OREOLA WHJJAMS H^;:iK' OJarncll ImtteraUa ffiibrarg atljata, Neni Inrk Cornell University Library arV12093 Banner bearers 3 1924 031 499 449 olin.anx Cornell University Library The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924031499449 BANNER BEARERS Tales of the Suifrage Campaigns BY OREOLA WILLIAMS HASKELL Author of "Put to the Test^' ''A Stubborn WiU," etc. with an Introduction by IDA HUSTED HARPER Historian of National American Woman Suffrage Association GENEVA, N. V. W. F. HUMPHREY 1920 BANNER BEARERS Copyright 1920, by Oreola Williams Haskell All rights reserved FOREWORD The little world of the suffrage worker was one of hard application and intense living. It had its saints and its sinners, its clear-visioned leaders and its devoted disciples, its silver-tongued orators, its poets and its artists. It had its humor, its pathos and its passion. It developed a new loyalty — ^that of woman to woman; a new romance — the love of woman for the woman leader; a new faith — that of the woman in the greatness of her sex and the possibilities of her womanhood. To understand the little world of suffrage, one should have entered it when being there provoked the look ask- ance, the sneer, and the witless laugh; one shoiald bear the scars of the campaigns that were its bloodless battles; one should have worked and laughed and ^sorrowed with its inhabitants; have felt the elation of success, the bitterness of defeat, the cotirage that springs dauntless and daring to make a new fight. I who have been of this world, who love, understand and admire it, here aim to give some sketches, however inade- quate, of those who have waged its battles and won its victories; hope to show that once of its circle, life was forever deeper and different ; that for all the drain on heart and mind and soul, the constant call for work and sacrifice, there were 4 BANNER BEARERS rich compensations in an vinfailing interest in life, in the development that comes from serving a great cause and in a devotion to that highest of all things — an ideal. Those who lead the great processions of humanity, carry- ing its standards on which are emblazoned letters of liberty and progress, are the Banner Bearers of the race, and in this advance guard suffragists hold an honored place. To them, the humblest as well as the highest, this Uttle book is a sincere tribute. To the many who have given themselves to the work of suffrage may these pages seem like the diary they have never had time to write, or like the portfolio of old photographs that, though faded, make the once vivid past live again. THE AUTHOR. INTRODUCTION The last word about woman suffrage was not spoken when Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby issued a proclamation declaring that henceforth for all time it was a part of the Federal Constitution of the United States. The record of the long struggle for the final victory will be told in history, in poetry and romance, as the years come and go, and already this volume of short stories entitled Banner Bearers marks the beginning. The author, Mrs. Oreola Williams Haskell, is one of the best and most modest of the suffrage writers, keeping aloof from publicity and leaving the lime- light to others, but she has been "a chiel amang them takin' notes" during the years her pen was busy in the New York City and National headquarters. She has seen the move- ment in aU its varying phases and the fictitious names in these sketches camouflage the real workers during the two greatest campaigns ever made for the enfranchisement of women. They will be easily recognized by those who lived through this strenuous period, and to others they will stand as symbols of the thousands of women who were a part of this supreme and sacred cause. There are twenty-two of these sketches, each embodying one special feature of the many-sided efforts to win the vote and all expressed in narrative style, a number of them with 6 BANNER BEARERS a love story interwoven. They show the devoted, self- sacrificing spirit of the workers and the complete absorption of their thought, feeling and aspiration by this vast reform. They picture it as has never been done before, not as a matter of political right only but also as having the force of a religion. The writer speaks as one who through years of experience behind the scenes has witnessed the unfolding of a drama and realized its world significance. CONTENTS Page 1. The Invader i 2. Sizing UP A Boss 32 3. Tenements and Teacups 47 4. Mrs. Rensling Takes a Rest 66 5. The Silent Forces 80 6. Stall-fed 99 7. The Nail 114 8. Winds and Weather-vanes 139 9. A Musical Martyr 158 10. When Hester Hikes 172 11. The Yellow Button 191 12. A Touch of Romance 205 13. A Fallen Star 224 14. The Greatest Thing 238 15. The Poster 248 16. The Slogan 259 17. Methods 269 18. Sissies 281 19. Switchboard Suffrage 292 20. The Heart of a Chief . 