as sugared 
 gooseberries, "I know there are some who honestly 
 think that women should not receive the higher ed- 
 ucation, but that we should spend our lives quietly 
 within the four walls of home in perfect contentment. 
 That may have been very well when men belonged 
 to that order known as 'Nature's noblemen,' but 
 now* when men are corrupt, from tramp to President, 
 and when most of them shift the responsibility of 
 making a living upon their wives, things are differ- 
 ent. Somebody's got to take hold of affairs and 
 straighten them out. The poverty question is star- 
 ing this nation in the face and the men won't or 
 can't remedy the matter. Those in power won't even 
 consider it. The women must come to the front if 
 ouv nation is to stand, and they must fit themselves 
 for positions of trust and not enter into any 'entan- 
 gling alliances. '" 
 
 Sir Alfred was in a perfect rage. To be preached 
 at like this when he was on the point of proposing! 
 His face was flushed, and he played as if he wanted 
 to smash everything, but Helen, perfectly calm, 
 seeming not to notice his actions, stood waiting her 
 turn. Just at this critical moment his lordship's curls 
 hove in sight. Helen's face wreathed in smiles, and 
 Sir Alfred, dropping his mallet, hurried to her, and 
 said, "It is necessary for me to go to town this fore- 
 noon. Would you care to bear me company?" 
 
140 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 Helen had maintained her ground so far with only- 
 one blush to prove that she was woman, and she 
 determined to show no weakness at the last moment; 
 so looking up, but not into his face, replied, "I must 
 go to town this forenoon myself, as I have an ap- 
 pointment with my dressmaker, but I promised his 
 lordship last night that I would go with him." 
 
 "So I suppose you will devote the remainder of 
 the day to him. " 
 
 "Oh, no, just the forenoon. I am going to the 
 woods with Joe this afternoon, and you know our 
 host arrives this evening." 
 
 "Good morning, Miss Herman. You folks are out 
 fearfully early, aren't you?" hailed his lordship. 
 
 "Yes, I've just been giving your friend a lesson in 
 croquet. It seems as if he doesn't understand it very 
 well." 
 
 "Neither do I; give me lessons. I like croquet 
 because it can be played by two." 
 
 "Well, sometime, but we must go in to breakfast 
 now. " 
 
 In a short time his lordship, Helen and Agnes 
 started to town, leaving Sir Alfred to either endure 
 Joe or amuse himself. His lordship, while not really 
 slighting Agries, was so profusely gallant to Helen 
 that both girls felt that the time to break had come, 
 and Agnes began nerving herself for the ordeal. 
 
 After dinner Joe brought out the wheels, and very 
 important he felt as he led Helen past the English 
 guests. 
 
 "You have been away a good deal lately, I hardly 
 ever see you," said Helen. 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 141 
 
 ''Yes, but I'll be at home most of the time from 
 now on. Pa got the nomination, you know. I've 
 been tending to his affairs." 
 
 ''Will you work in the campaign?" 
 
 "No, I will play host at the resort, and then will 
 start to school. 
 
 ••Why, I thought you graduated." 
 
 ''Yes, but this is a law school. You know a poli- 
 tician must be a lawyer. 7 ' 
 
 "And should women politicians study law?.' 3 
 
 "It isn't absolutely necessary; but there are few 
 members of congress who are not lawyers, nor hardly 
 any public men, for that matter." 
 
 "Well, I shall read law, then, but I don't intend 
 spending three or four years more in school. I've 
 made other plans." 
 
 '•Do tell me what they are. I haven't talked with 
 you for so long that I expect you have revised them 
 a good deal." 
 
 "I've been wanting to talk with you: you under- 
 stand me so well. I've decided to go on the stage 
 pretty soon — this fall if I can get a place; I'll try 
 the boards for a while. and then I am going to dram- 
 atize the Iliad and start a company of my own." 
 
 "What's that got to do with law?" Joe exclaimed. 
 
 "Just wait. You know I will have my property 
 in my own hands soon, and I intend investing in 
 land and starting a cooperative manufacturing in- 
 dustry. Of course that will make me popular near 
 home. Then everybody will want to see the famous 
 actress and the woman who dramatized the Iliad. I 
 will get lots of free advertising and a race for con- 
 gress will be easily made." 
 
142 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "Quite a brilliant career you've mapped out for 
 yourself. I think you'll be a successful actress; you 
 will probably become a star, unless you conclude to 
 star in some nice fellow's home." 
 
 "Now, you know, Joe, that I should be totally 
 eclipsed moving in the domestic orbit. The Iliad can 
 be dramatized; I've got it outlined already. Oh, it's 
 the very scheme. " 
 
 "You may be all right about doing it and, as I 
 said, you will probably succeed on the stage, unless 
 you conclude to grace some lucky fellow's home, but 
 I think you're a little wild on the political part." 
 
 "Joe, you make me mad. I wish you would un- 
 derstand that I don't intend to marry, even if I 
 should be fool enough to fall in love. Why, I'd go 
 and take the veil; I'd commit suicide, but good 
 heavens, I hope I sha'n't!" 
 
 "I hope that there is no immediate cause for 
 alarm," Joe said, looking at her suspiciously. 
 "You're dead against the Englishmen, you know." 
 
 "Certainly." 
 
 "Well, there's only myself and pa left." 
 
 "There's no clanger there, Joe. There would be 
 war to the teeth if I married your father, with three 
 in the same family fighting for the same honors," 
 Helen said, laughing. 
 
 "Well, confound it, I don't intend to marry 
 either. " 
 
 "You are right, Joe. Don't think me flighty. I'm 
 in dead earnest about my public work. I think it 
 the greatest place one can aspire to, to serve the peo- 
 ple and be honored by your constituents. I tell you, 
 
A NEW WOMAX 
 
 148 
 
 Joe. it ought to mean more to men than it does. 
 There never was such a need of statesmen. Oar 
 country is going to lose her proud prestige if brains 
 and principle don't come to the front." 
 
 "That's the truth, Helen. We're just going to 
 the devil. Are you — You're not mad, are you?" 
 
 "Oh, no, Joe, I'm not a fool. I've known it for 
 some time. We are just reveling, marrying, and 
 giving in marriage, as the Bible says." 
 
 "You think we're all coming back to this earth to 
 live a thousand years. Now I'm in earnest and I 
 hope you won't make fun of me nor tell anybody; 
 but do you think we will be men and women, and 
 talk and laugh and dance and ride pneumatic tires, 
 just as we do now? Your doctrine is more reason- 
 able than these orthodox mixtures." 
 
 "You are leading me into deep water, Joe. Of 
 course I'm not just clear about that, but I know 
 that I never could swallow this bosh about crowns 
 and golden harps. I am sure, from the practicing I 
 heard while at school, that I don't care to go where 
 there are so many amateur musicians." 
 
 Joe laughed outright, and the remainder of the trip 
 was spent in jest and laughter. 
 
 Agnes found her opportunity that afternoon, upon 
 finding his lordship alone in the drawing-room. He 
 looked guilty as she approached him with a strange 
 look upon her face, for he knew himself open to re- 
 proach. 
 
 "Don't you think Miss Herman a very nice girl?" 
 she asked. 
 
 "Oh, yes, indeed." 
 
144 
 
 A NEW WOMAN. 
 
 "I'm so glad you think so much of her." 
 
 "Yes, she is very nice and pretty." His lordship 
 didn't want to commit himself, and he really felt con- 
 science-stricken. What right had he to neglect Ag- 
 nes and break her poor little heart? he had thought 
 many a time, and yet he simply couldn't devote 
 himself to her. 
 
 "Pretty isn't the word at all," Agnes said. "She's 
 beautiful. Don't you think you are a little bit in 
 love?" 
 
 Her companion sighed audibly and said, "My poor 
 little girl, I hope I haven't caused you any trouble 
 Don't worry, Agnes, I'll be true to you. I admire 
 her very much, but — " 
 
 "Oh, I thought, I hoped you loved her," Agnes 
 said in despair. 
 
 "Agnes, have you lost your mind? 'Hoped I loved 
 her, ' and why?" 
 
 "Why, why,— well, never mind unless you do." 
 
 His lordship was in a dilemma and knew not what 
 next to say. It didn't strike him that Agnes didn't 
 want to marry him. It would have been almost im- 
 possible for him to understand that any woman could 
 have such bad taste as to wish to be rid of him, 
 Lord Avon of — shire, England, who had one of the 
 finest country seats and the very handsomest mus- 
 tache in the whole country 1 
 
 "Did you think, Agnes, that I could so far forget 
 myself as a gentleman of honor, as to — " 
 
 "I don't know anything about that, but I thought 
 you cared for her, and I hoped so, because, — because 
 — the truth is, my lord, I had a sweetheart before I 
 knew you." 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 145 
 
 He was surprised at her confession, but felt so re- 
 lieved that he didn't try to understand it. "Well, 
 Agnes, I must be honest with you. I am smitten 
 with Miss Herman and not lightly either. But I cer- 
 tainly intended to be honorable with you." 
 
 "Don't mention it, please. Here is your ring. I 
 think a great deal of her and I like you and I hope 
 she will accept you, but — my friend is very queer. 
 There's Sir Alfred in the hammock looking lonesome 
 and blue; hadn't we better join him?" 
 
 A merry party surrounded the tea table that night, 
 and it was decided by a majority vote, which was 
 afterward made unanimous, to go within a few days 
 to Saratoga. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 That night when Helen had gone to her room she 
 picked up the Iliad and began to turn through it. "I 
 can do it. I have the debates just exactly as they 
 are; I can have the single encounter in the field. 
 The scenery can represent the two armies, and the 
 walls of Troy can be painted large enough. Yes, I'm 
 sure I can, and I mustn't think of nonsense," she 
 was saying, when a messenger brought her another 
 challenge to a game of croquet. "You didn't give 
 me a single game this morning," the note ran, "and 
 I want a chance to redeem myself in the morning at 
 half past six." Sir Alfred had made up his mind to 
 propose and although he knew the hour to be a rather 
 
146 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 strange one, it was the only time he felt sure of be- 
 ing alone with her. Helen decided not to meet him, 
 so she went to bed with the determination to sleep 
 until seven. The sun was just up when she awoke 
 with a start, wondering what time it was. Drawing 
 the curtain aside, she lay looking out over the beau- 
 tiful lawn. But the minutes seemed tedious; she be- 
 gan to wonder if breakfast were not about ready, and 
 finally arose and dressed. Upon looking at -her 
 watch she found it to be five minutes of six. "Well," 
 she said, "it won't do for me to be awake and up 
 and not go; if I had overslept — but I didn't, so I 
 mustn't act a fool. I'll take a book and read awhile; 
 the morning will inspire me." 
 
 She went down far past the croquet ground and sat 
 down on a bench where she could see the house, and 
 began to read. She was quite a distance from the 
 house and confident that no one could hear her, and 
 she read poem after poem aloud. She had just fin- 
 ished "Lochiel's Warning," which she had admired 
 and practiced from childhood, when a voice said: 
 
 "How well you read, Miss Herman!" 
 
 "Good heavens, man!" she exclaimed, jumping 
 up and dropping her book. 
 
 "I am sorry I startled you. Why, you are nerv- 
 ous," he said tenderly. 
 
 "Oh, nonsense, Sir Alfred! I'm not; you only 
 surprised me. But how on earth did you manage to 
 get near without my seeing you? I've kept my eyes 
 on that path. " 
 
 "So you were watching for me, were you?" Helen's 
 eyes fell, but she answered bravely, "Of course I was 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 147 
 
 watching; do you suppose I came here to go to 
 sleep again? And I'd just like to know how you got 
 here. " 
 
 "Suppose, Miss Herman, that I came down that 
 path nearly an hour before you did." 
 
 "Of course, the simplest thing in the world. But 
 you must have gotten up very early." 
 
 "I did. I didn't sleep very well." 
 
 "A guilty conscience?" 
 
 "Not unless it is true that minds at a distance- 
 can affect other minds. Maybe your conscience was 
 troubling you for treating me so cruelly yesterday." 
 
