Everybody must have observed from his own experience that when a new word or thought comes to us with sufficient force to make an impression, we invariably run across that word or thought again within twenty-four hours, and so often thereafter that the wonder arises how we could have missed it all this time. Taking up a Post the day after Mrs. Belden's call, Margaret saw a notice of a meeting to be addressed by Mrs. Greuze on a subject of great moment to women. Walking down F Street that afternoon with Bess she overheard two well-dressed ladies discussing it—at least she supposed it was that. One of them asked. "Are you going to the meeting?"
"Yes," the other replied, "it was made very clear to us at the Pro Re Nata that we ought to do whatever we could to help the movement along. You see—" they had passed and Margaret missed the rest. Their destination was a milliner's establishment,—their object a winter hat for Bess.
The milliner's girl was trying it on her, and Bess perking her head this way and that like a bird and turning it up, down, and around to find a possible objection, listening meanwhile to an occasional suggestion from Margaret and a succession of compliments from the saleswoman, when Margaret's ear caught a fragment that floated to her from the other side of the store.
"I do hope, ladies," the proprietor, a woman, was saying earnestly, "that you will give it the support of your presence at least. The movement is a most important one for women in trade. The present laws—"
"Margaret, how is this? Wouldn't you like this feather tipped a little more?"
Margaret wanted to hear what it was about the laws, but when the question of the feather was decided the ladies were gone.... How could the suffrage movement help a milliner?
The thing pursued her even after she got home. Mrs. Kirtley came in toward night for a call, and said in the course of the conversation, "Margaret, do you know anything about this movement the women are interesting themselves in so much just now? Mrs. Delamere was telling me about it yesterday, but it was just as I was getting off the cars and she hadn't time to explain it to me. She urged me to go to the meeting to-morrow evening—said I would find out all about it then. Have you heard anything about it?"
"Yes," said Margaret, with some hesitation, "I have heard of it, but I really don't know what it is. I have an idea that it is the suffrage movement. Don't you think so?"
"No, indeed! Mrs. Delamere would have nothing to do with that, I am sure, and she told me to drum up everybody I could. Are you going?"
"Yes, I think I shall. My curiosity is a little aroused now to see what the movement really is."