3°° 21. Four Generations 318 22. The Great Short Cut 335 THE INVADER. Pembroke Clarke happened to be at the Brinsmead depot when the Clayton Local came in, and lingered on the small platform to watch the passengers alight. As it was an early morning train, these were few in number, consisting of Mr. Colver, the druggist, tall and cadaverous, who bestowed upon Clarke an absent-minded bow; Mrs. Enders, old and sweet-faced, who favored him with a smile and a pleasant word; her maid, who gave him a furtive scrutiny; and a strange, young woman, very pretty and with a face full of character, who distinguished herself from the others by utterly ignoring him. Vaguely surprised at this latter treatment, since six feet o^ athletic, city-tailored manhood is quite conspicuous among a group of country-breds in a village station, Clarke followed the newcomer at a discreet distance into the stuffy waiting- room. There he watched her walk up to Joel Baxter, the station agent, and engage him in an animated conversation. Judging from much waving of arms and naming of streets and a hasty writing of some memoranda on a slip of paper, Baxter was politely and profusely giving her directions to guide her about the town. Out of pure idleness, Clarke strolled up to Baxter at the conclusion of the interview as the stranger was disappearing through the door that led village- ward. "Takes some hustling to handle the crowds that come in on the Clayton Local," he observed facetiously. Baxter smiled broadly. 1 2 BANNER BEARERS "Say, Mr. Clarke, if there wa'nt much of a multitude this morning, there was something new struck town I reckon. Fust young lady sales-agent I ever see in Brinsmead. We're kinder behind the times as a gineral thing. Leastways^ I guess she was a saleslady. When she opened her suitcase there was some considerable blaze of yellow and I guess females aint took jdt to wearing orange longerie. And she wanted to know the names and addresses of our ministers and leading ladies. Guess she's got her satchel chuck full of circulars about "Boosts for the Bible," five dollars down and fifty cents a week. She was a peachy one, smiley and gabby and yit kinder sensible-seeming too." This reply, while it gave the information desired, rather dashed Clarke's interest by its commonplace surmise. Even if Brinsmead was small and extremely dull, and his visit to his aunt in a sense compulsory, he was not so bored as to be capable of feeling prolonged admiration for "a com- mercial lady," who, his narrow experience told him, would be either showily aggressive or brusquely staid. So he talked for some time with Baxter and considered the incident that had attracted him closed. And afterward he went out into the summer morning, in leisurely fashion making his way to Elm avenue, the finest residential street in Brinsmead, where among the homes of old families and the Queen Annes of some few fashionable newcomers stood the large colonial mansion of the Pembrokes. Here his aunt, Mrs. Abigail Pembroke, reigned in the assurance that the leadership of local society gave her. On the way to his abiding place, he passed the Methodist church and parsonage. As he neared the latter, a door was shut with loud and hasty emphasis and an evidently unwel- come visitor turned away and walked slowly down the graveled path. It was Baxter's "young lady sales-agent." Clarke passed close enough to her to look into her face, THE INVADER 3 where he expected to find chagrin and possibly anger. In- stead he saw siirprise and a little amusement, altho' a heigh- tened color bespoke a natural resentment at the rudeness that had been accorded her. The color so enhanced the coineliness of her dark eyes, black hair and delicate features that in spite of himself Clarke's interest in her revived. Judged by her clothes, her carriage, her expression, her face, she was unmistakably a lady. He followed her respect- fvilly and admiringly until there came a parting of the ways and she went down a side street in the direction of the Baptist steeple. Remembering Baxter's remark that Brins- mead's "leading ladies" were on her list, Clarke went staidly home, convinced that Mrs. Pembroke would certainly be favored with a call. In anticipation of this, he settled him- self comfortably on the deep porch to wait, reading a news- paper with an absorbed air. And although the time seemed long, it was in reality barely an hour when the gate creaked, and light, quick steps sounded on the stone walk