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o see myselfand youand all this rotten crowd of ours。 We're no good。 But you're married； Eleanor。 You're settled in life。 You ought to do something。 I'm single and at loose ends。 Oh； I'm in revolt！ 。 。 。 Think； Eleanor； just think。 Your husband works hard to keep you in this expensive apartment。 You have a car。 He dresses you in silks and satins。 You wear diamonds。 You eat your breakfast in bed。 You loll around in a pink dressing gown all morning。 You dress for lunch or tea。 You ride or golf or worse than waste your time on some lounge lizard； dancing till time to come home to dress for dinner。 You let other men make love to you。 Oh； don't get sore。 You do。 。 。 。 And so goes the round of your life。 What good on earth are you； anyhow？ You're just aa gratification to the senses of your husband。 And at that you don't see much of hint。〃
〃Carley； how you rave！〃 exclaimed her friend。 〃What has gotten into you lately？ Why； everybody tells me you'reyou're queer！ The way you insulted Morrisonhow unlike you； Carley！〃
〃I'm glad I found the nerve to do it。 What do you think； Eleanor？〃
〃Oh； I despise him。 But you can't say the things you feel。〃
〃You'd be bigger and truer if you did。 Some day I'll break out and flay you and your friends alive。〃
〃But； Carley； you're my friend and you're just exactly like we are。 Or you were； quite recently。〃
〃Of course； I'm your friend。 I've always loved you； Eleanor；〃 went on Carley； earnestly。 〃I'm as deep in thisthis damned stagnant muck as you； or anyone。 But I'm no longer blind。 There's something terribly wrong with us women； and it's not what Morrison hinted。〃
〃Carley； the only thing wrong with you is that you jilted poor Glennand are breaking your heart over him still。〃
〃Don'tdon't！〃 cried Carley； shrinking。 〃God knows that is true。 But there's more wrong with me than a blighted love affair。〃
〃Yes； you mean the modern feminine unrest？〃
〃Eleanor； I positively hate that phrase 'modern feminine unrest！' It smacks of ultraultraOh！ I don't know what。 That phrase ought to be translated by a Western acquaintance of mineone Haze Ruff。 I'd not like to hurt your sensitive feelings with what he'd say。 But this unrest means speed…mad； excitement…mad； fad…mad； dress…mad； or I should say undress…mad； culture mad； and Heaven only knows what else。 The women of our set are idle； luxurious； selfish； pleasure…craving； lazy； useless； work…and…children shirking； absolutely no good。〃
〃Well； if we are； who's to blame？〃 rejoined Eleanor； spiritedly。 〃Now； Carley Burch； you listen to me。 I think the twentieth…century girl in America is the most wonderful female creation of all the ages of the universe。 I admit it。 That is why we are a prey to the evils attending greatness。 Listen。 Here is a crying sinan infernal paradox。 Take this twentieth…century girl； this American girl who is the finest creation of the ages。 A young and healthy girl； the most perfect type of culture possible to the freest and greatest city on earth…New York！ She holds absolutely an unreal； untrue position in the scheme of existence。 Surrounded by parents； relatives； friends； suitors； and instructive schools of every kind； colleges； institutions； is she really happy； is she really living？〃
〃Eleanor；〃 interrupted Carley； earnestly； 〃she is not。 。 。 。 And I've been trying to tell you why。〃
〃My dear； let me get a word in； will you；〃 complained Eleanor。 〃You don't know it all。 There are as many different points of view as there are people。 。 。 。 Well； if this girl happened to have a new frock； and a new beau to show it to； she'd say； 'I'm the happiest girl in the world。' But she is nothing of the kind。 Only she doesn't know that。 She approaches marriage； or； for that matter； a more matured life； having had too much； having been too well taken care of； knowing too much。 Her masculine satellitesfather； brothers； uncles； friends； loversall utterly spoil her。 Mind you； I mean； girls like us； of the middle classwhich is to say the largest and best class of Americans。 We are spoiled。 。 。 。 This girl marries。 And life goes on smoothly； as if its aim was to exclude friction and effort。 Her husband makes it too easy for her。 She is an ornament； or a toy； to be kept in a luxurious cage。 To soil her pretty hands would be disgraceful！ Even f she can't afford a maid； the modern devices of science make the care of her four…room apartment a farce。 Electric dish…washer； clothes…washer； vacuum…cleaner； and the near…by delicatessen and the caterer simply rob a young wife of her housewifely heritage。 If she has a babywhich happens occasionally； Carley； in spite of your assertionit very soon goes to the kindergarten。 Then what does she find to do with hours and hours？ If she is not married； what on earth can she find to do？〃
