The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-03-13
He Was a Avery
Mean Man
By OSCAR cox

knew a man who was so mean that
he married woman he believed to
be waiting for his best friend to
marry her.
Ralph Newland and Herbert Tucker
were the friends. Ralph was the self
ish man. Herbert was so generous that
be would have given away his head If 1t
could have been of use to another. The
secret of Ralphs power over women
no one could explain except the girls
he fooled, and it is a question If even
they knew just how he did it. At any
rate. he seemed to draw them as honey
draws flies.
Tucker became engaged to Laura
Perkins and introduced his friend
Newland to her. Within fortnight
she had deserted Tucker for Newland.
Tucker was philosophlc about IL, He
said that If the girl preferred his
friend TO him his friend was welcome
to her and she to him. After the dam
age he'd been done Newland sheered
off and left Miss Perkins out in the
cold. She tried to make II up with
Tucker. but Tucker would have moth
ing to do with her. What made her
mad was that Tucker seemed TO be
more friendly than before with the
man who had deprived him of her 1t
was direct reflection on her, mdi-
eating that Tucker felt grateful for
having been saved from her
After awhile Tucker made up to
another girl, Helen spingler. He intro
duced Newland TO this one, too, telling
him that If be could win her away
from him he was welcome to do so.
Tucker didn't want any girl for wife
who didn't love him better than the
whole world He asked his friend 10
put his second love TO similar test
10 the first Newland accommodated
him and captured the girl.
Tucker was so pleased at having
been saved from a girl who could not
have been in love with him-so he CON
sidered it that he blew Newland on
10 n champagne dinner Newland was
surprised that his friend took all this
supplanting with such equanimity, but
could not detect the slightest wounding
OF his amour propre. Its all right, :
said Tucker. only a matter OF taste.
Some day may find girl who VIII
truly love me- then no one can take
her away from me Meanwhile ! APP
preciate these services you are DO
ing me"
Newland dropped the last girl as he
had dropped the first Miss Spingler
had more tact than the other. She
didn't let on she was bit displeased.
She only said that there wasn't enough
IN both the men 10 make one real. no
bic. good man. and she was well rid or
both Of them. But she did not say this
10 either Tucker or Newland; she said
Il TO friend. As 20 the men, she told
them she hoped they would both be
her friends FOR ever and ever. This
was after she had known OF how Tuck
or stuck TO Newland despite the way
the former was taking the latter's gil
away from him, and probably she
wanted 10 show that a woman might
have an equanlmity Of that kind in her
as well as a man.
one day Newland received an anony-
nous note informing him that Tucker
was courtlng a third girl and keeping
Il a secret from his friend. Newland
showed the note % Tucker. who de
MED the Impeachment. Newlnnd only
half believed him. Only persons OF
real Innocence believe in the innocence
Of others and NeWland wasn't exactly
an Innocent man. az may appear from
this story.
Presently he received another letter
Informing him that Tucker was about
10 be married. Newland did not show
this letter b Tucker. lie kept u -
himself but concluded e. watch bis
friend. u happened that Tucker had
a platouic friend Oh whom be called
occasionally. and one evening Netlaud
Swallowed him 10 her house
4 wonder. SAID Newiand % himself.
II after au I've dane Cor him b.
thinks he's going a. foal me. Il 81
even wifh him
Tucker told Npu iaua aHe Gay that
81 we going ouf - faun or werk.
A feH h8urs after fhe parting Neu-
and we called ~ the Telephone ard
the Following hrirf dialogue ofc-1Trt.a
i,afuaau - ana 3 female rUios.
asfr Npmifud
Yes jim Esulrna
Are ~an rwn-p thaf Tuur friend.
NJ Tnftrr. g. afsrut D. 20 married
fIs eafrrr
aEB De- he
sYss. sta rrrre- - g e. 20 Wui-
furE street
EnH HmM mrsn
THara wrs ek Nnd wilma
ra-f e. rrtr IL wns tt
re- 81. f--a = 81 urs ln
A.