and the stoop and the bell rang briskly. Clarke with eyesstill lowered waited until themaid's drawling voice proclaiined Mrs. Pembroke "aout" and tintil the visitor turned to depart. Then he emerged from behind his paper, rose, came forward and smd with a deferential air: "Won't you be persuaded to wait for my aunt? . I know that she expects to retturn soon;" and he pushed forward a low chair with comfortable, yawning arais. The Pembroke porch was diifi and cool in the shade of its awnings. It was cozy with pale chintz-covered chairs and small tables piled with magazines and books. Outside the summer sun was hot and the street breezeless and dusty. The visitor hesitated a mcanent, was visibly temptedj th&a. with a murmul^d word of thanks sank into the proffered seat. 4 BANNER BEARERS Propriety now demanded the unobtrusive withdrawal of the strange young man, but Clarke chose to consider the lady a public character and so he remained. Nor was he si- lent. "The day promises to be a sizzler," he announced inanely, "And possibly there will be showers later." "Oh, I hope not," returned the newcomer with quick emphasis. "Rain interferes with so many plans." This was a general remark with an obvious personal appli- cation. Clarke wondered if she referred to her canvassing. He looked at her pityingly. What a hard lot for a young and refined woman to be forced to earn her living plodding from door to door in strange and often unfriendly places. He speculated as to the probability of her endeavoring to sell some books to him and covertly eyed the suitcase wherein reposed the yellow circulars. But evidently she did business with women only, as she made no move of a business na- ture. "Was that your public park I saw in the center of the town?" she asked, and when he nodded acquiescence, she added, "I saw a bandstand there. Do you have afternoon concerts?" "No," returned Clarke. "The band is not only musical, but also, mechanical and agricultiffal. During the day the players devote themselves to the gross pursuits by means of which they earn their livings. Once in about two weeks they unite to rend the evening quiet with harrowing rendi- tions of "The Merry Widow" and "The Lost Chord With Variations."' "I'm very glad the music doesn't take up attention after- noons," she rejoined in a relieved tone. "Because that's evidently your only public square. We planned to use it to-day." THE INVADER 5 Clarke looked at her in poorly disguised astonishment. Did she contemplate mounting a drygoods box as he had seen patent medicine men do and shout the excellence of her wares abroad? She read surprise in his dilated eyes. "Oh I forgot," she said, and a rougish dimple or two came into sudden play. "That seems strange to you perhaps. Allow me to present my card." With a mumbled word of thanks, Clarke took the square of pasteboard that she produced from a neat handbag. He hardly dared read it. She looked too attractive, too interesting to be labeled "Miss Mary Smith, Representing Smerl and Company, Religious Tracts." But with her dark glance fixed upon him, he was compelled to glance at the card. Then he saw the script, "Leslie Draycote, Field Organizer, N. Y. Woman Suffrage Party." "Field Organizer," he repeated vaguely. "You organize — " "Clubs," she answered airily. "Suffrage clubs and arrange for public meetings. This is my tenth town within two weeks. I'm asking aid of the ministers' wives and the promi- nent women in those places where we have few or no enrolled members. I go to all the weak spots. This is one of them, and I can see why all right. Sentiment is dead. Your ministers' wives here are not keen on human rights but they are good door-slammers. The society women I hope will be better. I've seen only one, but she had some manners. She advised me to see Mrs. Pembroke at once and enlist her help. I'm glad to know she's a Quaker. They're brought up with the idea of equality of the sexes. And it's a good omen that her name's Abigail. It seems promising to me because of our first Abigail." Then, seeing his helpless look, she explained hastily, "Abigail Adams, you know, who 6 BANNER BEARERS wrote to John to remember the ladies when he and his friends were preparing the Constitution "Oh," commented Clarke softly, gazing with genuine interest at this new type of femininity. "And so you con- sider Brinsmead merely in its aspect of being a Weak Spot. And you hope Aunt Abigail will help you to brace it up. Just what can she do?" "For one thing, she can help me plan my meeting for to- morrow night. She can get me a public hall. I hoped to get a church. I often do, when the ministers' wives are inter- ested. You see the others come in the