〃She can work；〃 replied Carley； bluntly。
〃Oh yes； she can； but she doesn't；〃 went on Eleanor。 〃You don't work。 I never did。 We both hated the idea。 You're calling spades spades； Carley； but you seem to be riding a morbid； impractical thesis。 Well； our young American girl or bride goes in for being rushed or she goes in for fads； the ultra stuff you mentioned。 New York City gets all the great artists； lecturers； and surely the great fakirs。 The New York women support them。 The men laugh； but they furnish the money。 They take the women to the theaters； but they cut out the reception to a Polish princess； a lecture by an Indian magician and mystic； or a benefit luncheon for a Home for Friendless Cats。 The truth is most of our young girls or brides have a wonderful enthusiasm worthy of a better cause。 What is to become of their surplus energy； the bottled…lightning spirit so characteristic of modern girls？ Where is the outlet for intense feelings？ What use can they make of education or of gifts？ They just can't； that's all。 I'm not taking into consideration the new…woman species； the faddist or the reformer。 I mean normal girls like you and me。 Just think； Carley。 A girl's every wish； every need； is almost instantly satisfied without the slightest effort on her part to obtain it。 No struggle； let alone work！ If women crave to achieve something outside of the arts； you know； something universal and helpful which will make men acknowledge her worth； if not the equality； where is the opportunity？〃
〃Opportunities should be made；〃 replied Carley。
〃There are a million sides to this question of the modern young womanthe fin…de…siecle girl。 I'm for her！〃
〃How about the extreme of style in dress for this remarkably…to…be…pitied American girl you champion so eloquently？〃 queried Carley； sarcastically。
〃Immoral！〃 exclaimed Eleanor with frank disgust。
〃You admit it？〃
〃To my shame； I do。〃
〃Why do women wear extreme clothes？ Why do you and I wear open…work silk stockings； skirts to our knees； gowns without sleeves or bodices？〃
〃We're slaves to fashion；〃 replied Eleanor； 〃That's the popular excuse。〃
〃Bah！〃 exclaimed Carley。
Eleanor laughed in spite of being half nettled。 〃Are you going to stop wearing what all the other women wearand be looked at askance？ Are you going to be dowdy and frumpy and old…fashioned？〃
〃No。 But I'll never wear anything again that can be called immoral。 I want to be able to say why I wear a dress。 You haven't answered my question yet。 Why do you wear what you frankly admit is disgusting？〃
〃I don't know； Carley；〃 replied Eleanor； helplessly。 〃How you harp on things！ We must dress to make other women jealous and to attract men。 To be a sensation！ Perhaps the word 'immoral' is not what I mean。 A woman will be shocking in her obsession to attract； but hardly more than that； if she knows it。〃
〃Ah！ So few women realize how they actually do look。 Haze Ruff could tell them。〃
〃Haze Ruff。 Who in the world is he or she？〃 asked Eleanor。
〃Haze Ruff is a he； all right；〃 replied Carley； grimly。
〃Well； who is he？〃
〃A sheep…dipper in Arizona；〃 answered Carley； dreamily。
〃Humph！ And what can Mr。 Ruff tell us？〃
〃He told me I looked like one of the devil's angelsand that I dressed to knock the daylights out of men。〃
〃Well； Carley Burch； if that isn't rich！〃 exclaimed Eleanor； with a peal of laughter。 〃I dare say you appreciate that as an original compliment。〃
〃No。 。 。 。 I wonder what Ruff would say about jazzI just wonder；〃 murmured Carley。
〃Well； I wouldn't care what he said； and I don't care what you say；〃 returned Eleanor。 〃The preachers and reformers and bishops and rabbis make me sick。 They rave about jazz。 Jazzthe discordant note of our decadence！ Jazzthe harmonious expression of our musicless； mindless； soulless materialism！The idiots！ If they could be women for a while they would realize the error of their ways。 But they will never； never abolish jazz never； for it is the grandest； the most wonderful； the most absolutely necessary thing for women in this terrible age of smotheration。〃
〃All right； Eleanor； we understand each other； even if we do not agree；〃 said Carley。 〃You leave the future of women to chance； to life； to materialism； not to their own conscious efforts。 I want to leave it to free will and idealism。〃
〃Carley； you are getting a little beyond me；〃 declared Eleanor； dubiously。
〃What are you going to do？ It all comes home to each individual woman。