ur own doctrine of living
for others, our own principle of making other people happy." The young
wife had spoken with an ever increasing enthusiasm. Her eyes were
sparkling; her voice deepened musically; the color glowed brightly in
her cheeks; her slender form was held proudly erect in the tense
eagerness of an exalted sincerity of purpose. The other women listened
wonderingly at first; but, little by little, the eloquent vehemence of
their president moved them to sympathetic excitement, so that they
nodded and smiled assent to the speaker's lofty sentiments.

Only Mrs. Flynn seemed entirely unaffected by the oratorical outburst.
Now, when the speech came to a close, that militant suffragette again
addressed the chair.

"Madam Chairman," she said with brutal directness, "the vote stands
eight to two. There are two white balls, and eight black balls."

At this shocking revelation of the fact, Cicily stared dazedly for a
moment; then, an expression of bleak disappointment stole over her
features. She uttered a sound of dismay, which was almost a moan, and
the color fled from her face.

"Oh, I don't--can't believe it!" she cried, with sudden fierceness.
With the words, she snatched up the box, which Mrs. Flynn had deposited
on the table, and poured out the balls. She stared at them affrightedly
for a moment. There could be no mistake: They were two white and eight
black! Cicily regarded the incontrovertible evidence of defeat for a
minute with dilated eyes. Then, abruptly, she laughed hardily,
straightened up from her scrutiny of the balls, and gazed wrathfully out
upon her fellow club-members. When she spoke, her tone was of ice. Her
utterance was made with the utmost of deliberation.

"So," she said, while her amber eyes flashed fire, "you are a set of
empty-headed, silly women with nothing to do, after all!"

"Cicily!" Mrs. Delancy exclaimed, aghast, while the others could only
gasp in horror before this unparalleled vituperation.

"I mean it--every word of it!" Cicily repeated, hotly. But the
impetuosity of her mood was checked as she beheld the general
consternation consequent on her attack; for now all the others were on
their feet, moving hurriedly and muttering excitedly.

"I suppose this is parliamentary law as it is understood in America,"
the militant suffragette made sarcastic comment, in a shrill voice. "I
prefer the English fashion of doing things, for my part."

Cicily realized, with an increase o