 "I did treat you a little shabby," she said calmly, 
 but with rising color. "I'll let you have a game this 
 morning. But you said I was a good reader. I thank 
 you; I consider it quite a compliment, and it en- 
 courages me to — to — " 
 
 "To what?' 
 
 "Why, it confirms me in my hope to become a 
 great actress Probably you don't know, though, 
 that I intend going on the stage, probably this fall, 
 if I can secure a position in some good company." 
 
 "Oh, pshaw! But you will get over that. Nearly 
 every girl is stage-struck some time in life." 
 
 This angered Helen and she replied with spirit, 
 "Well, I shall have ample time to find out if I am 
 stage struck, as you term it. I am my own mistress. " 
 
 " 'Lord of thyself; that heritage of woe, 
 That fearful empire w r hieh the human breast 
 But holds to rob the heart within of rest!' " 
 
 he quoted. Helen said nothing to this, but stood 
 biting the fingers of her gloves, 
 
148 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "You are rich; you do not need employment." 
 Still she looked down her nose and continued to bite. 
 "You are not serious, surely, Miss Herman." 
 "Yes, I am serious." 
 
 "But you are so young — scarcely more than a 
 child." 
 
 "I'm not young; I never was a child. Orphan 
 girls have no time to fool away in childhood ; they 
 have too much responsibility resting upon their shoul- 
 ders. " 
 
 "I don't know how it is in America, but in Eng- 
 land girls of twenty are not allowed out of their 
 mother's sight; they are not considered women." 
 
 "That may be true. In this country some females 
 of thirty are not women and never will be." 
 
 "Besides that, you are without relatives and 
 friends. " 
 
 "And I don't need any; I've gotten along so far 
 without committing suicide or marrying." 
 
 "I suppose, then, the advice of a man of my age 
 and experience is to be utterly ignored," he said 
 moodily. 
 
 "You mean well, I know." 
 
 "Yes, Helen, I mean, I mean—-" 
 
 "I know it, Sir Alfred, but if you are my friend 
 you ought not to discourage me." 
 
 "But there are other things to be considered. I 
 speak to you as a friend, as a brother. You might 
 make an actress; indeed I think you would; you can 
 adapt yourself to a great variety of parts, but one of 
 your sex and age ought not to take such a risk." 
 
 "Why must young persons always be discouraged 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 149 
 
 in their efforts to rise? A man wants to make a law- 
 yer out of a boy who is a natural mechanic, or a 
 doctor out of one who ought to teach. There's a bit 
 of poetry that expresses it : 
 " 'You can lead a horse to water, 
 But you cannot make him drink. 
 You can send a fool to college, 
 
 But you cannot make him think. 
 You can keep your daughter strumming 
 
 From morn till afternoon, 
 But you can't make her a player 
 
 If she hasn't any tune. 
 You cannot change the rooster's strut 
 
 Nor make the layers crow, 
 Though you may honestly believe 
 
 It would be better so. 
 You cannot make a farmer 
 
 Of the boy who loves the sea, 
 Though you may make him plow and plant 
 
 And whoa and haw and gee. 
 You cannot make a preacher 
 
 Of the stage-struck Romeo lad, 
 And if you ever do succeed 
 
 You'll wish you never had.' " 
 U I know it is a very common thing for persons to 
 miss their calling, but why should you trouble your- 
 self about a 'life work, ' 'a mission, ' with your wealth 
 and the social position you can so admirably fill?" 
 
 "I do not see that that excuses me in leading an 
 idle life." 
 
 "But you might never rise to prominence. A wan- 
 dering life makes one discontented with any other 
 kind; and I tell you, Helen, that it will not bring 
 you happiness, nor is it child's play; it's work." 
 
 "Yes, I know. 'No excellence without hard labor. ' 
 My teacher wrote that on the blackboard when I was 
 
150 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 but ten years old, and it has stayed by me ever since. 
 I intend to work; I enjoy effort and making things 
 move." 
 
 Several times Sir Alfred had been on the point of 
 confessing his love, but he had begun to wonder if 
 he really wanted such a self-willed woman. Wouldn't 
 it be a second Corinne, in some respects, in England. 
 Well, he would just wait and perhaps she would ac- 
 quiesce, for he was almost sure that she had begun 
 at least to care for him; and there was no hurry, as 
 his lordship was affianced to Agnes, and Helen said 
 'Joe' in much too fraternal a fashion to rouse any 
 jealous feelings in regard to him. 
 
 "The position you covet will always be out of your 
 reach. Like John Burley's perch ; he wouldn't have 
 recognized it if he had caught it, but kept fishing 
 and fishing." 
 
 "Well, are we not happier doing so?" 
 
 "I wasn't." 
 
 "How so?" 
 
 "Why, you know my father, Lord Gates, is just 
 as good a man as there is in England to-day. He 
 worked with increasing energy for himself and then 
 for me. At your age, I too was an enthusiast, only 
 longing for a chance to revolutionize the world! I 
 worked with sublime endurance until I was twenty- 
 eight years old. For some slight service to the gov- 
 ernment I was knighted, but I didn't see that I had 
 made any change in the public's way of thinking or 
 acting; corruption was just as plentiful and triumph- 
 ant as it was before I was born. I saw worthy men 
 sink, and low-browed villains rise, and it sickened 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 151 
 
 me completely, and I just stepped down and out." 
 
 "Oh, why didn't you keep on; I should have. I 
 can't give up; there's no use talking. I must make 
 the trial, and if my strength should not be equal to 
 the task, I can at least know that I did my best. So 
 many women are going into the world to-day, and 
 besides,it is only a means to an end." 
 
 "All right, go ahead." 
 
 "Thank you, Sir Alfred, I'm so glad to hear that. 
 It's so rare to be encouraged. I'm so tired of fogies 
 who can say nothing but 'Be careful, ' and talk ot 
 'yawning chasms' everlastingly." 
 
 Sir Alfred looked at this spirited woman, who act- 
 ually dared to make fun of him, and concluded that 
 she was even more magnificent than he thought. He 
 wondered if she had any weaknesses, and wished that 
 a mouse would run across her foot. If she would 
 only get frightened and cry, she would be perfectly 
 lovely, he thought, but when Helen grasped a branch 
 just above her, and stood revealing her form in its 
 almost perfect outlines, every muscle performing its 
 functions, every nerve under control and the blood 
 coursing through her veins with true democratic free- 
 dom, his mood changed somewhat. "She would 
 make a splendid Minerva; she's wisdom — and war 
 personified. She would make a splendid tragedy 
 queen, if she were angry instead of smiling, but oh, 
 what sort of a wife would she be? There's no cou- 
 fiding sweetness about her. She's never sick, I'll 
 warrant, nor dependent in anyway," he mentally 
 soliloquized, and then he asked her how much she 
 weighed. 
 
152 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "One hundred and forty-five pounds, the last time 
 I was weighed, and I think I have about got my 
 growth. " 
 
 "How tall are you?" 
 
 "Five feet and seven inches." 
 
 "I suppose you never faint and have the head- 
 ache." 
 
 "No, not from ordinary causes, but once in a 
 storm I w r as shocked by lightning and had headache 
 before I recovered." 
 
 "Then you are afraid of storms." 
 
 "Well, yes; I'm not anxious to figure in one 
 again. " 
 
 "Are we going to play croquet?" 
 
 "No, we'd better go to breakfast, unless you wish 
 to ask some more questions." 
 
 "Pardon me, Miss Herman; but you looked so 
 charming and as I always admired small women I 
 really wanted to know." 
 
 "To be sure. I wasn't offended. I always mean 
 to be obliging, and I thought perhaps you would like 
 to know if I use a curling iron or rouge." 
 
 "Miss Herman, you are offended and no wonder." 
 
 "I'm not; I'm wonderfully pleased that Sir Alfred 
 Gates takes such an interest in me." 
 
 Was there ever such another aggravating woman ! 
 She wouldn't cry, nor get mad, nor pout ; but would 
 go after her own ball and excel him ill aim and pre- 
 cision of stroke. It was quite useless to play cro- 
 quet or any larger game with her, for she'd whitewash 
 him every time. He longed to take her by the shoul- 
 der and shake her till her teeth chattered. 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 153 
 
 Joe and his father were seated in the library await- 
 ing breakfast. 
 
 "I think it's all up between Agnes and his curli- 
 ness, even now," Joe was saying. 
 
 "Oh, you do. Agnes will tell us, I suppose, and 
 we must act surprised, you understand: and now we 
 might try and save Helen." 
 
 "I think she is amply able to save herself." 
 
 "Well, I hope so. His lordship is all right, a jo- 
 vial, good-natured fellow, and such men are scarce in 
 the world. We've more mere men than frank, good- 
 natured ones. One ought to cultivate a genial dis- 
 position. Why, the place is lively from the time he 
 gets up until he goes to bed again. I tell you, after 
 all, I like the fellow." 
 
 u He'll do very well for one of his kind, but there 
 are other varieties I like better," Joe returned con- 
 temptuously. 
 
 The day passed pleasantly ; everybody was in good 
 spirits; even Sir Alfred seemed to be perfectly at 
 ease, which, however, deep down in his heart he w r as 
 not. It was late- when they dispersed for the night, 
 but Helen seized the Iliad and began planning as 
 usual. Growing thirsty, she slipped quietly down to 
 the lower hall for a glass of ice-water. Hearing a 
 slight noise in the dining hall and thinking that per- 
 haps burglars were rifling the silver closet, she stepped 
 to the door and peeped in, just in time to see Joe 
 pour out a glass of wine. 
 
 "Beware, Joe, 'the rapids are below you,'" she 
 said, stepping to him and laying her hand on his 
 arm. 
 
154 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "Don't get tragic, Helen, "he said calmly, putting 
 his glass down and turning toward her. "What are 
 you doing here? You ought to be in bed." 
 
 "Why, I just came down for a glass of wine." 
 
 "You don't drink, Helen?" 
 
 "Yes, I do. I just sneak down here when every- 
 body is in bed. Pour me a glass and give me one 
 of those cigars. I might just as well have a smoke, 
 too; no one will know. 
 
 "And you don't think it makes any difference 
 just because no one knows? 
 
 "Don't you feel the same way about it?" 
 
 "You are a woman." 
 
 "Women drink, don't they?" 
 
 "Some do, but I had a better opinion of you, 
 Helen." 
 
 "And I had a better opinion of you, Joe." 
 
 "Confound it, Helen, what do you mean?" 
 
 "Tell me what you mean first." 
 
 "Why, I was sitting in my room thinking over the 
 situation and it made me a little rash, I guess." 
 
 "What situation; is your father — " 
 
 "Oh, no; about the Englishmen; they drink and 
 gamble, at least his importance does, while I haven't 
 a single vice and am trying hard to amount to some- 
 thing, still — and yet, Miss Herman, Miss Herman, 
 an American and a patriot, abhorring vice and titles, 
 gives them all of her time and smiles. I just con- 
 cluded that smart women admired dissipated men 
 more than — " 
 
 "'Earnest boys. ' The rebuke is just, Joe. Iam 
 glad you spoke out without reserve. I used to think 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 155 
 
 myself about perfect, but twice in the last year I've 
 had my vanity stabbed and rightly, too. But I am 
 going to do differently in the future, and you shall 
 have no excuse to find fault with me hereafter. I 
 hope that you won't drink that wine." 
 
 • k Xo, I won't; but what did you come down for?" 
 
 "For some ice-water, and I heard the noise and 
 thought I had better see what it was." 
 
 •'And just in time, Helen, I thank you," and he 
 opened the door for her to pass. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 Everybody rose early on Monday morning and 
 nearly everybody had some business at town, as they 
 were going away on Wednesday. Lord Avon had to 
 see if a half dozen pairs of white pantaloons which 
 he had ordered had come. The girls, of course, were 
 due at the dressmaker's. Joe ostensibly had some 
 business to attend to. but it was more to keep his 
 eye on Helen than anything else, while Sir Alfred 
 went just to fill in. Mrs. Daniels announced that 
 she could not go until afternoon on account of some 
 special work, she said. For she had discovered that 
 a closet in Sir Alfred's room needed renovating, and 
 she intended removing his belongings to another 
 room and making war on the microbes. The day was 
 sultry and the young people nearly melted coming 
 home. 
 
