Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-09-12
Euening Story
A DIFFERENT MAN.
BY Sara Holt.
Copyright, 1915, by the McClur
Newspaper Syndicate.)


-
Lettie Morton's two short visits to
New York with her parents had shown
her only the New York of hotels and
department stores When she went
there alone to study social service she
discovered many phases Of life Of
which she knew nothing.
One night she sat far into the night
reading book called Greed and
Grind" This book had been the means
of causing many changes in the fac
tory management where girls lad
been overworked in bad air and un-
safe surroundings. 1t made Lettei feel
that she must do something to help
girls whose daily work held them in
a vice stronger than the social GUS
toms Of Marshville had held her, so
she began to study their problems.
She went to lectures and open forum
discussions and even to court rooms
to hear trials. She felt warm SYM
pathy for the girls Whose lives were
so starved, and it nettled her to think
that while those conditions had ex-
| listed for years she had played at life
in sleepy old Marshville.
With the enthusiasm of new con-
vert, she entered into the question
with more zeal than judgment. One
afternoon, when an open meeting nj
Union Square was over, she sat still
after the crowd scattered, and looked
about her. In a dark blue suit and
tailored hat. her neatness and fresh
ness were in strong contrast to the
women who had conducted the meet
mig or their followers who had made
up the audience. r II HsH ,.a
| On a bench near her sat a young
man she had seen at nearly all such
meetings she had attended. He was
always in the crowd but apparently
not Of it, and she had come to think
of him as 1.-The different man." He
was perhaps thirty, with dark eyes and
hair, and usually wore gray clothes
and soft hat. He seemed to study
the audience rather than the speakers
and achievement was indicated by his
whole bearing.
Deep in speculation about ''the diff
ferent man." Lettie did not notice that
another sort Of man had sat down on
the same. bench with her Her thoughts
went back to Marshville, where the
asters in her mothers garden would
now be all abloom. She felt it would
be good to be at home again, but when
''the different man" got up and walked
away she felt that life in Marshville
would be banker than ever now that
she had seen him.
She felt keenly that she didn't fit
| to Marshville to live. but she did not
! yet see what part Of the great socio-
logical problem she could solve. In
her Impotence she unconsciously
stamped her foot and frowned. AS she
turned her eyes from the slowly de-
parting figure of "the different man."
she met the confidently familiar smile
| of the man who had sat down beside
! her He was fat and florid blond,
dressed in loud suit Of brown tweed.
Never mind, girlie,' he said, with
leering smile. Hes gone. but I'm
here and wouldn't it be fair bargain
to take me in his place."
Lettie turned pale and, with her
| taking any apparent notice of the
speaker. She could not bear to think
of her predicament becoming known
even to the children nearby who were
noisily enjoying their roller skates.
She started away in fast walk and
was surprised to see that "the different
man" had turned and was walking
| toward her. She failed to see that a
wobbly beginner on roller skates was
close behind her, and the next mo-
ment her feet were knocked from un-
der her and she landed on top of a
! frightened little girl The impertinent
man took advantage Of the confusion
to hurry away.
When Lettie was once more on her
feet she started forward and almost
bumped into the different man." She
was holding her right wrist as
if in pain and the Wilderness of her
face arrested the eyes of the man. who
hesitated as she passed on without
even glance at him, Then he sud
denly turned and overlook her
I'm afraid you're hurt" he began,
his dark face glowing with confused
flush Wont you let me be of ser
vice."
As Lettie looked into his kind eyes
she did the very thing she didn't want
to do-she let the tears that had been
burning her eyes roll down her now
crimson cheeks. s.l. Ill.,.
Thank YOU" she said simply.
There's drug store right over here
where Aou can have this properly ban
daged,' faid the man, as he examined
1.-THE injuid wrist, "or perhaps you'd