The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-08-04
MISS MouIE's MISTAKE
BY GEORGE MUNsoN.

The dashing Miss Wheeler, private
secretary to President Brown. Of the
Lighting Corporation. had left to
marry a millionaire. And little Mollie
Raymond had been selected, out of
q hundred and nine stenographers, to
all her place!
The dashing Miss Wheeler, with her
fine airs and Paris gowns, had long
been the envy of the stenographers
department.
However, Miss Wheeler must fade
into obscurity, for this concerns little
Mollie Raymond, of Hopeville. and her
fiance. George.
George was one of those men who
are known solely by their Christian
names. That is sufficient characteri-
zation OF George. He was insignifi-
cant, yellow-haired. and loved Mollie
devotedly. He was earning twenty
i've dollars a week and was waiting to
be raised to thirty before claiming the
fulfillment CT Mollie's promise.
1t was the dashing Miss Wheeler
who had first raised doubts in Mollie's
mind as tc the eligibility Of George
Mollie loved George sincerely. but
she had teen beginning to think hard
since Miss Wheeler's engagement was
announced Were love and George
worth a possible Hcdgkins without
love? And, once the presidents sec
rotary, and a visitor at Cowleigh.
would not another Hodgkins loom up
before her as with Miss Wheeler? II
only she had clothes like the dashing
Miss Wheeler!
1t was this, and not her rise in the
world, that made her cold to George
when they next met.
II was a miserable evening. They
seemed to drift further apart Finally
George Slurted out:
Il know what's the matter, Mollie.
Your heads been turned by that Miss
Wheeler you told me about. and you
don't care for me any more"
cont Je lvolsn, George, answered
Mollie, tartly. 81 hardly ever said a
word to Miss Wheeler. If you can't
trust me, just because I'm getting
more money than YOU"
Tears followed. They led to anger
In the end Nellie flung Georges ring
en- the table, and George put on his
hat-yes, inside the rooTi-and sta]ked
away
Days followed. George had neither
written nor called. And Mollie, though
she still loved George, began to think
OF him as someone whom she had
known long ago-befcre she took the
place of the dashing Miss Wheeler.
when my new dress comes Mr..
Brown will feel quite, quite differently
toward me-" thought Mollie.
On the evening before she planned
, to emerge, like a butterfly, out Of the
drab cocoon of her personality, Mr..
Brown was not quite 80 gruff Mollie
thought he was softening. She was
quite happy when he actually babe her
goodnight
He went into Mr.. Cyrus room ada.
cent The door stood open. Mollie.
putting on her hat, could not avoid
overhearing the conversation that en-
sued.
That's a nice, sensible little girl
you picked out for me, Cyrus" said
Mr.. Brown. You hit my taste to q
nicely"
I'm very glad to hear you say that.
sir" replied Mr.. Cyrus, modestly.
Cyrus, you are q wonder" said Mr..
Brown. "A nice, quiet, sensible little
girl, not a gay butterfly like Miss
Wheeler. Lord, what a lot of trouble
that woman gave ne with her dress
, and airs. Unfortunately, she managed
to get an Introduction to Mrs. Brown
through an acquaintance. 30 Of course
she had me on toast
It's a good thing she didn't last.
sir" said Cyrus.
Quite 30. Well, as told you, !
meant to get quite different type
of woman fer my next adventure. A
quiet, modest little country girl, who
! knew how to dress sensibly, INSTEAD
OF turning my offce into ballroom or
a box at the opera house, like that
that creature that got poor Hodgkins."
Il think l got Ler, sir" said Mr..
Cyrus.
You followed my Instructions alb
solutely Cyrus, said to you. I want
quiet. III 1est, plainly dressed little
girl next tine. And get me a plain,
homely one, who isn't likely to have
any admirers, and won't get married
and leave me in the lurch.' And by
the Lord, you found her!"
Poor Mollie, stung to the quick, sank
into her chair and burst into an
agony Of silent weeping. Fortunately
for her self-respect, neither Mr..
Brown Tor Mr.. Cyrus came through
the room.
After a while a very different Mollie
went home. She cried all the way up
10 the elevated. In her room lay a
package from the dressmaker Mollie
opened It and flung the contents
across the room.
She would resign at once She
would humole Brown into the dust
She wculd-stay! What was II he
had said? "A plain, homely one. who
isn't likely to have any admirers, and
won't get married and leave lie in
the lurcn."
Mollie crept to the mirror. The
face that locked into her own was not
that of beauty. But it was that Of
very simple, honest Nttle woman
who had come to understand herself
at last