 "It is just six weeks ago that we had the storm, 
 Agnes," Helen -aid. 
 
156 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "Mercy, do you have storms around this part of 
 the country?" his lordship asked. 
 
 "Why, yes; we have storms all over the country; 
 no place is exempt," Agnes said. 
 
 "Dear me! Cyclones, railroad accidents and 
 strikes — that is a fine record for a country no older 
 than this. A man is never certain when he is on an 
 American train whether he will ever get off alive or 
 not; and he never knows when he goes to bed at 
 night but that he'll be carried to the moon before 
 morning by a cyclone. If it were not for the ladies 
 this country would be intolerable. How long do you 
 realize that there is a storm coming before it breaks?" 
 
 "Why, we generally begin to realize it when the 
 roof commences ascending, and if we don't find it 
 out then we probably never will," Joe volunteered, 
 and then asked Helen if she were afraid of storms. 
 
 "I'm afraid of thunder and lightning," she re- 
 plied. 
 
 "Why, Joe, who is it living in that old Thornton 
 place?" Agnes asked. 
 
 "Nobody, I guess. " But here they had reached 
 home and gladly sought shelter from the awful heat. 
 After dinner they sought the shade. His lordship 
 drew his chair up beside Helen and began fanning 
 her. Joe and Sir Alfred occupied themselves with 
 the papers. Pretty soon Joe raised his eyes and said, 
 "Agnes, that old Thornton place is taken. An old 
 fortune-teller — Mother Bonnelly, I guess it's pro- 
 nounced." Here Mrs. Daniels surprised everybody 
 by dropping her sewing and turning pale. "What's 
 the matter?" they all asked. 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 157 
 
 "I would advise all of you to keep away from her. 
 She can see a grave ten years in the future," and 
 with this she arose and went quickly into the house. 
 Everybody looked at everybody else, but nobody 
 offered any information. His lordship, who was con- 
 stitutionally opposed to gloom, said, "Now let's not 
 get the blues; maybe she can see orange blossoms as 
 well as graves, and every lady wants to know — " 
 
 "The color of her lord's hair," Joe said. 
 
 "How good of you to say for me what I couldn't 
 express from modesty and deference to the ladies! 
 Of course they think senators as good as lords, that 
 is, most women do, but still there are those who pre- 
 fer a nobleman in England to a congressman at 
 home. " 
 
 "That's true, but as for me, I prefer to patronize 
 home industries," Helen remarked, coming to Joe's 
 rescue. Here Sir Alfred lowered his paper and ad- 
 dressed himself to the crowd. 
 
 "You Americans make a great fuss about aristo- 
 cratic forms of government. The only difference is 
 that in this country, just as soon as a man loses 
 office you kick him and walk over him, while you 
 bow down to his successor until it becomes his turn 
 to be cast down; but in England a man can't be put 
 down unless he actually deserves it; he's something 
 but mere popularity to assure his position. Oh, 
 you've an aristocracy if it is kaleidoscopic; it's lord 
 there and senator here." 
 
 "'A rose by another name,' is all, Sir Alfred," his 
 lordship said. 
 
 "'A burr by any other name would stick as fast' 
 
158 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 is a better version for that, isn't it?" Helen asked 
 archly. "What you say is partially true, but I think 
 that patriotic women ought to prefer their country- 
 men even if they are not quite perfect, having fol- 
 lowed the example of older and more corrupt nations. " 
 
 Joe was delighted. Helen was a trump after all. 
 
 "Oh, it shouldn't make any difference to the wom- 
 en; they ought to consult their own best interests," 
 said Sir Alfred. 
 
 " ' Lives there a man with soul so dead 
 Who never to himself hath said 
 This is my own, my native land?' " 
 
 Helen said with a flourish. "But maybe you don't 
 credit woman with having a soul?" 
 
 "Well, if she hadn't I suppose she could make 
 man believe she had," Sir Alfred said wearily. 
 Helen's eyes twinkled, and Joe looked so appreci- 
 ative that she went over and sat by his side. Agnes 
 had not told her that the engagement was off, but 
 the absence of the ring indicated it, so she felt her- 
 self free to be as partial to Joe as she liked. 
 
 "Do keep your chair, Miss Herman, do, and I'll 
 just move the tree," his lordship said. 
 
 "I know you would; but wouldn't you just as 
 soon trade heads?" and they all laughed. 
 
 "But what about the fortune-teller?" Agnes asked 
 to relieve the embarrassment. 
 
 "Why, Miss Easton, it's a splendid chance to get 
 our future diagnosed!" Sir Alfred said scornfully. 
 
 "It's so hot, it's going to rain this evening and I 
 must go and meet Pa as soon as the train's in," Joe 
 said, rising. A few moments later Agnes excused 
 herself. 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 159 
 
 "I tell you corn will go sky-high by fall, unless 
 we have rain, " our congressman was saying as he 
 rode along home with Joe. -'The ground is as dry as 
 brick and the crops are burning up in many districts. 
 Oh, I'm going to hold on a while yet. I'm glad I'm 
 rid of that fellow." 
 
 "And are we for sure?" 
 
 "Yes. Aggie wrote me yesterday about it. got the 
 letter yesterday just before I started. That's a girl's 
 way; they think they can write what they can't say: 
 and I suppose she thought I wouldn't like it. I tell 
 you I never want to chance another Englishman ; the 
 Board of Trade is as risky business as I want to try. 
 I've made a few sly inquiries about him and, why, 
 Joe, it would take twice our pile to pay his debts. 
 I never would have consented in the first place if he 
 hadn't — oh, hell! he scared me about Snib and took 
 me in with his d — d slick way. What's that? Some- 
 body in the Thornton house?" 
 
 •*Yes, I saw by the paper that an old woman who 
 calls herself Mother Bonnelly — " 
 
 ••What! that old hag alive yet?" 
 
 "Why, what do you know about her?" 
 
 "Oh. nothing much. Of course I don't believe in 
 such things, but she, if it is she, and the name is 
 the same, told your Aunt Kate's fortune just before 
 she was married. She told her that her husband 
 would live but a couple of years, and you know he 
 died just two years and one day after they were mar- 
 ried. " 
 
 "I knew that uncle had died before they were 
 married very long, but I didn't know it had been 
 
160 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 foretold. She was very much affected when Agnes 
 read the advertisement. Agnes had been wondering 
 who had taken the old place," Joe said,as they drove 
 up to the gate. 
 
 Agnes was missed at supper time and Mrs. Daniels, 
 going in search of her, met her just as she was en- 
 tering the hall with face flushed as if from rapid 
 walking. "Where have you been? You had bet- 
 ter cool off a little before eating." 
 
 "Oh, no, auntie, I'm not very warm; have just 
 been down to the old orchard," Agnes replied with 
 affected carelessness. She sat down to the table and 
 began to talk much more gayly than was usual with 
 her. 
 
 After supper they tried to play whist, but the in- 
 terest flagged on account of the heat; so after a brief 
 stay on the lawn they separated for the night. As 
 they entered the hall Helen tripped, and in trying to 
 keep from falling, her head was brought dangerously 
 near Sir Alfred's broad chest. It was nothing at all, 
 but it sent the blood to her face; and he, noting it, 
 tried to catch her eye, but she avoided it and ab- 
 ruptly sought her room. She walked the floor and 
 called herself a fool and finally threw herself on the 
 bed, unmindful of the fact that she had not disrobed, 
 and finally fell into a deep sleep. 
 
 Sir Alfred sat in his room seeking solace in his 
 cigar. He felt sleep to be out of the question. If 
 he could only make her betray the least femininity; 
 if she would only show the least dependence on him, 
 or if he could anger her even, he was thinking. But 
 no, she would walk majestically beside him, with 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 161 
 
 just the tips of her fingers resting upon his sleeve, 
 and return his taunts with such a sweetly sarcastic 
 smile! So he smoked cigar after cigar and moved 
 from window to window seeking composure and a 
 cool spot, for the heat was almost insufferable. Vivid 
 flashes of lightning revealed a dark and ominous 
 cloud in the northwest. Alight breeze- sprang up and 
 Sir Alfred leaned out of the window, grateful for its 
 refreshing effect. Suddenly there was a roaring noise 
 accompanied by a horrible flash of lightning and 
 deafening thunder. Then he heard doors opening 
 and voices crying "A storm!" "To the cave!" "Hur- 
 ry, hurry!" He rushed to Helen's door, where he 
 
 * was shortly reinforced by Joe with Agnes in cap and 
 gown, clinging to him. Helen was first dazed and 
 then paralyzed with fright. Sir Alfred, unafraid, as 
 most people are until distinguished by living through 
 one cyclone, gathered her in his arms and staggered 
 toward the cave. It was only a few rods from the 
 side door, but on that short trip he saw one large 
 tree, not twenty feet from the house, literally dragged 
 out by the roots, and another large trunk nearer still 
 snapped like a pipe stem. It seemed an eternity be- 
 
 , fore he should reach the door with his precious, 
 helpless burden! 
 
 The group inside, like most hasty gatherings of 
 the terror-stricken, presented a most comical picture. 
 The servants from stable boy to cook were present in 
 various stages of dress — or undress. The host, with 
 one shoe on and the other in his pocket, stood at the 
 door listening. Joe had smashed his thumb in the 
 fracas, and Agnes was kneeling by him blowing it. 
 
162 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 His lordship had succeeded in getting his clothes on, 
 and had paused long enough before the mirror to curl 
 his mustache by a flash of lightning; but finding that 
 he had forgotten his collar he sought obscurity be- 
 hind an apple barrel. Mrs. Daniels, who considered 
 being blown away no greater danger than the con- 
 sumption from a sudden cold, had donned a warm 
 wrapper and a pair of overshoes and a shawl about 
 her head, while on one arm she carried numerous 
 cloaks and shawls with which she quickly wrapped 
 the distressed girls. Sir Alfred and Helen were 
 clothed, but the latter seemed to be scarcely in her 
 right mind, for she stood half turned to the wall 
 sobbing and trembling. Suddenly the door flew open 
 and the candle was extinguished, while the box upon 
 which it sat was blown over. A din of ejaculations 
 from the men and shrieks from the women arose. 
 As Helen sobbed with fresh terror, Sir Alfred, who 
 was standing near her, slid his arm around her waist 
 and drew her to him, whispering the tenderest com- 
 fort. As Joe relighted the candle Sir Alfred discreetly 
 withdrew his embrace, but as they were in an ob- 
 scure corner he retained her hand; and such a look 
 as she gave him ! 
 
 " 'Twas only a look, but it went to the heart; 
 'Twas only a glance, but 'twas Cupid's own dart." 
 
 In a short time the storm was spent. The host 
 cried, "She's over; come on. I hope the house is 
 left." Helen's strength returned and she simply 
 took the arm of her hero instead of occupying both 
 as she had in their descent. The house was still 
 standing, but the wind ws were shattered, and trees, 
 
A NEW WO MAX 
 
 163 
 
 boards and various other obstructions were scattered 
 broadcast. 
 
 Helen cast one hasty glance about her and hurried 
 to her room and locked the door. She went and 
 stood before her mirror and in a half peevish, half 
 tragic voice said, "I'm lost, I'm lost! Oh, miserable 
 fool; utter failure that I am!" Then glancing at her 
 Iliad she cried, "That can do me no good now; my 
 stage powers I might as well never have had. Oh, 
 I'm lost, beyond redemption. And is he my ideal of 
 manhood, because he has a fine head and broad shoul- 
 ders? Idle, ambitionless. Oh, God, I might pray 
 for help, but I've no faith in myself. I might as 
 well have been born to wash dishes— yes, much bet- 
 ter. Why did the Lord waste gifts on a thankless 
 creature who will fling them to the winds, settle 
 down in English society, be presented at court, be 
 permitted to kiss her majesty's hand; talk and sup 
 tea, if not wine? Oh ye gods, heap curses on my 
 head if I ever, ever leave my native land!" 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 His lordship was in his room pacing the floor. 
 He wouldn't stay another day in this God-forsaken 
 country. To drag a man out of bed and into the 
 presence of ladies without giving him a chance to 
 make his toilet was a little too much! He would 
 speak to Helen this morning; she must consent to 
 a speedy marriage and then away to dear old London 
 with a bride and three million dollars. He would 
 
164 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 buy a yacht and have the family diamonds reset. 
 He wished there was time for a trousseau; and he 
 stopped in his reverie to congratulate himself upon 
 his escape from the marriage intended at his coming. 
 
