Description: |
124THE NORMAL ADVANCEin a few seconds the elevator door swungnoiselessly open. She hurriedly stepped inside, and was carried down to the third floorwhere Jack was waiting. He looked verysweet, in an old rose costume, with cream lacefrills finishing off the pantalets and the neck,setting off his dark eyes to perfection. Hisfeatures were clear-cut, and his face had a lookof latent strength about it, almost unseemingin a man, yet not unbecoming.As Jean stepped out of the elevator he cameforward as though he were going to kiss her,but she held his hands down and kissed himinstead.Dont you know that you should let me dothat she asked him reprovingly.No, I dont, he answered emphatically, Idont care what everybody says, I would ratherdo the kissing myself.She smiled at him. You are in one of yourwarlike moods tonight, arent you dearest?You may call it that—but I am in them allthe time, then. I have something to show youtonight.What is it? Here is something for you.too, and she handed him the roses.Thank you, he said, wont you please openthem Why dont you she questioned—but shedid as he asked.They are beautiful, he said, as she heldthem up, wear one, wont you? Ill put theothers in water right away.Wont you wear any? she pleaded.If you will let me kiss you, he answered.Why, of course, if you want to so much asall that, she consented.He put his arms around her and kissed hertwice without changing the kissing-shield.There, isnt that better? he asked.What would mother say to me! she answered. Father would never have the courageto do that to her.Well, isnt it? he insisted.But she only shook her head.Let me show you what I have for you, hewent on, after a slight pause. She eagerly assented, so he pressed one of the buttons in thearm of his chair, and a table across the roomrolled over to him. On the table lay a veryqueer-looking object.What is it? sshe asked him excitedly.It is a book, he answered.A book! It is not,Well, it is what used to be called a book,then. The printing is like that we use now,except that it is not nearly so plain. I foundit not long ago in a box of relics. Look. Heopened it to the first page of the story. Thesheets were faded and yellow, and the printingwas hard to distinguished.That doesnt look very interesting, shesaid. Have all the pictures been lost?No. Look at this. And he turned over afew pages, to a black and white print of agroup of people.Why dont they move? she asked. Andwhy is everybody in black and white?They dont move because moving picturesin books were not known of when this was written and black and white were used because itwas too hard then to color everything. Yousee, I know something, after all. In my reading and studying I have come across somethings that you have never heard of, as muchas you know about law and government.May I read this? she asked, feeling, insome way, as if she had done wrong.Let me read it to you. It is called ThePrincess—It is against equal suffrage.Then why—?It shows that men should vote, and womenshould not.Jean laughed. Such nonsense!Jack looked at her for a moment, silently,then took up the book. As he began to readJean leaned back in her chair luxuriously, andwatched him. His face was most serious, yetshe could not keep from smiling as throughher head ran a ridiculous rhime. Whence it cameshe knew not, but she could not rid herself ofit: Twas in the dark of evening, and in hereyes the love-light gleamed in fitful flitting |
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Source: |
http://indstate.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/isuarchive/id/34946 |
Collection: |
Indiana State University Archives |
Further information on this record can be found at its source.