auto and they hold their meeting in the afternoon in the Square. They catch the radicals. But I go by train and hold my meetings at night. And I catch the conservatives. They're the 'gettes' and I'm the 'gist.'" "What?" queried Clarke once more bewildered. "You're a 'gist' you say?" Miss Draycote laughed a fresh girlish laugh. "Suffragist," she explained, "and suffragette — 'gist' and 'gette' for short. Don't you read the newspapers ? I hope, ' ' she added thoughtfully, "that you're a believer in The Cause." "Most assuredly," returned Clarke promptly. "At this moment I am. I'm like the chap who said that when he's with abeautiful 'gist, 'he's a suffragist, and when he's with a beautiful anti, he's against everj^hing she's against." "A human weathervane," commented the organizer calmly. "I've met men like that. But we don't take them any more seriously than they take us. Did you ever attend one of our meetings?" "Once by mistake I poked my head into a hall where a convention was going on," admitted Clarke. "But as those dames within my range of vision didn't look good to me, I promptly withdrew." THE INVADER 7 "0];i," said the girl sarcasticaUy, "they were homely, I suppose, and therefore any ideas they had were either un- interesting or wrpng. A choice bit of masculine reasoning. If we judged men's minds or ideas according to the looks of their backers, we'd still be at the cave period. When will r^en ever learn to think of a woman aside from her looks? I maintain that a woman has as much right to be homely as a mail." "You don't try to illustrate your theory then," declared Clarke, gazing at her animated face with fresh admiration. The cornpliniient passed unheeded. There came a musical toot, a cloud of dust rose in the rp^d and a black and yellow gutompbile whirled into siglit. From it waved tiny American and yellow flags, acrpss its back a yellow banner was draped Tyhich flaimted in large black letters the words "Votes for Women." In. tbe tonne^u there were three women clad in wlpite and beside the chauffeur sat another in the same spot- less attire. Leslie Pfaycpte gave an enthusiastic and friendly halloo. She W^ved hex handbag joypusly and ran dpwn the walk, to, the g^te. The auto stopped. Two young and two middle- aged faces hrpke intP delighted smiles. "Oh, there you are," called a vpice. "Well, what luck?" TQVfn. fyll of fpssils?" "Has a few," declared Miss Praycpte. "The religious bodies here repudiate us. Society bids fair tp be more lenient. The common, lipwever, is yotffs. There will be Up cp^lpetitipT^ with the band- Sp, sp Ipng ypu wild a,nd ^sexed females. I'll see you at th^ Union Hotel later." There wa^ a chorus of "All right," "Thanks," "Heaven help us," and "Don't fprget the cirqwlars. Ours axe rupning lp:w," spme tevghtw, and the ni9.,ebine went whizjiing pn its y/f^y. I^slie Dr^ycpt? returned lingeringly to thg porch, 8 BANNER BEARERS the light of the friendly encounter still in her eyes. Clarke looked at her whimsically. "After all it seems to be a frolic," he said, "an excuse to do something different. Not such a bad way to pass a summer — ^to be whirled from town to town, past green fields, to see constantly new scenes and to meet new people." At the words, the dark eyes before him flashed with sudden fire. "I can imagine many pleasanter ways of having a frolic," she said, "than to visit one stupid little town after another, expend much energy afternoon and evening speaking with all the love and eloquence one has for justice to inane, indifferent, and sometimes hostile, people; to be ridiculed more often than praised in the country papers by men who never understand anything abstract or spiritual, who don't know the first principles of our cause; to work through hot and enervating weather when one is tired and even sick; to get choked with dust on endless roads; to meet strangers all the time; to put up at a succession of homely and tmcom- fortable hotels where the food is always poor; to be criticised by women or pitied by them, and to be joked about by men; to be homesick six evenings a week, especially on moonlight nights; in fact to live anything but a pleasurable existence and to form anything but a triumphal procession." "Oh," said Clarke contritely. "That's the way it is—" "Yes," returned the girl warmly. "Everjrwhere we go we meet our two foes. Ignorance and Prejudice. Ignorance goes to sleep and Prejudice fights. Curiosity fills the hall, however, so we really get a chance to do good. And of course the believers are everywhere now, a constantly increasing army, and oh how they leaven the big public lump of apathy! It is often the thought of their thousands of friendly faces THE INVADER 