 The next morning' Sir Alfred asked Helen to ac- 
 company him to town, and his lordship suggested 
 that he and Agnes be allowed to accompany them. 
 He felt very little uneasiness about his friend's at- 
 titude toward Helen, knowing him to be so adverse 
 to marriage, and thinking Helen so far from his 
 ideal, yet he thought it nothing less than prudent to 
 watch them. Since sunrise his lordship had been in 
 much better spirits; they would be off for Saratoga 
 next day, and perhaps cyclones didn't visit that 
 Eden ; so he concluded to give Helen time to send to 
 Paris for her outfit. 
 
 After dinner his lordship secured Helen's company 
 for a game of croquet and in the evening she and Joe 
 played chess. Poor Sir Alfred was baffled. He had 
 scarcely slept the night before, anxious for the day, 
 that he might boldly claim his own. Again in the 
 solitude of his room he planned how to meet her 
 without interruption, and decided upon the six o'clock 
 croquet dodge. They had not played croquet since 
 their quarrelsome game of the week before, and he 
 had concluded to never again challenge her to do 
 what he did so poorly; but that seemed his only 
 chance to, get ahead of his friend — for it was a phys- 
 ical impossibility for his lordship to rise that early 
 without Adams to assist him. So Helen received the 
 following: 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 165 
 
 "Dear Helen: — Please meet me in the morning at 
 the croquet ground at the usual time. Your devoted 
 
 "Alfred. " 
 
 Helen twisted the note, tore it in pieces and then 
 stamped on the pieces; called herself a hopeless idiot 
 and so forth. Yet she knew she would meet him. 
 Oh, how she did wish for some settlement of all these 
 conflicting questions ! If she only knew — Her thought 
 was interrupted by her taking note of a bright light 
 out beyond the meadow. Wrapping a shawl about 
 her shoulders, she slipped out of the house; she would 
 consult the fortune-teller. 
 
 It was just at this time that Sir Alfred, dreaming 
 sweet dreams, was sitting at his window gazing out 
 into the night. He was resting his head on his hand, 
 thinking with fast beating heart of the rapture await- 
 ing him, when he was startled by a stifled scream. 
 He leaned out and listened. 
 
 "What are you doing out alone, Helen, at mid- 
 night; have you started to see the old witch?'? 
 
 "Heavens, Joe, how you frightened me! But do 
 you judge me by yourself?" 
 
 "Certainly not; I heard a commotion among the 
 stock and hurried out.'' 
 
 "In your hurry you didn't forget your cuffs, Joe." 
 The face at the window smiled; he thought what a 
 good joke he would have on Helen — darling Helen, 
 who couldn't wait a few hours, but must consult a 
 fortune-teller. 
 
 "Nor your collar, nor your tie," she went on. 
 
 "Come, Helen, you've got me; but I was anxious 
 to know if the old hag could tell anything. Well, 
 
166 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 let's go together. Lucky for you that you did run 
 across me, for there's tramps everywhere." 
 
 •'But I haven't my watch nor any valuables with 
 me. " 
 
 "Well, they'd just carry you off until I redeemed 
 you." The face above grew sober. 
 
 "Come along, we won't get back until near morn- 
 ing. " 
 
 "No, Joe, I don't believe I will go." There was 
 no use of her going if with a third party. 
 
 "Just as you choose," Joe returned, a little wrath v. 
 "You think the Englishman will care? Oh, you 
 needn't protest; Agnes told me all about it, how you 
 were coming home to angle for him. Girls are as 
 designing as the very devil; and he, the great chump, 
 perfectly ignorant. " The face at the window grew 
 pale as death and drew back. And the two kept on 
 talking without knowledge of having been heard, for 
 they had not learned of the microbes that had neces- 
 sitated the change of Sir Alfred's room. 
 
 "Well, Joe, I don't intend to marry him, any- 
 way." And then she whispered, "Agnes is free now 
 and the farce is over. What's that?" she exclaimed, 
 stepping nearer Joe as she saw a man jump behind a 
 bush. "Joe, it looked like your father." 
 
 "It can't be, though," he replied in embarrass- 
 ment. 
 
 "But it was. Oh, goodness; he's been to Mother 
 Bonnelly's." 
 
 "But he don't believe in such things." 
 
 "Neither do we. But we'd better be getting in." 
 
 The next morning Helen rose up early and dressed 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 167 
 
 herself in a neat new traveling dress. Taking her 
 book, but forgetting her gloves, she went to the rus- 
 tic seat at the croquet ground. She turned the leaves 
 of the book but did not read, being too busy swal- 
 lowing her heart and watching the path. Six o'clock 
 carne and no Sir Alfred, but she consoled herself 
 with the thought that he was not due until half past, 
 although she had expected him earlier. The weary 
 minutes dragged themselves along. She took out her 
 watch and sat looking at it ticking off the time. At 
 half past six she rose and leaned against a tree. At 
 seven she was quivering with rage, and her eyes 
 flashed lightning, but she gained control of herself 
 and stood with her back to the house for another 
 half hour. Then she started up the path and pres- 
 ently she met the truant. She didn't wait for him, 
 but relaxing her face a little kept right on until they 
 met. 
 
 "I beg a thousand pardons, Miss Herman, but 
 I did oversleep." 
 
 "I can easily forgive you, Sir Alfred, as I have 
 just been enjoying the most refreshing sleep down 
 under the elm. I awoke at five, but I was so sleepy 
 that I knew if I fell asleep again I wouldn't be in 
 time, so I rose and came out here and have been 
 napping ever since. Breakfast must be nearly ready; 
 you know we were to breakfast a half hour earlier 
 this morning. " 
 
 "Yes, I believe so," he said. "She don't care a 
 damn," he thought. 
 
 "I'm so glad we are going; it's so dull here, al- 
 though every one has been nice to me. Yet the coun- 
 
168 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 try must be dull when one is contemplating a season 
 in Saratoga, with balls and rides and races and the 
 roulette wheel or board — which is it?" 
 
 He looked at her searchingly and said "wheel." 
 
 "Yes, of course, how stupid of me! And the wom- 
 en play, I've heard, and his lordship has promised 
 to teach me." Then turning to him with surprising 
 frankness, she said, "Please don't tell anybody. I 
 don't really believe in women gambling and I don't 
 intend making a regular business of it, but it won't 
 matter for just one summer; besides, nobody knows 
 me. But I wouldn't have Joe Easton know it for the 
 world. Hello, here he is," and a moment later they 
 met him coming to ask if she would like to go to 
 the depot on her bicycle or if she preferred the car- 
 riage. 
 
 "How are you going?" she asked. 
 
 "Why, if you want to go on your wheel I will go 
 on mine, but if you wish to ride we'll take both the 
 carriage and the phaeton." 
 
 "Let's you and I go on the bicycles." 
 
 "All right. I'll go and get them in shape." 
 
 "Let me go along. You will excuse me, Sir Alfred; 
 business before pleasure, you know." 
 
 Sir Alfred was completely disgusted with Helen 
 and provoked at himself. "She's as heartless as all 
 of the rest; but I won't rush back to England like a 
 love-sick boy; I'll just stay and wear it out. " Why 
 couldn't he see that her heart was wounded, that her 
 brain was on fire and that all her frivolous, reckless 
 talk was to conceal the deepest humiliation? 
 
 At breakfast the host was as jolly as a summer 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 169 
 
 girl. Turning to Helen he said, "Why, you look as 
 mischievous and charming as a witch." Helen 
 laughed, but none but Joe understood its real mean- 
 ing. "If Joe were only ten years younger I'd thrash 
 him, lock him up and play dandy myself." 
 
 "You are not old. I like gray hairs and bald 
 heads and blue coats like yours. Now blue coats 
 make me feel patriotic. Were you in the war?" 
 
 "Yes, for four years; I've helped plant the stars 
 and stripes many a time and may have to fight for 
 them again if labor trouble keeps brewing. " 
 
 "It isn't the flag or the government that these 
 blows are aimed at, but the corrupt practices of cor- 
 rupt men and the cowards in high places. The trouble 
 to-day is that we have partisans instead of states- 
 men, and representatives who too frequently recog- 
 nize no constituency but their own private interests. 
 The truth is that there are too many fellows in con- 
 gress to-day and too few honorable men." 
 
 "Public men, as a rule, are just as honorable as 
 they dare be. and if a man is loyal to his party prin- 
 ciples, he is just as good a man as we can expect to 
 find in this day and age of the world. " 
 
 "But is the party true to the best interests of the 
 country? is the question. If it is false, then he is a 
 traitor. Why can't men be true and honorable?" 
 Sir Alfred glanced at her. She must be a regular 
 Kebecca Sharp, he thought. Well, one thing sure, 
 she could deceive him no longer. A woman who 
 would be an actress, a public speaker, a politician 
 and everything that his wife should not be! She 
 could go on with her farce; he was now behind the 
 
170 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 scenes, knew the art of her ''making up," so she 
 could cast no glamour over him as he sat in the au- 
 dience and looked on from the proper side! He won- 
 dered how any one could be so deliberately wicked, 
 and again cursed the higher education of women. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 The next morning our party awoke in Saratoga. 
 Beautiful, gay, wanton, Saratoga, where wine flows 
 so freely that we wonder, why the Lord wasted so 
 much pure, life-giving water there! 
 
 And a fine picture she presented that day, calcu- 
 lated to intoxicate the most puritanical if they once 
 gave way to an appreciation of sensuous beauty. 
 The day was perfect, and every one seemed to be mak- 
 ing the most of it. Magnificent turnouts thronged 
 the boulevards, each glittering spoke a mirror reflect- 
 ing the sunlight. Ladies in silks and jewels, much 
 be-plumed,and,it must be confessed, much be-ronged, 
 with happy, careless looks on their faces, leaned back 
 luxuriously as they whirled along. Our party caught 
 the contagion and soon were as gay as the gayest, 
 Helen especially outdoing herself at repartee and 
 sparkling frivolity. She seemed to have completely 
 forgotten, to have never known anything about the 
 crying needs of the country, "hunger and homeless- 
 ness," "despair and crime." 
 
 That evening there was a ball at the hotel where 
 our party were stopping. Agnes and Helen, in creamy, 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 171 
 
 white, lace-trimmed silks, were escorted by Mrs. 
 Daniels and Joe. If the day had been enchanting it 
 had been as but a sunlit beach to the waves shim- 
 mering in the moonlight, compared wifefi this scene. 
 Tropical plants, mirrors, pictures, statuary, and 
 music that would have submerged the scruples of 
 Tolstoi himself, were but a setting for the brilliant 
 gathering of the beautiful, richly dressed women and 
 gallant men. Everybody danced ; father and son, 
 matron and maid, young and old — but pardon — no- 
 body at Saratoga is ever old! 
 
 After the dancing, couples and small parties broke 
 away and seated themselves at small tables, where 
 men and women 
 
 " Whose rising flush 
 Might once have been mistaken for a blush," 
 
 drank wine without compunction. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 As time passed at the gay watering place, Sir Al- 
 fred adhered pretty well to his resolution to simply 
 have a good time and not reveal his feelings to Helen. 
 Certainly there were enough feminine hearts sighing 
 for him to amuse him and satisfy his vanity, but he 
 held himself aloof from anything more than casual 
 acquaintanceship and pined in secret. He wasn't 
 sorry that he had found Helen out. but regretted 
 that the knowledge had not come early enough to 
 save his peace of mind. For over and over again 
 
172 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 had he recounted his summer experiences; of how he 
 had begun to love her; and how he had thought of her, 
 with all her important, independent ways, a woman 
 who, once awakened, would be capable of strong, deep, 
 lasting affection. He could have stood her notions, 
 even her stage and political aspirations — until after 
 he had married her— but the thought that she had 
 schemed to marry him before she had seen him! 
 
