An American Suffragette | Page 8

that way to see
what was up and soon discovered that it was a body of English
suffragettes making an attempt to exercise their claimed right to
petition parliament. As usual, the demonstration was more or less
strenuous and the police interfered. When I got close enough to identify
them, I saw my 'Mystery' in the front ranks, exhorting the women,
protesting and pleading with the policemen, and gradually getting
nearer and nearer the parliament buildings until they had almost

reached one of the entrances. It looked very much as if they might get
entirely in and vindicate their claim, but just at that moment a fresh
squad of police arrived under an officer superior to any present, and
ordered the arrest of the leaders. My 'Mystery' was the first arrested. It
was then that I discovered that she was an American girl. The speech
she delivered to those police officers on human rights and human
liberties and women's rights and women's liberties is worthy a place
among the world's great orations. They took her and the rest of them
away, but I noticed that they treated her with marked respect. I don't
think any of them were jailed on that occasion, but she defied them to
jail her. The next time I saw her was at the Grand Opera House in Paris,
two months later. She was with some friends in an adjoining stall. It
was a gala performance for the benefit of the flood sufferers and the
most noted singers in the world had volunteered their services, and
single acts from a number of operas were given. It was difficult to
believe that this beautiful, stylish, richly-gowned girl was the one I saw
arrested in a suffrage disturbance on the streets of London. Throughout
the performance I watched her closely, and her expressive face
reflected the emotion of every leading role. She partook of the abandon
of the gayer airs in 'Carmen,' and her cheeks were flooded with tears at
the misfortunes of Marguerite in 'Faust.' I was dying to know who she
was, but I was with foreign surgeons, and saw no Americans that I
knew. To-day is the first time I have seen her since. Who is she,
Hilda?" eagerly he asked of his sister.
"You and Frank give me a lot of exclamation points, with a vivid
description of how the atmosphere affected you, and then want me to
name a vision for you. Please describe the physical girl, leaving out all
adjectives, mystical pieces of air, et cetera, and perhaps I can tell who
she is."
Jack described the girl in the parade, somewhat repressing his
enthusiasm under Frank's amused scrutiny.
"I don't wonder at your captivation. That is Silvia Holland, one rich
American girl who is determined to justify her existence, live a life that
is worth while, and demonstrate the ability of women to be

economically independent, for although her father has a half-dozen city,
country and resort residences, she insists in maintaining at her own
expense a modest apartment in the Whittier Studios, and keeps up her
own country home on the Hudson at Nutwood. Just now her parents are
on a trip around the world. You know she is a graduate of the law
school at Columbia and was admitted to practice a few months ago.
You should thank your stars, Jack, that it is not the medical profession
she is seeking to enter, or the dry bones there would be worse shaken
up than they will be by your new theories, and you would have a
formidable rival."
"She is not the daughter of John J. Holland, the steel magnate?" he
inquired.
"Yes, his daughter and only child."
"Whew! There is hope of the American woman after all. There
certainly is a big social revolution on in America," and Jack arose with
the others to go into the library for coffee.
"It might interest you young men to know that these suffragists are to
finish their day's work with a ball and a bazaar to-night, and I have
tickets for a box," suggested Hilda.
"Of course Jack can't go, but I shall be delighted to bask in the smiles
of this modern Semiramis a while," answered Frank. "Then, too," he
added, "she may convert me to suffrage, which living in Colorado
among suffragists for two years has failed to do."
"Oh, that is because you are looking at the matter through a railroad
attorney's eyes; long ago it was truly written that 'no man can serve two
masters,' and your railroad employment is your master just now,"
answered his sister.
"I have heard reports that indicate that woman's suffrage in Colorado is
apt quite soon to cause not only you railroad lawyers but our holders of
railroad securities some concern about