The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-06-19
IN BLACK
AND WHITE
By EVERETT p. CLARKE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.

What's the matter with Mlldredi"
I asked
shes engaged to Ed Whitaker, who
is utterly worthless"
"Well, | don't see what you are going
to do about it,"
There's one thing could do. only
you'd object. Ed is the most vaclllat-
ing fellow about girls. If some girl
should make up her mind to take him
away from Mildred she wouldn't have
any trouble doing 1t, and when she d
done it Mildred would not take him
/ back"
/ II see. You want to help Mildred
out by taking Ed away from her Go
ahead. Anything goes till after we
are married, then you'll have to mind
home business and let your friends
alone"
! Evelyn gave me a hearty smack and
assured me there would be no trouble
In the matter. She only wished to
show Mildred what a tickle fellow Ed
was.
A week passed during which | be-
lieve Evelyn commenced her demon
stration of Eds fckleness Then we
all met at ball. Ed and Evelyn were
! dancing together when | happened to
see Mildred standing alone. OF course
we two being engaged and our fiances
being occupied with each other, nat.
urally joined Mildred. We both made
light of what by this time was APP
parent between Ed and Evelyn just
as though we had perfect confidence
and didn't fear anything. For my
part, since Evelyn had told me just
what she was going to do and her rea
son for doing It, wasn't much wor-
ried. Mildred didn't seem any more
worried than l. In fact, she seemed
to be very well satisfied to have me
with her | was modest enough to tell
her that | was doubtless a very poor
substitute for her lover, but she said
l needn't concern myself about that,
for no girl wished for one mans atten-
ton all the time
Besides" she added, looking at me
archly, who knows but that If you'd
have come along before Ed we might
have made a match"
This was pretty frank, but / always
liked persons who blurt things ont
and went on jokingly about the mat
ter till the next dance came round,
and we danced ii together After that
Evelyn joined me. / asked her how
she was getting on with Ed, and she
said pretty we'll" When we left the
ball together and Ed and Mildred
passed us l saw Evelyn give him a
very meaning smile.
few days later l said TO her that
since we were going to be married
within few weeks l thought she had
better draw her good Offices with re-
gard to her friend Mildred to a close
She said that she wished to get Ed
down in black and white. so that she
might prove his faithlessness to Nil
dred
one day l received word from Mil
dred saying that she would like me 10
come and see her. | went reluctantly.
thinking that she was jealous of Ev
elyn and wished me to discuss the az
fair with her. This, of course. didn't
wish to do, understanding Evelyns
object. found Mildred much more
calm than | had expected. She didn't
seem disturbed at all. She asked me
If / had observed what was going on
between Ed and Evelyn. l told her !
had, but II hadn't troubled me.
The upshot Of the matter was that
was obliged to tell her that l knew
Evelyn was flirting with Ed for pur-
pose. When ] had told her this much
It was only a question of time as TO my
telling her what that purpose was.
"If," l concluded, Evelyn can draw
Ed away from you, proving that he IS
not to be relied on, I really think she
will have done you great favor
Il agree with you she replied, very
much to my surprise, for few girls
would lool upon such an act as friend
ly. when" she asked, Am l TO
know the resultY
| decided that since our confidence
had gone so far l had better tell her
the whole thing when Evelyn gets
Ed down in black and white" was
my reply.
And suppose Ed gets her down in
black and whiteT
What do you mean?" I asked, start
ing.
Here Is a letter Evelyn wrote to
Ed. Ed is a careless, shiftless sort of
a fellow and by mistake put 1t in an
envelope instead Of one he had writ
ten me-either this or he made the
mistake on purpose. Read it,
She handed me the letter, and read
It with establishment. 1t gave him the
details of a plan by which she pro-
posed to get rid Of me and marry
him. She had already begun her
scheme In certain acts mentioned in
the letter This confirmed me in a
knowledge that she was deceiving me
and not him.
Mildred" / asked presently, "are
you crushedI7
I'm not even stung."
'They have snapped us for each
other. Suppose we do the same"
Tho pavt dov Tho brao lyfp0 Off ~ INV