s made,"
said he, beginning to bridle now that he tasted concerted opposition.

"I warn you that I intend to call the women,--and what few men there are
with minds of their own,--together this evening to see that Betty Cruise
gets fair play," said Ruth. "When she hears that we are behind her,
she'll have the backbone to tell you men to mind your own business
and--"

"Have I a mind of my own or not, Miss Clinton?" he interrupted.

"You certainly have," she declared with conviction.

"Then you may expect me to be one of the men to attend your meeting.
Good morning." He lifted his hat, smiled and walked briskly away.

"He'll crab the whole thing," observed one of the women, and despite
her vocal rancour there was an admiring expression in her eyes as they
followed him down the road.

"If he wants to call that baby Andrew Jackson or George Washington,
he'll have his way," said another. "Sex won't make any difference to
him."

"You just wait and see," said Ruth, quivering with indignation.

"Mercy, how you must hate him, Miss Clinton," cried one of her
house-mates.

"I only wish I were a man," cried the other, clenching her fists.

"It would simplify matters tremendously," came in dry, masculine tones
from the outskirts of the group. They turned and discovered Randolph
Fitts. He was smiling sympathetically.

"I don't quite see what you mean, Mr. Fitts," said Ruth, after a moment.

"Because if you were a man, Miss Clinton, you wouldn't even think of
hating him. You'd love him."

Miss Clinton stared at him for a second or two and then, whirling,
entered the hut. Her cheeks were burning. Who shall say whether the
tears that sprang to her eyes as she fell to work scrubbing in the
corner were of anger or self-pity?

Briefly, the situation became quite strained as the day wore on. Women
gathered in little knots to discuss the unprecedented "nerve" of the
men. By nightfall they were pretty thoroughly worked up over a matter
that had mildly amused them at the outset of the day. A comparatively
small proportion had cared one way or the other in the beginning. Most
of them did not care at all. Given time, however, to digest the thought,
aided by such seasoning as could be supplied by a half dozen determined
and more or less eloquent voices, they came in the course of a few hours
to the conclusion that they never had heard of anything so outrageous,
and, to a woman, were ready to fight for little Mrs. Cruise's rights!