9 that supports me through trying episodes. Does Mrs. Pembroke believe?" "I'm afraid — I guess — ^there, I know that she does," an- swered Clarke hastily. "You see she has two daughters out in the world — ^they're doing settlement work in New York — and she says she's got to keep up-to-date with them. That's her excuse, but I fancy she's always had a tendency to strong- mindedness and I suppose toward what you would call progress." Such a pleased light came into the girl's eyes that Clarke was inspired to deflect a part of the radiance toward him- self. "Of course," he said gravely, "all joking aside, liberal- minded people are open to conviction. I count myself amcng the ntmiber." "Till the beautiful anti comes," replied Miss Draycote quickly. "As the latter is bound to live here and I am only passing, I can't very well compete with her. Let us hope I'll be able to find a beautiful and permanent 'suff ' to hold your fluttering allegiance." And then tmheeding his excla- mation of protest, she cried, "Oh, is she coming? Do tell me is this your aunt?" "Yes," returned Clarke, and for the moment he sympa- thized with the open admiration in the visitor's eyes. For Mrs. Abigail Pembroke, opening her own gate and coming down her own walk, was a picture to please anyone's eyes. She wore a pale-gray gown with discreet touches of rose color and this harmonized with her white hair and pink cheeks in a most satisfactory way. She carried her head high, and keen intelligence flashed from her dark eyes and a benevolent kindliness sat upon her brow. Leslie Draycote did not wait for her hostess to mount the steps. Imptdsively she ran down the walk to meet her and 10 BANNER BEARERS introduced herself with g, blending of girlish appeal and of dignified deference that took Mrs. Pembroke quite by storm. "So you've come at last, you suffragists," she said genially. "I've waited a good while for you. I really was begjiniung to feel that I'd have to get at Brinsmead myself, in a public way as I have been at it privately for years. But it happens that I wage a continual fight with a foe called rheumatism and I never know when he will cripple me. I hardly like to rise to address my fellow citizens on the subject of woman's ability to stand alone politically when I myself cannot stand alone physically but must often be upheld by canes. But now I see all I'll have to do is to shine as a patron while you do the work. That's easy. But why my dear did they send the kindergarten first?" The girl flushed for a moment, bit her lip, but answered sturdily: "We've all ages at hand. The others are in the auto. But I fit better in a hall, so I'm the iimer and the others are the outers. But will you really help me?" "Most assuredly," retiu^ed Mrs. Pembroke as they bpth gained the proch. "What can I do?" "Persuade someone to lend me a hall for a meeting to- morrow night. Then I can spend the rest of the day adver- tising the event." "Well, we've only one such article in town, Sipvers H^ over the drugstore. And it jugt happens th^t its owner Mr. Benjamin Sievers, is ot;ir good friend. By tjhe w^y, Pern, I just met him on the street ; so you see lie has retyrned from Lansingburg. He sent word that it is gpod to he^ of your residence among the Abodes of the Slow and that he hopes that he and you may foregather soon." "Oh then if he is a personal friend," said Leslie Draycote eagerly, "we'll have no diai(pvlty ?it)out the hall. Of course THE INVADER 11 I can pay for it, if it is necessary, but the Party is not made of nioney and I try to be as economical as possible. Could your friend be reached by telephone? I hope you'll pardon me, but the time is so short to make arrangements and I never feel comfortable 'till I know everything's ready." "Then we can soon put you at your ease," said Mrs. Pem- broke. "Cpme to the library and let us get the question settled. It is of course, merely a matter of form, for, of course, Ben will be glad to consent. , I have never asked him point-blank about his opinions, and I suppose, in fact, that he really is not interested in suffrage, but Ben will do any- thing for a lady." She led the way to the big, ol4-f ashioned library and to the telephone, Clarke trailing aloiig after Leslie Draycote. Sievers responded promptly to the call and Miss Draycote held her dark head close to Mrs. Pembroke's to enjoy the colloquy. This was unnecessary, however, as the voice that came over the wire was so full and strident as to make its message distinctly audible to all of them. "Win I lend my hall to a suffra^st for a meeting tomorrow evening? My dear Mrs. Pembroke, this cannot be you asking me swch a question. Will I? No I will not-^not even