Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-04
THE DAILY STORY
A March Mistake

. tT1LsIE, John Fielding is waiting for
Lyou downstairs"
Elsie looked up to see her mother In
the door, and dropped the warm cloak
she was about to put on. sne was a
quiet, gentle girl, so unassuming that
her dark prettiness was more unnoticed
than IL deserved to be. 1t had been
long since John had come to see her In
the old friendly fashion of the time be-
fore Rose Lisle moved to their town.
The girl gave another touch to her
smooth hair. Her mother stood watch
ing her and then remarked:
Mrs. Dent told me today that John
and Rose have been out for over n
month He has just come home, II a
quarrel with Rose is all that sends him
to you 1 should think that" Elsie
wheeled impatienty.
Mother, John and l have always been
good friends and l shall not question
any motive that brings him to see me.
! shall always be the same TO him. You
can't expect a man so deeply in love as
he is with Rose to be regular in his
attention to his girl friends. And no
one could help loving a beauty like Rose
She's good. too"
Elsie greeted John as II she had seen
him yesterday. and soothed his evidently
overwrought mood with a gentle, half
laughing tact He was tall and blonde
with fine blue eyes, which tonight were
clouded, and his face was a little care
worn. Sometimes he gave random an
Bwers, as II he had not heard what she
said. After a half uneasy hour of the
March twilight he turned to her in awk-
ward masculine gratitude for her pa
sience with him.
'Elsie, am l keeping, you in? I have
not thought TO ask you II you were going
anywhere" She smiled and bethought
herself that inaction was not good in
hie present mood.
Il was going for n walk and can go
BY myself. You know I am never
afraid"
mo, / never knew you to be afraid
from the time we were children at school
until now. / have always liked you for
that But would you mind letting me
so with you for the walk? We used 10
ike pushing the wind together. Shall
we go2
Elsie put on her cloak and little red
cap and the two young people started
away.
Rose lived not far from them. and as
they passed the house neither could avoid
what they saw. From the broad front
window the light streamed brightly; the
shades were not drawn. Rose sat at the
piano and over her. in rapt attention,
stood Norman Cady. John almost drag
ged Elsie past though he said nothing
He did not know that ne gripped her arm
till Il hurt ana that he was walking at
4 pace that would have put less healthy
eirl than Elsie utterly out OF breath.
.'Elsle." he said II must have tired
yeu an out I am selfish brute to drag
you about like thisl l was trying TO
get away from myself by reminding my
Self what a staneh friend you have al
aaya been. 1 had not intended to tell you
H9 troubles, but / think 1 must II you
lflil iet me-"
rsn me about II" she replied in the
natter-of-faet comrades way that made
eonndenees easy.
AN right, but you must not try TO help
He-no one can do that / simply need
ahe relief Of words before l settle down
- Forgetting as fast as 1 can"
~ hesitated. man finds 1t hard 70
g il about ,Rose7" She tried to make
easier for him
Easie-I loved her almost from the
nlnufe j saw her. Everybody must know
a f1r / didn't hide my preference. and
shen i want anything under the sun It Is
ae way 70 do my best TO get H. I wanted
f eeon / made her my friend, and
si4-Neli 7 thought she loved me-
azh We had not spoken Of Il 10 words
at s month ago ! wrote and asked
IS MARRY me. i told her--eysrything
nam tells the girl he loves. / asked
1 - send me 3 note Ia answer and
fed that / should interpret her failure
aa - as q refusal. though I VAS over
cent enough not to dream o. such a
booked on ACROSS the river ana
amed BIS heel against the logs
s|e. be went on. 'she did not send
aordi Not one WoFdi and that
ehe was heaGtless enough 70
1f nca and blush AZ nae "a & con-
Hel Ne Htrs ana seemed 10 think
~ her hame ne aaaa As ever.