Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 313, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 December 1919 — When Betty Struck [ARTICLE]

When Betty Struck

By JANE OSBORN

(Copyright, Uls*. by the McClure Ne»*poper Syndicate.) “Say, Ferdie> “My dear. I wish you would not call me ‘Ferdie.’ I don’t mind it myself, but I don't want any of the students to get on to it. First thing, they’ll he railing me ‘Uncle Ferdie,' qr something like that” “Well, then —Ferdinand.” “That sounds a lot better.” and the professor put his gold-rimmed spectacles hack on his well-shapen nose and went on with his reading. _ r “What I was going to say is this—when an* wo going to hcxaiu-cied?' - l- " Ferdinand closed his book without putting in a bookmark, a iimst,_unustial event in hi* well-ordered iife; took oft his apijctacles, shut his mouth tight and lookt*d at Betty. To be sure, he and his young secretary were engaged. Heriiad fallen in love with her when she was a student la college mid keeping the fact of his love for her a secret, had convinced her that she wanted to “specialize in economics,” and, having guided her through a year of post-graduate work in that science, lie had then convinced, the faculty that he needed an assistant and that Betty was the assistant he needed. Then he proposed; and Betty, who had been very much in love with the good-looking young .professor all along, accepted. Betty had been his assistant for two years and, though at -first they sj*oke often of the time when they would he married, they had hgrdly spoken Of it within the past few months. So this came as a surprise, and the professor took some time to consider before he answered. It. seemed to him a slightly unfeminine question to ask, though he was an avowed - believer in equal privilege for the sexes, spoke at nil the feminist meetings and was looked upon as a champion of the co-eds in the university. “Of course 1 11 have to get my book finished. That will take several months. With that on our hands we Would hardly want to think about it.” Ferdinand was deeply interested in this book of bis, which was a study of /strikes in ancient Egypt. He considered that it-would be a really valuable contribution not only to Egyptology but to the cause of labor in general. It seemed to his academic mind that the present labor agitator would have so much more power behind him, would be able to further his cause so much more convincingly if he had the precedent of ancient Egypt. If he could assure the capitalist' that the Agineers of the pryamids had bad to make concessions to organized labor—what a boon it would be. Blit in order to undertake this work Ferdinand bad, i had to delve deeply into hieroglyphics and had had to spend hours in conference with the department of Egyptology at the university. “The labor situation is growing more insistent every day,” lie went on' to explain, “and 1 must have my, book j witty the publishers before the year is j over. It would never do to pause now. And then after that I was thinking of spending my summer'in one of the industries that is likely-to go on strike, so that 1 cun give my actual bodily support to a strike. I want to feel that I “have been in a strike- —that 1 have rebelled mminst jbggiUii- Jttyat-

“Well, you if* you want to, but I can't say that-I'll .have any sympathy for you if you pet your nose broken. Ferdie —Ferdinand dear. I’m not so sure that striking is the wav that labor ought to go about it. 1 am not so sure that the strikers are always in t|be right.'' To the' enthusiastic Ferdinand this was rank heresy. Though he had hardly dared openly to espouse the cause of labor in his courses of economics in the university* he had hoped that the result of those courses had been to create a prejudice-in favor of labor and against capital in the minds of his students — this in Spite’ of the fact that the university in question owed its existence, and he owed a rather generous compensation, to the benefactions of a certain liberal capitalist. There was something of the fanatic in Ferdinand. “There is no other way to get what you want but to, strike for it." announced he. "Td -attempt diplomacy.' to wheedle, to compromise — those are the methods of insincerity, and labor is always sincere. If you believe you are in the right, if you know yon are —why accept less than you want? Why not fight for it? Nothing has «ver been gained without some sort of fighting. Every great advance in this world has always been made by raerhthat are analogous to those of the strikers.” Sow; although Betty had heard .gll this before, she listened with an atfmrtton that was unusual. Likewise it wn« flattering to Ferdinand. He felt f*u,+ he was interesting her, as he had apparently failed to do' of late. But a* be continued his laudation of the striker Betty’s attention seemed to wander. f?he was apparently intent on something tar off. She was no longer heeding him. That nigbt wrfen Betty left Ferdinand’s office in the university.building devoted to economics she carried with her a small volume from bis shelves on in Striking.’’ The next day Betty arrived as usual 4 slightly before nine o’clock. She

went through the routine of the morning until Ferdinand . departed for htf ten o’clock lecture. Then she was busily writing on her typewriter. She made frequent corrections and then' made a fair copy of what she had written. This she-placed on Ferdinand’s desk and departed for lunch at twelve. He would be hack from his second t/iorning lecture shortly after that time. When Ferdinand returned from his -mwjrfffrrg'ThlKß *be found a n<-all y tyype\/ntten note from Betty. It was entirely amicatyie. But after he bad read it Ferdinand realized that Betty had told him that she-would/terminate her engagement with hint at once unless he would give her assurance that she would lie married within a reasonable length'of time. She approved Of .map 1 riage for women, and she did; not approve of long engagements. A lotyg delay would ruin their chances-of ever finding happiness together later.’ •' Of course, itwas perfectly unreasonable.'- In the tirst place, that was not the right way i-n go about it. Fer-tUi+HH-i—waS"TTtiT of lift patience wit lt Betty. If she wanted to he married before he finished ..the boohshe sh'Uild have approached the*mutter in a more feminine manner. Ferdinand himself was engeT enough—Betty, ought ' to have known that. He had intended to surprise her and finish the bonk next month and then ask her to marry him at Eastertime. But this idea of coerc-. ing him was. all wrong. He would simply discipline her. "If you .do not give me some definite answer by fiveo’clock.” Betty had said in the note, “you may consider the engagement at an end.” One thing was certain in Ferdinand's mind. He would certainly not give her an answer to the note by five. He tnigilt shortly after, hut he refused to he coerced. Betty returned from lunch. She was apparently the same Betty that she had always been. Ferdinand made tyo reference to the note, nor did Betty. He tried to absorb himself in the strikes of ancient Egypt, but they had not the remotest appeal. Almost feverishly lie waited until the university chimes announced five o’clock. Apparently Betty, ns she sat typing off some of his corrected manuscript, felt no perturbation. Five o’clock sounded. Betty arose, closed her typewriter. Then she put on her hat and coat and collected-a few little personal belongings. An umbrella she had left for emergencies, a mirror—a vase on her desk. These latter she wrapped in a neat bundle, then—- “ Good-by, Ferdinand,’’ she said, and If there was a quiver in her voice FerdinanduUiid, not notice It. “Perhaps it is not Vtystomary to shake hands — perhaps I should simply walkout.” Ferdinand’s artns were around her—umbrella, bundle and all. “Betty, Betty—how can you-torture me?' What are you thinking of? What are you doing?” “I’m striking —walking out,” announced Betty. “That's, the only way any one ever gets anything in this tvorld. “If you know you are in the right, why accept less than youwtnxtl Why not fight for it—strike for it?'* Betty quoted for a moment, imitating Ferdinand's vibrant voice. “Betty, 1 never knew any one^could love any one as I love you now. 11 makes it so different— knowing that you really want to—to be married. It makes it Impossible to he patient.”