you know."

"And work is a necessity for you?"

"Why, of course."

"And you would not be happy without it?" she eagerly pursued.

"Certainly not."

"And you are right there! But what you don't seem to understand is,
that I have the same need, the same love, for work that you have. If
you could only recognize, Arnold, that I have the same feelings in
this matter that you have, then you would understand me. I demand for
myself the right that all men possess as a matter of course--the
right to work!"

"If you must work," he cried, a little exasperated, "why, of course,
you can help in the housework."

"But I also demand the right to choose my work. Why should I do work
which I do not like, for which I have no aptitude, and which I should
do poorly, and give up work which interests me, for which I have been
trained, and for which I believe I have an aptitude?"

"But don't you realize, in doing it, if you are successful, you are
taking the bread out of a man's mouth?" he retorted.

"Then every man who has a living income, and yet works, is also taking
the bread out of a man's mouth. But does a real man stop work because
of that? Besides, if you use that argument, then in doing my own
housework I'd be taking the bread out of a woman's mouth."

"Why--why----" he stammered. His face began to redden. "We shouldn't
belittle our love with this kind of talk. It's all so material, so
sordid."

"It's not sordid to me!" she cried, stretching out a hand to him.
"Don't be angry, Arnold. Try to understand me--please do, please do.
Work is a necessity of life to you. It is also a necessity of life to
me. I'm fighting with you for the right to work. I'm fighting with
you for my life!"

"Then you place work, your career, above our happiness together?" he
demanded angrily.

"Not at all," she went on rapidly, pleadingly. "But I see no reason
why there should not be both. Our happiness should be all the greater
because of my work. I've studied myself, Arnold, and I know what I
need. To be thoroughly happy, I need work; useful work, work that
interests me. I tell you we'll be happier, and our happiness will last
longer, if only you let me work. I know! I know!"

"Dream stuff! You're following a mere will-o'-the-wisp!"

"That's what women have been following in the past," she returned
breathlessly. "Look among your married friends. How many ideally happy
couples can you count? Very, very few. And why are there so few? One
re