 Cupid is a powerful little god, but he is certainly 
 not a wise one, else he would manage his affairs bet- 
 ter. Oh, if Sir Alfred could have known how many 
 times poor Helen cried herself to sleep, and seen her 
 in the morning as she bathed her swollen eyes and 
 coaxed her complexion not to tell tales. But he never 
 even imagined anything of the sort. He thought her 
 all but incapable of emotion; the one exception to 
 her usual demeanor — engraven on fond memory — be- 
 ing his only proof of her womanliness. 
 
 He had watched, actually watched, to see if she 
 ever entered any of the gambling establishments fre- 
 quented by women. He had never seen her drink 
 nor bet on the races,and this knowledge was a ray of 
 happiness to his otherwise desolate heart. 
 
 Once, when walking past a florist's, he sauntered 
 in, and taking a fancy to some roses, ordered a bou- 
 quet. He had no distinct idea what he would do 
 with it. Perhaps Agnes could use it! 
 
 An hour later, Helen, in her room, arrayed in pink 
 satin and lace, was bending over the same bouquet. 
 A tear dropped among its petals; but she drew her- 
 self up saying: "I w r on't wear his flowers. I'll have 
 my revenge ; I'll bring him to my feet and then spurn 
 him from me." 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 173 
 
 When she and Joe and Mrs. Daniels passed into the 
 ball-room they happened to locate near Sir Alfred. 
 He asked her to promenade with him. "Let me see 
 your program," he said. 
 
 "Here it is. It is about full, though." 
 
 "Not quite; here is a quadrille, a waltz and a 
 polka." 
 
 "Why, you've taken the waltz and the polka and 
 you don't dance round dances at all." 
 
 "Well, you'll be tired when you reach those num- 
 bers and we will rest and talk. I don't really see 
 how women can dance all evening. It's a wonder 
 they have any health." 
 
 "Fiddlesticks! The woman who dances and 
 moves about most has the best health. It's the one 
 who lounges about and sleeps until near noon who 
 feels lifeless. But I have an apology to offer for not 
 wearing your roses; they did not match my dress, 
 and then you men seem to think that we can carry 
 any amount of bric-a-brac about with us. Our trains 
 are quite enough, I should think." 
 
 "No apology is necessary, Miss Herman; I didn't 
 really expect you to carry it. In fact I bought it 
 for Miss Easton, but found that Mr. Algernon Du 
 Boise had gotten ahead of me. I'm sorry that I 
 bothered you with them." 
 
 "No, I'm glad I have them; they will go nicely 
 with a basket of fruit I am going to take to some 
 orphan children in the morning." 
 
 "I didn't know that gay, careless women like your- 
 self, and one who receives as much attention as you 
 do, ever wasted a thought on any poor unfortu- 
 nates." 
 
174 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "Oh, I can afford to give flowers that I do not 
 have to pay for; and besides, if there is anything in 
 the world that claims my sympathy, it is an orphan 
 child." 
 
 "How old were you when you lost your parents?" 
 
 "They were both killed in a railroad accident 
 when I was but little more than a year old." 
 
 "And had you no female relative to take care of 
 you?" 
 
 "No, I had a very faithful nurse, but she died 
 when I was fourteen. But a creature like me did 
 not need nurturing, and having lived so long as I 
 have without affection I am insured against ever 
 needing it. " And she laughed. Sir Alfred looked 
 at her, half suspecting her mirth was forced, and 
 bending nearer he whispered something that was 
 quite tender, to which she quickly replied: 
 
 "Oh, pshaw! Women don't think of such things 
 as they once did. The girl is happiest who has the 
 greatest number of young men at her beck and call; 
 she don't have deep, solemn questions puzzling her, 
 making her wrinkled and old; she doesn't want a 
 husband to prove faithless, and children to break her 
 heart. Why, a married woman's joys are her torture; 
 her husband, if he respects her, is a tyrant, expect- 
 ing of her what she is disappointed in if she expects 
 the same of him. You know it's nice to make and 
 execute your own laws. Oh, all of these little un- 
 pleasant things could be avoided if girls were a little 
 less earnest in their love and a little more serious in 
 their flirtations. You understand I carry a flirtation 
 just far enough to make it interesting, but never get 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 175 
 
 real serious — so much involved that some other good- 
 looking man will not do as well. Now there is your 
 friend; he's splendid company, and Joe Easton, the 
 manliest boy that ever drew breath. But here is his 
 lordship now," and they watched him approach, 
 happy and smiling, past battery after battery of 
 bright, expectant eyes. Many were the fair girls 
 whose hearts fell as he passed them by, and many 
 were the fathers, who, though unused to prayer, si- 
 lently thanked heaven for its watchful care! 
 
 "This dance is mine," his lordship said upon 
 reaching Helen's side. 
 
 "Yes, I know." Sir Alfred retreated a few steps 
 and stood watching. 
 
 "Let me bring you a glass of wine before the dance 
 begins. I noticed you tired considerably before the 
 last was done. Your cheeks are not as rosy as they 
 were in the country. The air and water of Saratoga 
 do not seem to agree with you; you will have to try 
 the English climate." This was said in a low tone, 
 but Sir Alfred heard and was even guilty of listening. 
 
 "I believe I will try a glass of wine if you will be 
 kind enough to bring it." 
 
 Just as she was raising the glass to her lips she 
 encountered the stern, contemptuous gaze of Joe 
 Easton, who had come to deliver a commission from 
 Agnes. Her hand shook and the wine spilled over 
 silk and laces. "Here, Your Lordship, take it, please; 
 I don't believe I want it. I'm not feeling well and 
 if you will excuse me, and Mr. Easton will escort 
 me (Joe quickly offered his arm), I will go to Mrs, 
 Daniels, " 
 
176 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 Sir Alfred turned on his heel and left, perfectly- 
 bewildered, saddened beyond anything his pessimis- 
 tic life had ever known. 
 
 His lordship stood holding the glass, indignant, 
 and at a loss what to do. Just then he felt a rousing 
 slap on his back and heard a familiar voice in his 
 ear. "Hello, old boy; how's your good health? 
 What makes you look so fresh and cheerful and what 
 are you doing with that champagne? better let me 
 drink it," and the young man took the glass and 
 drained it. 
 
 "How are you, Mr. Snib? I didn't know you were 
 in Saratoga, " his lordship returned, glancing around 
 to see if anyone had noticed the vulgar caress on his 
 aristocratic back. 
 
 "Well, I'm right here; and I consider myself 
 strictly in it. Why, you're like a full-blown rose, 
 especially your nose. You're taking too much whis- 
 ky; you'd better dilute it and lessen the dose, or, 
 better still, take the treatment. We have anti-drunk 
 institutions all over the country, and some of the 
 largest have from three to five hundred jags all the 
 time. The process is almost painless except for a 
 devilish sore arm. If you want to try it, why, I won't 
 tell on you; on the dead I won't!" 
 
 "I assure you, Mr. Snib, that I don't need the 
 treatment," his lordship returned in alow voice. "I 
 drink a little, but never get drunk. Englishmen 
 never get drunk. " 
 
 "I understand, no man ever did need the treat- 
 ment, just as women never lace or allow themselves 
 to be kissed by any other man but their husband!" 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 ITT 
 
 His lordship's temper arose as he expostulated in 
 vain. 
 
 "Well then, it beats me what makes your face so 
 red. " 
 
 ^ Really, Mr. Snib, is my face red?'' 
 
 "As a boiled lobster," 
 
 "Oh, heavens, what shall I do?" 
 
 '•Go to your room and soak your head in ice water, 
 and then take a cold bath and you'll be all right.'' 
 
 '•But I'm engaged for every dance for the next 
 three hours. " 
 
 "Just let me take your place. I'll make the best 
 excuse in the world. I wanted to dance with that 
 beautiful Miss Herman, but her card was full when 
 I found her. " 
 
 "Miss Herman was feeling indisposed and has 
 gone to her room." his lordship said, eying the 
 swaggering Adolphus suspiciDusly. 
 
 "The devil she has! Well, I'll take Miss Easton, 
 but I won't dance with that pigeon-toed Miss Young, 
 — Miss Old it ought to be read, — not if she owned 
 the moon and fenced at that! I guess you'd better 
 stay until that's off; you can probably keep on 
 your legs that long," and young Snib walked 
 away, leaving his lordship with the empty glass in 
 his hand, inwardly cursing American vulgarity. 
 
 Joe and Helen took the elevator and were quickly 
 on the third floor. "Come and sit by this window," 
 Joe said, leading her to a lovely alcove. 
 
 "Joe, I know you are going to scold." 
 
 "Well, Helen, the fact is, I'm a little surprised." 
 
 "So am I, Joe. " 
 
178 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "I never saw you act like that before. You know 
 you were just joking with me at home." 
 
 "I never was so reckless before." 
 
 "There are lots of temptations here; it's like liv- 
 ing in hell and not getting scorched. Sometimes I 
 have been scarcely able to resist the temptation to 
 take a social glass. " 
 
 "Don't you ever do it, Joe," Helen said quickly. 
 
 "I hope 1 never shall. This constant swilling dis- 
 gusts me; and then total abstinence here distin- 
 guishes one from the common herd." 
 
 "That is something, Joe, to be distinguished by 
 being real decent. Oh, I would give anything if I 
 had not made that public exhibition of myself. I 
 wear the white ribbon, too. I'll leave it off here- 
 after, but I'll never offer to drink again. " 
 
 "I hope you'll stick to it, Helen. You don't know 
 how I felt when I saw you with that glass at your 
 lips, nor what men think of women who drink and 
 gamble. I think a great deal of you, Helen; you 
 have talked to me as no other woman ever did, not 
 even Agnes; you have given me higher ideas and I 
 want you — I want you — to be my friend." 
 
 "And you are already my friend, my brother, 
 rather," she said, with swimming eyes. Here some 
 one passed them, but they failed to notice it, and a 
 moment later Helen went to her room, after having 
 secured Joe's promise to go with her next morning 
 on her errand of mercy, for she really intended go- 
 ing. 
 
 Once in her room a flood of tears came to her re- 
 lief, and as she knelt by her bed and prayed with an 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 179 
 
 aching heart, these words in a light, fresh voice 
 floated in at the open window: 
 
 " Many a heart is aching, 
 After the ball." 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 The next morning Joe and Helen made their call 
 before breakfast, and upon their return, our party, 
 with the exception of his lordship, breakfasted at 
 nine. Then they rode to Columbian Spring. the one 
 Mrs. Daniels patronized, or rather the one she was 
 patronizing then, for she changed several times dur- 
 ing her stay. After that, Joe and the two girls went 
 to Congress Park, which presented the same gay 
 scene it had the day before, and would again to-mor- 
 row. 
 
 As they strolled along, whom should they meet but 
 George Sanderson? Joe grasped his hand, introduced 
 Helen, and then said: -"This is Agnes; you remember 
 her and I'm sure she remembers you." Agnes grew 
 deathly pale and Joe, to settle the embarrassment, 
 said, "I've got two on my hands. George, and I'm 
 glad of your timely appearance. " and taking Helen's 
 arm he led on. 
 
 "There, Joe, they are playing 'The Star Spangled 
 Banner.' I never hear patriotic music that I don't 
 feel emotion and enthusiasm, and I have often won- 
 dered if it was universal with people. I wonder if 
 the people of oth^r countries feel the same when they 
 hear their national airs/' 
 
180 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "Of course they do. I tell you there's something 
 in patriotism ; it is a feeling distinct from all others. 
 We feel love, sorrow, hate, disgust, reverence and 
 we feel patriotism, and the man who isn't moved by 
 it is a dead soul, and though he were worth millions 
 we could lose him without a sigh. 'Why, I would 
 stick to my country if heaven forsook her." 
 
 u So would I. But because there is no fighting 
 to be done we mustn't conclude there is nothing to 
 do. If America is rid of foreign oppression she is 
 by no means free from herself. And you surely see 
 in all these clashing of interests, if not actual war, 
 the imminent danger to our welfare as a united na- 
 tion. 'A house divided against itself cannot stand,' 
 and a country is a household in a large sense." 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 
 And this was the woman Sir Alfred was trying in 
 vain to shut out of his heart, out of his thought. No 
 wonder he had learned to love her, for no acting, no 
 assumed carelessness can entirely hide the effulgent 
 light of a noble nature; nor can crude expressions 
 of half-fledged, erratic ideas condemn one naturally 
 gifted. And while he fancied that he tried to avoid 
 her he found himself ever near her. As for her — 
 
 "There is an unseen battle-field 
 In every human breast, 
 Where two contending forces meet, 
 But where they seldom rest." 
 