for my dearest and best friend on earth. We've had Grangers and Masons and Foresters and Eastisrn Stars and Daughters of Rebecca, but nothing as wild as vote chasers. Oh, say Mrs. Pembroke, don't really beg a fellow-^ you know J adore you. It is|i't fair for you to worfe on my ranotions in order to upset my principles. We men have to show we belong to the sterner sex. It really isn't fair for you to make a personal piatter of it. Isn't the woiiian a stranger to you? Just met her to-day? Oh come, Mrs Pembroke, you're too soft-hearted to let her get around you this way. Sen4 her flying to the jiejjt town. J ean't-^dp 12 BANNER BEARERS you want me to be the laughing stock of the town? No I never met one — don't want to. But I've read about them I can't — well then I won't — though I hate to say it to you. Still you must be temporarily unbalanced to advocate it. No — no — no — and, dear lady, even if it rends my heart, it's final." "You see," said Mrs. Pembroke, half vexed, half amused. "I wouldn't have thought it of Ben Sievers." "Let me try," said Leslie Draycote gently, and in a mo- ment her flute like tones were assailing Mr. Sievers's ears. But he remained obdurate. "Sorry, Madame," he said firmly. "I respect your gray hairs and all that, but I can't go against life-long convictions. There are loads of women beside the hearthside quite content without the vote. I represent these, and so I must decline to let my hall be invaded by destructive forces. After all we all had mothers. The next town — if I might suggest it — might prove more lax — er-more hospitable to a suffrage invader. Why not pass on?" "Let me get at the idiot," cried Clarke with exasperation, but Leslie had already himg up the receiver. The three looked helplessly at each other and then they laughed. "Behold the Invader," said Miss Graycote grandilo" quently. "It has quite a noble, crusading sound. I have been called many things both complimentary and the reverse, but it has been left to your friend to force upon me the most pompous title of all." "I'd hate to state what title he deserves," said Clarke wrathfully. "Ben must have mental dyspepsia to-day." "I'll have to go and see the old fellow," said Miss Dray- cote. "Sometimes an interview with a chance to state more THE INVADER 13 reasons than are possible over the telephone produces good results." "Old?" echoed Clarke. "Sievers is not so very ancient. In fact he and I are twins, belonging to different families." "Oh," exclaimed Miss Draycote in obvious disappoint- ment. "Then I'm afraid the case is hopeless. When they are young and opposed they are the hardest to deal with — so much — conceit mixed up with the prejudice. There I beg your pardons. I didn't mean to speak so about your friend." "Go as far as you like, so far as I am concerned," said Clarke indifferently. "And judging from Aunt's expression, Ben's virtues do not shine very radiantly just at present." "Well, we shall have to make other plans. I have lost all hope so long as he is not some poor old fossil." "You can be thankful he's not, " commented Mrs. Pem- broke. "I don't agree with what you say about their hope- lessness as young opponents. Under present conditions a call might be very effective, according to my experience of human nature. I see now, my dear, why they send the kinder- garten. Mr. Clarke will escort you to Mr. Siever's office and then when evers^thing's settled I'll rely upon him to bring you home for lunch." "Mr. Clarke," protested Leslie. "Oh that would never do. He's liable to change into an anti at any moment and then he'd egg Mr. Sievers on to do his worst." "That isn't fair," protested Clarke. "I'll stay outside and I won't utter a peep if you give the command. But a good raking over the coals naight humble him a bit and make things easier for you. Come, let us go so that I can show you what a noble champion you have in my aunt's nephew." And so in a brief space of time Pembroke Clarke found him- self walking rather rapturously beside a young lady of whose 14 BANNER BEARERS existence he had been ignorant that morning, whose acquaiflt- ance a few hours before had seemed only problematically desirable and at best to be regarded as a light adventure to help pass a dull day. "I shall smuggle you down the back streets," he warned her gaily. "There are several society as well as ministerial antis in town. Itt fact the society general's mansion is on our very block. If Mrs. Stone once beheld you, ther6 would be a conflict with casualties." "Is the lady so astute than as to recognize the foe altho' the latter be buttonless and bannerless?" queried Leslie. Clarke liretended that she was and insisted on a right- angled