▁" S ally " ▁C och ran ▁are ▁invited ▁along ▁with ▁several ▁of ▁the ▁College ' s ▁female ▁teachers ▁by ▁Mrs . ▁Low rey , ▁who ▁along ▁with ▁her ▁professor ▁husband ▁oper ates ▁the ▁College , ▁to ▁become ▁found ing ▁members ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁local ▁society , ▁the ▁Way nes bor o ▁Woman ' s ▁Club . ▁The ▁club ▁is ▁intended ▁to ▁promote ▁culture ▁and ▁literature ▁among ▁the ▁educated ▁citizens ▁of ▁the ▁Ohio ▁town , ▁while ▁avoid ing ▁controvers ial ▁subjects ▁such ▁as ▁women ' s ▁suff rage ▁and ▁other ▁reform ▁movements . ▁Soci ally ▁am bit ious ▁S ally ▁agre es ▁to ▁join ▁because ▁she ▁bel ieves ▁the ▁club ▁might ▁become ▁important ▁in ▁the ▁town , ▁and ▁wants ▁to ▁establish ▁herself ▁as ▁a ▁serious - mind ed ▁member ▁of ▁adult ▁society . ▁Int ros pective ▁Anne , ▁the ▁class ▁v aled ict or ian , ▁joins ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁support ▁S ally . ▁Other ▁early ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Club ▁include ▁Miss ▁Louis a ▁T ucker , ▁a ▁beautiful ▁but ▁cold ▁mathematics ▁teacher ▁who ▁later ▁mar ries ▁the ▁comm enc ement ▁speaker ▁General ▁Dem ing ; ▁scholar ly ▁Am anda ▁Re id , ▁who ▁over c ame ▁a ▁poor ▁background ▁to ▁ear n ▁a ▁degree ▁from ▁Ober lin ▁and ▁has ▁returned ▁to ▁teach ▁at ▁the ▁Fem ale ▁College ; ▁Miss ▁Ag ath a ▁Pin ney , ▁an ▁elder ly ▁teacher ▁whose ▁sci atica ▁leads ▁to ▁a ▁secret ▁add iction ▁to ▁the ▁la ud an um ▁she ▁is ▁pres cribed ; ▁Mary , ▁Thomas