A NEW WO MAX 
 
 1-1 
 
 Her love for Sir Alfred and her personal ambitions 
 were waging what she knew must prove a decisive 
 battle, for if she chose to go on with her professional 
 career, her love must be crucified, and if she married 
 Sir Alfred, it would mean an eternal farewell to 
 those dreams, those hopes she had cherished from 
 early childhood. Then his treatment of her pained 
 her almost beyond endurance; she could not under- 
 stand it, but wondered if it were not the promptings 
 of a conservative nature — an attempt to check what 
 he thought might be obnoxious to her, and quite use- 
 less to entertain. 
 
 Upon returning to the hotel, Agnes went directly 
 to her aunt's room. 
 
 "Are you dressed for dinner, dear?" 
 
 "Yes, Auntie, I'm not going to dress again until 
 evening. I want to talk to you." 
 
 "Oh, have you decided about your dress?" 
 
 u No, it's not about that at all. I'm not going to 
 marry Lord Avon." 
 
 u Xot going to marry him!" 
 
 "No, the engagement was broken on 0 before we left 
 the country. " 
 
 "Why, Agnes! You told me nothing about it!" 
 
 "Well, I'm going to tell you all about it now. 
 Y'ou don't think me deceitful and scheming, do you, 
 Auntie?" 
 
 "Xo, no, but I'm sorry you didn't confide in me. 
 Older people ought to be consulted in such matters." 
 
 "Well, you remember George Sanderson," and 
 then, as was her wont when she had anything lengthy 
 and hard to relate, she began boldly, and rapidly 
 
182 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 related the main points, telling of her indifference 
 to Lord Avon, of Joe's meeting George, and the old 
 feelings that news of him awakened in her; Helen's 
 plan to save her and how she had released his lord- 
 ship. Then she rather bluntly said: "And George is 
 here and I have promised to marry him. " 
 
 "Oh, Agnes, you hasty child, why didn't you wait 
 until you had seen me?" 
 
 "Why, you always liked George, and now he is 
 such a good man and such a gentleman!" 
 
 "What does he do?" 
 
 "He is a temperance lecturer." 
 
 "But you are both so young, and he is poor. You 
 won't have five dollars where you've had a hundred. " 
 
 "Oh, we'll get along. I'm not thinking about 
 money matters." 
 
 "No, I suppose not; young people seldom do when 
 they are in love and want to marry. What do you 
 suppose you would know about taking care of a sick 
 baby?" 
 
 "Oh, dear, I'm not thinking of babies, either," 
 Agnes returned, with a very red face. 
 
 "But no woman ought to enter the married state 
 ignorant of its responsibilities." 
 
 "But how much more would I have known if I had 
 married the — the — other one." 
 
 "Well, I didn't exactly approve of that, either, 
 but you know I wasn't consulted then. What will 
 your father say?" 
 
 "I will write to him this evening. There's Joe's 
 voice; he's coming to take us to dinner. Now, aunt, 
 don't look cross; George will be so glad to see you; 
 oh, he's with Joe!" 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 188 
 
 A moment later Mrs. Daniels was shaking hands 
 with George; she also kissed his cheek, and as she 
 did so, Sir Alfred stepped out of the elevator and 
 witnessed the affecting little scene. "Are the ladies 
 ready to go down to dinner?" he asked, approaching 
 them. Then after the introduction Joe assigned 
 Mrs. Daniels to Sir Alfred, Agnes to George and 
 started himself to find [Helen, only to find himself 
 forestalled by his lordship. 
 
 Sir Alfred was so befuddled that he began to doubt 
 his own wits. There sat Agnes with the stranger, 
 both smiling and happy as if newly wedded. He 
 glanced at her hand and saw in place of the diamond 
 a modest pearl, His lordship was perfectly oblivious 
 to everything except his conversation with Helen. 
 What could it mean? and as soon as the ladies were 
 disposed of he laid his hand on his friend's arm and 
 requested a private interview at once. 
 
 "What the devil is the meaning of this, old 
 friend?" Sir Alfred asked, as soon as they were alone. 
 
 "The meaning of what?" 
 
 "Why, I thought I came to this country to act as 
 best man for you." 
 
 "And I hope you will not be disappointed; how- 
 ever, the bride will not be the one we first supposed. " 
 
 "Then I am to understand that the engagement 
 between you and Miss Easton is off." Sir Alfred 
 looked at his friend in supreme contempt. 
 
 "The lady saw fit to dismiss me. I admit that it 
 broke me up a little at the time, but the charming 
 Miss Herman would replace an angel." 
 
 "So you are affianced to Miss Herman, are you?" 
 
184 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "I regret to say, my dear friend, that I am not at 
 the present time, but I hope to be soon." 
 
 "You are an avowed suitor, then?" 
 
 "Yes, and that impertinent Joe Easton knows it, 
 but he is dishonorable enough to try to supplant me," 
 and with this well-aimed thrust he left the room. 
 
 Sir Alfred stared absent-mindedly out of the win- 
 dow at the throng on the lawn. Although he had 
 resigned the idea of marrying Helen, he recoiled at 
 the thought of any one else having her, and now he 
 must stand back for his lordship, and then for Joe 
 Easton. Well, it would do no harm to see her now, 
 he thought, and he resolved to be with her as much 
 as possible. Noticing his party upon the lawn, he 
 went down and secured a position near them. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 A boy came along scattering handbills. "Oh, a 
 play I" Helen exclaimed. "I'm going. " 
 
 "I don't believe auntie will let us; she doesn't ap- 
 prove of theaters," Agnes said. 
 
 "She won't need to go. You will take me, won't 
 you, Joe?" 
 
 "Gladly." 
 
 "Oh, Miss Herman, you never ask a favor of me, 
 your devoted slave," his lordship whispered. 
 
 "But I will ask you to dance with me to-night; 
 you waltz divinely." 
 
 "I'll dance the limit with you and that is three 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 185 
 
 waltzes and two polkas. Be sure to keep them for . 
 me. Let's drive out to the lake and have a boat- 
 ride." 
 
 "Oh, please don't ask me to move. I'm too in- 
 dolent and this air is too enervating. " 
 
 "Well, I must move, I have an engagement," his 
 lordship returned, a little piqued. 
 
 "And you would have neglected that for me? How 
 kind of you! Well, I will go to-morrow if you wish." 
 
 "I'll remember," he said, as he turned to go. 
 
 "Joe, you promised to take Aunt Kate and me out 
 to Mount McGregor this afternoon." 
 
 "By George, I did! Glad you reminded me of it, 
 Agnes. Would you like to go, Helen?" 
 
 "I'd love to go, Joe, but I'm too lazy," she said, 
 smiling. 
 
 When they had been gone a short time Helen said 
 to Agnes, "You are my oracle; would there be any- 
 thing improper in my going out for an hour or two?" 
 
 "I shouldn't think you would want to. The streets 
 are crowded and you might meet with an accident. 
 Can't you wait until to-morrow?" 
 
 "I want to go to-day, and — well, I'm going, that's 
 all." 
 
 Sir Alfred came forward and offered his company. 
 Helen blushingly accepted. 
 
 "Where do you wish to go?" he asked, as they 
 were stepping into the carriage. 
 
 "I'll give the orders," she replied. He wondered 
 what on earth she was up to now. 
 
 "Let's drive around awhile," he ventured. 
 
 "Well, after I get through with my errand. You 
 
186 
 
 A np:w woman 
 
 know I'm going to seek a theatrical engagement and 
 begin my stage life." 
 
 "What! Not that I'm surprised at anything, but 
 I didn't know you meant to begin so soon. I thought 
 it was something in the future." 
 
 "I've idled too long now. I am disgusted to 
 think how I have wasted this summer, when there's 
 so much to be done." 
 
 Then Tie again offered her his stock arguments 
 against such a step, only to be met with the scathing 
 remark that self-satisfied, ambitionless people were 
 a dead weight to the world, and the worst class of sin- 
 ners, in her estimation. 
 
 "But if you must do reform work, why don't you 
 choose a more likely line than the theater?" 
 
 "They say the way to every man's heart is through 
 his stomach, and the way to the people's minds is 
 through their amusements. Why, they used to teach 
 religion through the means of 'miracle' plays. I 
 tell you there's no field but the novelist's, that com- 
 pares with the stage as a teacher and a reformer. 
 And there is no other class of people so unjustly 
 abused as actors and actresses." 
 
 "That is simply because you don't know anything 
 about them. I'm not surprised when a fifteen-year 
 old country girl runs off with a troupe, but I must 
 confess that I am perfectly dum founded when a 
 woman of your age and natural intelligence deliber- 
 ately enters such work. And do you think you will 
 be received into any company of worth without prep- 
 aration?" 
 
 "Why, my good man, I've been studying for six 
 years." 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 187 
 
 "Have you had any lessons?" 
 "Yes, for three years. I've been taking three 
 lessons a week this last year, from an artist too." 
 "What will Lord Avon say?" 
 
 "He will scold and pet rne and exhaust his elo- 
 quence trying to dissuade me, but it won't do him 
 any good. " 
 
 "Well, I think you are a sample of the times, Miss 
 Herman. Shall I go in with you?" 
 
 "Oh, no, indeed; just wait here or go into the 
 office. 
 
 "Is the manager of the Metropolitan in?" she 
 asked the clerk. 
 
 "Yes. He just came in. " 
 
 "I will go to the parlor, if you will kindly show 
 me the way. Tell him, please, that a woman would 
 like to see him. " 
 
 "One more unfortunate!" the manager ejaculated. 
 "Can't you tell her that I'm out?" 
 
 "I've already told her that you were in. You'd 
 better go and see her, she's a stunner." 
 
 "One of the sweet sixteen kind." 
 
 "Not much." 
 
 "Well, I suppose I must, but hereafter tell them 
 I'm out or sick, or anything plausible." 
 
 "You are the manager of the Metropolitan, I pre- 
 sume, " Helen said. "My name is Helen Herman 
 and I have come to see if I can secure a position in 
 your company." 
 
 "No, not now; there is no vacancy." 
 
 "But I thought you might want to engage ahead; 
 or that you might have a vacancy soon." 
 
188 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "It's always an easy matter to find a woman.'' 
 
 "What, a good actress easy to find?" 
 
 "Why, yes. We have a score of applications. 
 What experience have you had?" 
 
 "I have never been on the stage, but I have had 
 three years' instructions. Here is my recommenda- 
 tion from my last teacher." 
 
 "Oh!" he exclaimed, as he caught the signature. 
 
 "I am my best in such parts as Meg Merrilies and 
 Lady Macbeth. I can play any tragedy, but I'm 
 afraid I couldn't do the sentimental." 
 
 "Do you think you could shed real tears on the 
 stage?" 
 
 "I could do anything under the inspiration of a 
 large audience. " 
 
 "Do you think you could play such parts as 
 Camille and Odette?" 
 
 "I might, but I'd much rather play heavier parts, 
 and then I'm conscientious about it. I don't really 
 believe such are very edifying." 
 
 "You may be right, but it is not what a woman 
 does while on the stage, but her conduct in private 
 life, that degrades the profession. But I didn't go 
 into business for the purpose of ennobling it; it's 
 purely a matter of business with me. How old are 
 you?" 
 
 "I am in my twenty-first year and have no rela- 
 tives living." 
 
 "And no young gentleman friend who will jump 
 onto me and threaten to blow my brains out?" 
 
 "No, no." 
 
 "I have no place now and don't know exactly 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 189 
 
 when I will have. Are you really in need of employ- 
 ment?*' 
 
 "Oh, no. I'm an heiress. I have chosen this sim- 
 ply because I think I'm fitted for it," " 
 
 The shrewd manager's small eyes twinkled at this. 
 This business was worth investigating after all! Per- 
 haps the young woman couldn't act, but her appear- 
 ance was certainly magnificent and her being rich 
 would be quite a card. Bu,t how much was she 
 worths he wondered. "You are an orphan, twenty 
 years old and heiress to — a hundred thousand?" 
 