skirmish to less dangerous ground. At the end of the second street into which they turned, they were a:pproached by a young lady in blue who presented such a racUant pic- tiire as to attract Miss Draycote's attention. She was about to question Clarke as to the picture's identity when she sa# the deep flush that mounted to his cheeks. "Oh," she cried in mock despair. '"Hie beautiful antf. My champion will be lost now." And, indeed, Mary Wynne accosted Qarke with such att air of proprietorship as to give decided color to this view. "They stopped to greet her on the sun-dappled walk And Clarke, introducing the two, studied them furtively. For years back Mary Wynne and Brinsmead had been bracketed together in his thoughts. Btlt hitherto all had been pleasant and aimless drifting for them both, though perhaps the danger of at last making for the port of love had added a little exhila- ration to their social intercourse. Now, as Oarke contrasted his old friend with his new acquaintance, a vague under- standing of why he had never felt carried away by his feelings for the former flitted thro' his mind. There were Mveak lines in Mary's face for which even her exquisite blrnid THE INVADER 13 coloring did not atotle. Her vivacity was that of the shal- lows, not the spaxkle on de6p waters, and all at once she seemed to hitti a creature light as thistledown. "Jiist got back from the Pratt's Week end," she said gaily. "Came hotne on the same train as Ben Sievers. Suppose you'll be atottnd to-night. Don't fail me. You're the only- excitement here." "No, I'm not, returned Clarke heedlessly. "There's been an invasion this morning. The suffragists have struck town. Some are to discourse in the public square this p. m. and to-morrow evening the Principal Invader will hold forth in Sievers Hall. They're aii aided and abetted by Auilt Abigail and I'm her actitig lieutenant. Will you come hbW with us to Ben and persualde him to loan that wooden sarcophagus he calls a hall?" "No thaiiks,"^' replied Mary Wynne. "I'm more apt to urge him to lock it up. My sympathies are not with the er — invaders." Leslie Draycote looked at her with frank earnestness. "Have you really studied the question?" she asked. "What need is thete of that?" returned Miss Wynne coldly. "The whole thing is ridiculous on the face of it — ^wottten deserting the hcMhe to run for office and jostle men at the polls. Any woman with a husband and sons can influence politics indirectly by making her men vote as she wishes them to. I fancy my brother would do as I asked him. Tho' I've never been interested in elections and things like that. Heaven forbid I should devote my mind to anything so dull." "Women doh't heed to desert the home much to vote once a year," said Leslie Dtaycote laughing. "And 1 imagine there is more jostling of the sexes ih the NeMr York subways every day than there ever will be at the poUs. And £dl 16 BANNER BEARERS women don't have husbands and sons to boss around. And perhaps men like to express their own opinions when they go to vote — not some woman's. The men of one's family might not always agree with the woman Boss. The whole thing goes much deeper than running for office. All men who vote don't run for office, so why should women ? If you really thought you could help solve some of the vital problems of the day and help the community in which you live, I'm sure you'd want to vote." "Not I," said Mary Wynne lightly. "The community would lean on a weak thing if it leaned on me. The vital problems will have to get along without me. When I line up with old frumps who worry about the water supply, and pure, food and factory inspection, and schools for the peanut vender's children and such things, I — " "Old frumps like Aunt Abigail." said Clarke rather tartly. "Thanks Mary." "Now, Pem, don't be ridiculous — you know I didn't mean that." "You simply don't understand the question," said Leslie Draycote hastily, to prevent friction, "You can't just consult your prejudices and pass judgment off hand. It's such a big question. Won't you come to ovir meeting and get a real insight into the matter? For instance, your good sense will tell you that women who pay taxes ought to have something to say as to how their money is to be expended, that women who have to obey the laws ought to have a voice in their making — " "I won't need to come if you keep on," broke in Mary Wynne flippantly. "I'll get my own private lecture now. In fact, I think I have gotten quite a dose. But try your best you won't land me. I'm too foxy. It's easier and pleasanter to keep things as they are. And really, Miss Invader, why THE INVADER 17 do you go about looking for work and trouble? Why