watch that woman to-night, and if I can win her over I may influence
some of the rest."





CHAPTER IX




Therewith Dolly rose and went to the platform. Silence fell on the
room as she made a pretty, hesitating bow. To Mostyn she was a marvel
of beauty, animation, and reserved force as she stood lightly brushing
back her flowing hair.

"I'm going to tell you all the plain truth," she began. "You don't
know the facts in this case. The able-bodied men behind me, all rigged
out in their best togs for this occasion, simply got tired of having
the side I was on win so many times, and they put their heads together
to change it. They decided, in their sneaking, menlike way, that I won
because the women usually voted on my side, so they asked me one day
if I'd let them pick a theme; and, being too busy doing my work to
suspect trickery, I consented; and then what did they do? Why, they
promptly threw the defense of this--I started to say silly question on
my shoulders, but I won't call it silly, because, do you know, as I
sat there listening to Warren Wilks reel off all that harangue it
occurred to me that he was employing exactly the same threadbare
method of browbeating women that has been the style with _men_ ever