 "My prospects are much brighter than that," she 
 said modestly. "My estate is valued at something 
 over three millions." 
 
 Mr. Vaut's mind was made up. This was certainly 
 luck! For he would hire her on a small salary, take 
 her to London and make a barrel of money! 
 
 "Miss Herman, I'm not a rich man; I can't pay 
 you a sufficiently large salary to induce you to accept 
 a place in my company. I have always given the 
 lighter dramas, but if my leading lady could play 
 heavy parts I would change our repertoire, I think. " 
 
 "Oh, I'm sure I could please you." 
 
 "I will give you a trial to-morrow afternoon if you 
 will come to the rehearsal." 
 
 "I will be there. At what time?" 
 
 "Half past two." 
 
 "You can depend on me," she said, and took her 
 departure. 
 
 "Xow where shall we go?" Sir Alfred asked. 
 "Out to Woodlawn; there's so much room there. 
 I like lots of room." 
 
190 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "You'll hardly find it in the business you've 
 chosen. Well, how did you succeed?" he asked with 
 feigned indifference. 
 
 "Better than I had hoped. He told me to come 
 for a trial at the rehearsal to-morrow. It's all right. 
 I'll get the place. " 
 
 "You have plenty of self-assurance, Miss Her- 
 man. " 
 
 "'Those who doubt themselves have reason to,' 
 some great man has said." 
 
 "Miss Herman, you are the first woman I ever met 
 that I couldn't understand if I chose." 
 
 "Any woman can deceive a man if she wants to." 
 
 "Then you don't want me to understand you?" 
 
 "The truth is, Sir Alfred, that I don't exactly un- 
 derstand myself. I used to think I knew myself per- 
 fectly. I used to think it was better to be engaged 
 constantly in reform work; to be always working in 
 some cause. I longed to be as the respectable mar- 
 ried woman is — that is, her style. You know she is 
 very dignified, proud of herself, thanking God that 
 she is not as other women are. That may be the 
 proudest attitude and I used to fancy it ; but since 
 I 've known you, I've been tempted to fling care to 
 the winds, mingle with the herd, laugh when they 
 laugh and forget that sorrow, misery and desolation 
 are • n every hand; to shut my ears to the cries of the 
 weak and helpless, and laugh while heaven and the 
 angels weep. " 
 
 "Oh, Miss Herman, you've misunderstood me; it 
 was never my intention to make you careless or friv- 
 olous." 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 191 
 
 *'Yet more than once you have said, 'Why bother 
 yourself about these things? you do not need to. 
 Leave such things for older and wiser heads. ' Sir 
 Alfred Gates, don't you believe that 'knowledge of 
 duty done is rich reward?' One's life may be hard, 
 disappointments and sorrows may strew the way 
 from the cradle to the grave, but it is something" to 
 know when he has reached the last station that the 
 world is better for his having lived in it. " 
 
 CHAPTER XL. 
 
 Two days later, when our party was seated upon 
 the lawn, a messenger brought Helen a note. 
 
 ••I must go down-town, Joe; won't yougo with me 
 to act as protector? Agnes is afraid I will try to 
 run a race with a street car, or try to dash in front 
 of one just for the novelty of the thing." 
 
 "Certainly. "I'll get a carriage.'' 
 
 "No. I'm in a hurry," she said in an undertone. 
 "Just call a cab. 
 
 "Oh, Joe, my chance has come, " she confided when 
 they were seated. 
 
 ••How?" 
 
 -You know Vaut gave me a trial yesterday and 
 he was so pleased that he promised me work the 
 coming season ; but to-day his leading lady is sick, 
 seriously, he thinks, and he wants me to take her 
 place right away. I'll play to-night, but don't yon 
 tell anybody, and you must intercede for me when I 
 
192 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 ask Mrs. Daniels if I can go. She won't want to 
 go, but you might take me, and Agnes and George 
 might be persuaded to go. Now don't expect me to 
 do very well in the rehearsal, as empty seats are no 
 inspiration. " 
 
 So Helen played Juliet that night, and although 
 she would have preferred a heavier part, she did so 
 well that the manager came to her afterward, asked 
 her terms and insisted on a contract at once and 
 told her they would sail shortly for England. 
 
 "Make any conditions and any price; I will sign 
 the contract at once. But I have a suggestion. Short 
 skirts are customary for dancing girls, but don't you 
 think the dance could be as gracefully executed if 
 the skirts were a little bit longer? Such things are 
 demoralizing. And don't you think the idea is 
 threadbare? You might make a great hit if you in- 
 vented something new for the ballet." 
 
 Mr. Vaut understood Helen and knew that he must 
 use some show of logic with her. u Miss Herman, I 
 know you have a good idea of the artistic, the beau- 
 tiful, and you probably know that to-day people are 
 more artistic and poetical than ever before. Now, 
 if you were to go into an art gallery and look upon 
 the pictures wrought by old and renowned masters, 
 would your eyes see nothing but the nude? would not 
 the art, the poetry, the soul of the thing stand nut 
 so conspicuously that the nudity would be lost sight 
 of? It is so with the ballet; the ease, the grace, the 
 poetry of the movement is what the refined see; only 
 the low and the vulgar think of the gross outline. 
 'To the pure all things are pure, ' and surely, Miss 
 Herman — " 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 198 
 
 "Make out the contract and I will sign it at once. " 
 
 He wanted her to engage for a year, but she would 
 only hire for the fall and winter, as her financial 
 affairs in America would require her presence the 
 coming spring. 
 
 When she stepped out at the stage door she was 
 surprised to find Sir Alfred waiting for her. "Where's 
 Joe?" she asked. 
 
 "Miss Easton was not well when she came, it 
 seems, and Joe had to take her home. Are you ready?" 
 
 "Oh, I guess she's just a little nervous from the 
 emotional strain of the past few days and blue be- 
 cause Mr. Sanderson had to leave this afternoon. 
 Yes, I'm ready. But who told you I was to take part 
 to-night. " 
 
 "Why, I guessed it from your maneuvers; and I 
 knew you the minute you came on." 
 "Where is your friend?" 
 
 "At the hotel, I suppose; he wasn't at the thea- 
 ter." 
 
 Helen was actually nervous during the ride. Fi- 
 nally she said: "I guess you are not going to offer 
 your opinion, so I shall ask you for it." 
 
 "You were simply perfect. But just to satisfy my 
 curiosity, won't you tell me something about your- 
 self and how it is that you are so ambitious?" 
 
 "Why, it's no uncommon thing to-day for women 
 to be ambitious. " 
 
 "But you must have had some special inheritance 
 of that sort." 
 
 "I don't know what my parents were. I was ahvays 
 considered an odd child, but nothing remarkable 
 
194 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 that I know of. But it was an old man who lived 
 near us — nurse and I — to whom I owe the awakening 
 of my ambitions. I believe that man had read every- 
 thing in the English language; he seemed to know 
 something about everything that conld be mentioned. 
 I used to stop there on my way to and from school 
 for a drink of water, when he would talk to me about 
 my lessons and tell me stories. Then he loaned me 
 books, but they were beyond my years ; I remember 
 that he gave me 'Plutarch's Lives' when I was not 
 twelve years old. I shirked reading it until he got to 
 catechising me about the different men and their ex- 
 ploits. So I made myself read two pages a day and 
 then five until I got interested. He'd pat me on 
 the head and tell me I'd make a great woman some 
 day; but if I ever said I disliked any book he loaned 
 me, he'd simply say that I hadn't read enough to 
 judge very accurately. That stirred my pride and I 
 determined to inform myself on every subject possi- 
 ble; that's how it began and I'm not sorry." 
 
 CHAPTER XLI. 
 
 The evening before the day of Helen's departure 
 had arrived and she and Joe were walking in Con- 
 gress Park. The band was playing "Home, Sweet 
 Home." 
 
 "Isn't the music lovely? But that doesn't mean 
 anything to me. " 
 
 "Well, Helen, it's your own fault. You could have 
 your choice among a dozen." 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 195 
 
 "I don't believe that; but I don't want anybody. 
 I think I'll probably settle down after a term of pub- 
 lic life, adopt three or four orphan children and ed- 
 ucate them. " 
 
 "Good heavens! Anything. else you intend to try 
 your hand at? But, mark my word: if you goto 
 England you'll never come back single. I'm down 
 on Englishmen, but I'll be fair and admit that Lord 
 Avon isn't a fair sample." 
 
 "Oh, they're all right in their own country, but 
 they are out of their place fortune-hunting in Amer- 
 ica. Did you ever hear of a titled foreigner marry- 
 ing a poor American girl? And do you suppose his 
 lordship would have wanted Agnes or me either if he 
 hadn't known that we had great expectations?" 
 
 "And how about the other one?" 
 
 "Oh, he doesn't want any, rich or poor, uthaun't 
 we better go back? they are dancing and I want to 
 trip the light fantastic with his lordship before I 
 go." 
 
 "Won't there be weeping and wailing when he 
 knows you are gone? He'll want to murder us all 
 for conspiring to keep it from him. He thinks he's 
 got a mortgage on you." 
 
 "I don't see why he should. I refused him twice 
 last night. " 
 
 "S'pose he thought two negatives made an affirm- 
 ative. " 
 
 "Oh, but last night wasn't the first siege. Why, 
 every time I've danced or walked or rode with him 
 the last two weeks, it's been the same story." 
 
 "The great milksop!" 
 
196 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 "Don't, Joe, I like him; he's a perfect cure for 
 melancholy. And he has the loveliest hair I ever 
 saw. ' ' 
 
 "Well, Helen, don't entirely forget me when you 
 are away. Will you write?" 
 
 "Yes, often, and tell you everything. You are the 
 best friend I have in the world," she said as they 
 passed into the ball-room. 
 
 The next day Helen sailed. No one but the Eastons 
 and Sir Alfred knew of it at the time, but the so- 
 ciety papers made much of it later. Of course her 
 friends had remonstrated with her. Agnes cried 
 day and night; Mrs. Daniels talked, scolded and 
 pointed out every actress of unsavory reputation as 
 a warning; Joe thought it "a crazy scheme" and his 
 father came up from Washington and gave Helen a 
 plain, straightforward, fatherly talk. Sir Alfred said 
 nothing, but lost no opportunity to sneer, which only 
 made her more determined. She vowed that before 
 many years should pass be would know of her play- 
 ing on the best stages of America and England. So 
 she went full of hope. 
 
 His lordship was almost beside himself. He raved 
 and wanted to wring Joe's neck and to meet Sir Al- 
 fred with a gun. 
 
 "What's the girl to you?" he said to his friend 
 when they were alone. 
 
 "No more than any intelligent woman, " Sir Alfred 
 answered calmly. 
 
 "Well, she's much more than that to me, I wish 
 you to know. I would marry her to-morrow if she 
 were penniless; if she were a chambermaid in this 
 very hotel. Who's there?" 
 
A InE W WOMAN 
 
 197 
 
 "Joe East on. " 
 
 "What's your business? Come in, d — u you,'? 
 
 "Now, what's all this row? Miss Herman re- 
 quested me to keep her secret from you." 
 
 "Yes, and you two stood calmly by and let that 
 girl go to her ruin." 
 
 "I imagine that Miss Herman can take care of 
 herself without any of our help. She has done so 
 for twenty years," Joe said provokingly. 
 
 "What do you know, you upstart?" 
 
 "That she has refused you, times without number, 
 and a girl who can refuse a title is safe anywhere." 
 
 "She'll not find it so on the stage in London. 
 Though she were an angel she would be scandalized. 
 I tell you, you don't know what you are talking 
 about, you schoolboy." 
 
 "What is it to you, you curly-pated dandy? What 
 would you care for her if you were not after her 
 money? It's only her money you're after. You 
 were engaged to my sister three months ago. You 
 infernal scoundrel, there ought to be some law-—" 
 
 "Your sister deserves all respect from me. She 
 saw fit to dismiss me." 
 
