The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1915-03-12
He Was a Very
Mean Man
BY OSCAR cox

knew IL man who was 50 mean thai
he married woman he believed IL
be waiting for his best friend 10
marry her
Ralph Newland and Herbert Tucker
were the friends. Ralph was the self.
ish man. Herbert was so generous that
he would have given away his head If II
could have been of use to another. The
secret Of Ralph's power over women
no one could explain except the girls
he fooled. and it is u 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 philosophic about 1t. 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 had been done Newland sheered
off and left Miss Perkins out In the
cold. She tried to make 1t 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, indi-
eating that Tucker felt grateful for
having been saved from her.
After awhile Tucker made up to
another girl, Helen Spngler. He intro
duced Newland to this one. too. telling
him that II he 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 to
put his second love to similar test
to the first. Newland accommodated
him and captured the girl.
Tucker was so pleased ut having
been saved from girl who could not
have been In love with him-so he con-
sidered lt--that he blew Newland or
to champagne dinner Newland was
surprised that his friend took all this
supplanting with such equanimito. but
could not detect the slightest wounding
Of his amour propre. ITS all right"
said Tucker, "only n matter Of taste.
Some day l may find girl who will
truly love me; then 10 one can take
her away from me. Meanwhile ap-
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 II bit displeased.
She only said that there wasn't enough
In both the men to make one real. no.
BILE. good man. and she was well rid of
both Of them. But she did not say this
to either Tucker or Newland; she said
1t to Il friend. AS to 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 girl
away from him, and probably she
wanted to show that a woman might
have an cquanimity Of that kind in her
as well rs Il man.
One day Newand received an anony-
nous note informing him that Tucker
was counting a third girl and keeping
1t secret from his friend. Newland |
showed the note to Tucker. who de |
MED the impeachment. Newland only |
half believed him. Only persons of |
real innocence believe in the innocence |
Of others. ana Ncwland wasn't exactly |
an innocent man, as may appear from |
this story