not let men run all the stupid things and then if anything goes wrong we can blame them and not be blamed ourselves? And, anyway, "she added with an evident desire to clear up Clarke's clouded face, "I believe the men have the best brains, are quite competent to handle everything, and have done wonders. It is presumptuous for women, who are a lot of sap heads anyway, to think they can do any better. But don't let me keep you two — " "It's not a question of women doing better," answered Leslie quickly, "Men and women can do better together on any line of work than either sex can do alone. Good-bye. I hope you'll think things over and come to a better decision." "Never," said Mary Wyime and left them with a half contemptuous toss of her head. "One of the Sleeping Princesses," said Leslie Draycote lightly. "Some day she'll wake up to what real life is. She's been kept in cotton wool, of course, and is hardly to blame for her attitude toward things. Woman suffrage, though, is a revolt against woman's attitude of irresponsibility, the attitude that makes her frivolous, indifferent, self-centered, selfish and weak. You see it is our dream to have a strong mother for the race and we have to make her strong through participation in all the work of the world, through an under- standing of all the big problems. But there I'm giving you a private lecture and you'll turn on me as Miss Wjmne did." "You yourself look like a Sleeping Princess" said Clarke abruptly. "That is you have what I suppose you would call the protected, cotton-wool look — not the one that comes to those who have battled with the world. I wonder then why you don't live up to your looks? Is it environment, training or just perversity?" 18 BANNER BEARERS "Perhaps all three. Sir Weathervane. I was born, as the novelist says, of liberal-minded parents, educated in co^- educational institutions and for a while earned my own living — ^teaching. Education and wage-earning or wage- earning and poverty seem to breed suffragists just asnaturally as downy nests, money and leisure produce antis. But there is a drugstore yonder. Is that where Mr. Sievers is to be found?" "It is — that is, he has a coop above it where he supposedly practices law." They crossed the street and mounted a long ffight erf un- carpeted stairs, entered a dingy passageway and traversing this, found themselves in a small office confronting a rather stout young man, who was seated at a desk leisurely looking over a paper. "Howdy, Pem," he called out joviaUy, and came forward to shake hands warmly with Clarke. "Let me present my ancient suffrage friendv" said Clarke airily, "She to whom you spoke so cuttingly over the 'phone." "Yes, it was good erf you, if a trifle premature, to respect my gray hairs/' chimed in Leslie solemnly. Sievers gazed at her in surprise and constematitMi. "Ctf cotirse it's a joke," he said. "One so fair as you would have nothing to do with anything so foolish as suffrage." "It is a foolish something to which I am at i»esent givii^ all my time and energy as I hope to do for some years to come." said Leslie Draycote a little shortly. "Then — ^it was you — you — ," gasped Sievers looking at her in mingled dismay and admiration. "If I had known — I would have — I regret exceedingly — " "There I knew you would," said Clarke approvingly. "As soon as you saw Miss Draycoite. Besides that, you ought to have some local pride. She looks upon Brinsmead as a THE INVADER 19 WEAK SPOT. We must show that, though it may be a spot, it is not weak — " At that moment the telephone rang insistently. Sievers reached mechanically for the receiver. "Yes, Mrs. Stone," they heard him say. "Yes — it was what I myself thought at first. But now-^well Mrs. Pem- broke is interested — quite an old friend — I would like — oh of course I want to please — everybody — and you especial!)? — But I can't really see the harm — Qf course few will come — oh, you think so ?^— now I am sorry about that — Still there is progress to consider — it isn't progress — degeneration? Oh, come, that's pretty strong— some of them seem very respect- able — ^misguided perhaps, but refined and pretty-^oh, yeg, I am a man — , but still — well, of course, I don't want to offend — ^but perhaps you'U reconsider — You won't? Life- long convictions — Yes I had them too — You insist — well of course, if you do — You make a point of it ? Well, of course — I suppose I must — oh yes, whatever you say goes with me— ^ But still in this case — ^if you should change your mind call up — ^till then I will refuse — " The detached phrases and the sound of the excited voice that came over the phone told Clarke a story. "AU is lost," he said to l