 "I should have disowned her if she hadn't. Miss 
 Herman's three millions had a remarkable effect on 
 your affections; it was a case of love at first sight!" 
 
 "I'm not after a rich wife. I'd marry Miss Her- 
 man if she didn't have a cent." 
 
 "Talk is cheap!" 
 
 "This is my room, Mr. Easton!" 
 
 "And I'll vacate gladly enough. But you needn't 
 jump onto Sir Alfred; he had no more to do with it 
 
198 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 than the rest of us. She knew you wouldn't have 
 any more of the gentleman about you than to take 
 passage on the same steamer, and a girl who cares 
 anything for her reputation don't want you hanging 
 around her," Joe said, as he slammed the door. 
 
 Sir Alfred was as calm as the proverbial cucumber 
 When the door closed behind Joe, his lordship turned 
 to his friend, saying: 
 
 "That bet can be counted off so far as I am con- 
 cerned. I haven't won so far, but if I am fortunate 
 enough to win Miss Herman, why, I won't accept 
 the money, so don't bother yourself on that score 
 any longer. " 
 
 "If you win the bet, my lord, it will most certainly 
 be paid." 
 
 "It will not be accepted on Miss Herman, I want 
 you to understand. And now that's all; I'm going 
 home on the next vessel." 
 
 CHAPTER XLII 
 
 Lord Barnett was entertaining a few of his bach- 
 elor friends in a very swell manner at a fashionable 
 London club house. The manager of the Metropol- 
 itan had, by hook and crook, secured an invitation 
 
 "Who is our American guest? — an official?" Sir 
 Wm. Ellerton asked of a half drunken earl at his 
 side. 
 
 "Oh, no, he's the theatrical (hie) man. He's got 
 the damn'dest (hie) handsomest actress in all (hie) 
 London. I want to meet her. (hie.) Mr. Vaut, 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 199 
 
 my friend wants to (hie) know your business, 
 (hie.)" 
 
 "Why don't you bring him to my theater. My 
 leading lady, if she were playing at the Lyceum or 
 the Royal, would draw all London. And besides be- 
 ing an actress, she is an heiress." 
 
 "Oh, indeed!" several exclaimed, and somebody 
 said: "Heiresses are thick in America, but they don't 
 usually go upon the stage, do they?" 
 
 "There's no accounting for women," the wily 
 manager said. "You must see my star to appreciate 
 her magnitude I've got her for the winter and per- 
 haps longer. But I am surprised that Lord Avon has 
 not told of the fair and rich American. Pardon me, 
 My Lord, perhaps you have some private personal 
 interest in my star." 
 
 His lordship's blood boiled; he wanted to choke 
 the blackguard. But speaking as calmly as he could, 
 "No, Mr. Vaut, I have no other interest in Miss Her- 
 man than that which any gentleman should feel for a 
 friendless girl, but I hope to soon have a claim upon 
 her that will frustrate your plans." 
 
 The manager couldn't understand the situation, 
 but risked this reply: "I beg your pardon, My Lord, 
 but I have as good an opinion of Miss Herman as you 
 can possibly have, and I know that she will not 
 break her contract." 
 
 The next day his lordship tried in vain to see 
 Helen, going repeatedly to her hotel only to find her 
 out. He knew better than to go to the rehearsals, for 
 she never accepted company on her trips to and from 
 the theater, and, besides, he felt sure that he would 
 kill that manager if he got half a chance. 
 
200 
 
 A new Woman 
 
 That night the theater was packed, Vaut's judi- 
 cious advertising at the wine-supper having accom- 
 plished his purpose. Helen was greeted with round 
 after round of applause, encored and showered with 
 flowers and gifts. The manager was in high glee. 
 
 CHAPTER XLIIL 
 
 The next day Helen was about to start for the re- 
 hearsal when a sharp knock sounded at the door. 
 
 "What's wanted?" she asked. 
 
 "The manager was hurt, perhaps fatally, about a 
 half-hour ago," the messenger, a member of the 
 company, replied. "He was having some new scen- 
 ery hang and one of the frames fell, striking him 
 on the head. " 
 
 "Where is he? we must go to him at once. ? ' 
 
 "At the hospital, but it's no use to go, we wouldn't 
 be allowed to see him. But wha t are we going to do? 
 He owed every one of us — and the landlord a big 
 sum. " 
 
 "Well, I'll stana responsible for the board bill 
 I've just got a remittance from home," picking up 
 an unopened letter. "Tell the girls not to worry. 
 You'd better notify some of Mr. Vaut's English 
 friends," and the messenger passed on. 
 
 She opened her letter and found the amount sent 
 to be one thousand dollars, just one-half the amount 
 she had asked for. "Well, that will do for this emer- 
 gency and I guess I won't need the costumes for a 
 
A NEW \V(>MA.\ 
 
 201 
 
 while at least ; but why didn't I get all I sent for?" 
 and as she read her letter Lord Avon's card was sent 
 up. 
 
 "Show him up," she said. 
 
 ••I was to see you twice yesterday, Helen," he said, 
 as he sat down beside her. 
 
 "Yes, but I can't give you very much time to-day. 
 Our manager met with perhaps a fatal accident a 
 little while ago and — " 
 
 "Thank the Lord ! Oh, Helen—" 
 
 "Why, My Lord, I'm surprised!" 
 
 "Well, I'm glad his blood is not on my hands, but 
 I've wished him dead. I had all I could to keep from 
 challenging him for his conduct at Lord Barnett's 
 supper. " 
 
 "He didn't say any harm of me?" 
 
 ' k Xo, but he mentioned your name in that — " 
 
 "Oh, well, that doesn't hurt me any." 
 
 ''Helen, you don't know. Oh, darling, I've not 
 slept, I've been nearly crazy the past two days. You 
 must, you must listen to advice. I love you, God 
 knows I love you, but that's neither here nor there. 
 Just heed what I tell you: you must quit such a per- 
 ilous calling." 
 
 "Well, I'm likely to at least take a vacation, un- 
 less I get another place. I'm thinking of going back 
 to America." 
 
 "Oh, darling, I wish you would; and you may 
 guess how dangerous I know it to be here, to ask you 
 to do such a thing. Go back to your home and 
 friends. " 
 
 "I haven't any to go to." 
 
202 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 What do you mean?" 
 
 Just what I said. This letter informs me that 
 my fortune has gone in a bank failure. I've only 
 this thousand in all the world." 
 
 "Thank God! Oh, Helen, you won't doubt me 
 now. I know you've always thought me simply after 
 your money; and I'm glad, so happy! Darling, I'm 
 not rich, but I can take care of you. I never worked 
 in my life, but I could work for you if you would 
 come to me now. Don't go back to America. Oh, 
 what more can I say, what more can I do to prove 
 my love for you?" 
 
 "Nothing," she said, brokenly, "Your kindness 
 touches me deeply — I do not doubt your love, but I 
 do not love you in return." 
 
 "But you might learn to. Darling, I'm a changed 
 man. I am through with my reckless companions 
 and I will live so that you would — Oh, I know we 
 could be happy together. Won't you be my wife?" 
 
 "No, my dear friend, I respect you, I like you, 
 but I can't marry you." 
 
 "Helen, is your answer final?" 
 
 "Yes," she said, with swimming eyes. 
 
 "My punishment has been terrible. A year ago I 
 thought no American woman would refuse a title, 
 but I must hereafter think better of America. But 
 didn't you at first try to lead me on? you certainly 
 didn't do it, Helen, for the pleasure of rejecting 
 me." 
 
 "No, no; it was wicked enough, though not that 
 bad. My Lord, you have been so honorable with me 
 that I must make a confession. Was that some one 
 at the door?" 
 
A NEW WOMAN ' 203 
 
 "I heard nothing." And then Helen told hirn the 
 whole story of the scheme for her release of Agnes. 
 
 "It's my punishment, Helen. There was once a 
 young girl who thought as much of me as I do of you. 
 I took advantage of her love and now she is in the 
 insane asylum. Poor Cleonice, you are now avenged. " 
 
 "Cleonice who?" 
 
 "Cleonice Dupont. " 
 
 "Why, I knew her; we were schoolmates at L— . 
 She told me her trouble, but not the author of it. 
 You say she is in the asylum?" 
 
 "Yes. I suppose she sold her jewels and went to 
 school, when she found I was to be married. I have 
 been to see her once. She didn't know me, but 
 calmly told me to take my place in the class. She 
 thinks she is a Bible teacher and is trying to prove 
 to her companions that the resurrection is at hand, 
 when we will be reunited." Helen started and 
 thought to say that it was Cleonice's trouble, not her 
 religion, that caused her insanity, but his lordship 
 was too impassioned to be interrupted. "It was 
 awful, Helen. Oh, my remorse and my love for you 
 will kill me. I only wish that such relief as came 
 to her might come to me; that I might look upon you 
 and not know you. But I can't hope for such mercy. 
 I must go now. " And taking her hand for an instant, 
 he bade her good-bye. Then at the door he turned 
 and gave her one look as she stood weeping in the 
 middle of the room, and w r as gone. 
 
 His footsteps had hardly died away when the door 
 was thrown open and Sir Alfred entered. 
 
 "Helen, I read of the failure in the morning's 
 
204 
 
 A NEW WOMAN 
 
 paper, and fearing it would affect you, I resolved to 
 come and see you. While on my way here I read of 
 the accident and I rushed up without sending a card. 
 Hearing voices within, I stood undecided for a mo- 
 ment and heard your confession to my friend. Now 
 I wish to make one. I didn't understand; oh, how 
 I wish I had known that 'the Englishman' meant his 
 lordship 1" 
 
 "What do you mean?" 
 
 "Helen, did it never occur to you that I loved 
 you?" 
 
 "I'm sure that I never speculated much about the 
 matter. You speak in riddles, Sir Alfred." 
 
 For once in his life Sir Alfred was excited; the 
 thought of Helen's position, the matter of her con- 
 fession, her refusal of his lordship and the notion 
 that he had gathered from her conversation that she 
 meant to quit the stage, being too much for him. 
 Even his lordship had been, if not more calm, at 
 least more collected than he, as he recounted the 
 different phases of his feelings since he had known 
 her, and explained his conduct of the last few 
 months. 
 
 "I was a fool. Why couldn't I have known? I can 
 never forgive myself for my harshness toward you. 
 For you did, honestly, Helen, didn't you care for me 
 a little?" 
 
 "Yes," Helen returned in a cold, calm, though not 
 hard voice. "I confess that I did, and would at one 
 time have renounced all my ambitions to become 
 your wife. My conscience and reason were over- 
 borne by my feelings. I thank you after all for your 
 unkindness. " 
 
A NEW WOMAN 
 
 205 
 
 "Why, you haven't gotten over it so soon?" 
 
 "Oh, yes, I have. And it's so queer. Why, I 
 vowed I would bring you to roy feet ; it was my great- 
 est ambition, and now that you come, I am perfectly 
 indifferent. Isn't it strange? I've lived an age 
 since morning. Oh, I'm not going to resign my am- 
 bitions; don't think that. The world shall yet hear 
 of me as a star in my beloved calling, but things are 
 in such a state politically that I believe I will en- 
 gage at once in lecturing. I will work for — " 
 
 "You will fail, "Sir Alfred said, himself again, as 
 he rose to leave. 
 
 "I will work for the election of good men — not for 
 myself; yet I may fail, but my beloved country shall 
 ha\ e my best efforts at least. I will be true to her 
 in every thought and deed." 
 
 "A thankless, loveless life, you will find. And you 
 will sometime realize that as one God rules the uni- 
 verse, so one passion rules the heart, and realize that 
 
 " 'The light of the whole world dies, 
 When love is done.' " 
 
 THE END. 
 
SISTER GRATIA 
 
 BY 
 
 C. EDGAR SNOW 
 
 This fascinating new novel from the pen of Chaun- 
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 In point of originality, thrilling interest and good moral 
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 The opening chapter of "Sister Gratia" admits us into 
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 Evert Dollond, whose noble character wins our endear- 
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 the humorous ; to Count Victor Villemain, the shrewd 
 schemer who endeavors to win by fair or foul means the 
 love of Grace; and who, being a sagacious man of the 
 
SISTER GRATIA 
 
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