The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1918-07-18
| MORE THAN FRIEND
BY VINCENT G. PERRY.


investigates you. When charges are
made against you, he asks the accuser
to clear out. A friend Is one who
knows all about you, yet likes you just
the same"
Basil Vance cut the above paragraph
from newspaper and re-read 1t very
carefully He agreed with 1t all. At
ter reading it half a dozen times he
pasted it in his memorandum book,
where he could see it often. He had
morning before he found this clipping,
and it just seemed to answer ii. Ju-
dith and he had quarreled for the last
time. He would 90 and ask her to
consider their engagement broken. He
had made a mistake. She was not
for him" as a friend should be.
He took her picture from his desk.
He would have to return that to her.
He stopped to take last look at it.
She was very beautiful and she was
smiling just as he liked to see her
smile. He wrapped 1t up hurriedly.
If he stood there gazing at that pic
ture he would change his mind, he
knew. Then there were other things
he would have to return. What If she
returned his presents He would have
to order a dray to get them all. He
hoped she wouldn't put him to that
trouble. What would he do with them?
1t would hardly do to give them to an
other woman, and he hadn't a sister.
Mechanically he took the memoran-
dun book from his pocket and read
the clipping again. Where was there
a woman who could be all to a man
that that called for?
When the car that he ordered drew
up in front of his office to take him to
Judith's home he was ready, waiting.
It was Il delicate task he had set for
himself, but he would not falter With
great strides he stepped out from the
office building and made for the car.
Just before he reached it he remem-
bered that he had left Judth's gifts,
that he had decided to return, on his
desk. He turned quickly, his foot
slipped on the Icy pavement and he
crashed down, striking his head with
great force.
1t was two hours later when he re-
gained consciousness, and he just had
time to realize that he was in the
hospital before he lapsed into a state
Of semi-consciousness. How his head
ached! There was a grinding, gnaw-
ing feeling in every bone of his body.
He was dying, he could feel it, but he
couldn't cry out to tell them. Oh, IL
he only could have a last farewell with
Judith How he loved her! But did
he love her? Hadn't a quarrel come
up between them? He could see the
quarrel like a big black cloud lowering
above him, and he tried to jump up
with great big type got in his way.
Then the words shot off the newspaper
and went into his eyes and ears and
made his head ache worse He cried
out, but that didn't help him. Sud
denly a calm came over him. There
was a soft hand on his forehead and a
soothing voice quite close to his ears.
When his eyes cleared he could see a
figure bending over him. 1t looked
like an angel and she was crying.
How her hands eased the pain of his
head and how sleepy her voice made
him. Down, down he went, and then
all the pain went and he felt himself
sinking to sleep.
She was there when he woke up
again. The pain was all gone and he
felt quite fresh. He took good look
at the "angel" and gave a cry of glad
ness. judith JUDITH he cried
again and again.
"Be STILL" she pleaded, as she put
her hand on his head. 1.-THE fever has
all gone, but you have been very sick.
The doctors feared it was concussion
of the brain"
Nothing of the sort" he smiled,
though there was still a faint pain.
"The doctors didn't know what they
were talking about"
"Oh, they did They have cured you
brought you back so that you can
talk"
"They had nothing to do with It," he
said stoutly. 'If it hadn't been for
you | would not be well. Your hand
on my head took all the pain away"
"Did you know it was I, dear?" she
asked eagerly. 81 did not think you
knew me-"
81 could not make out who 1t was,
but l thought it was an angel. and
when | awOke, Il sure enough, was"
ne answered.
1t was not many days before Basil
was able to leave the hospital. He
was all dressed and ready when Judith
called in her car to take him home.
She was helping him on with his coat
when his memorandum book fell to
the floor. Although he reached for il,
she was too quick for him. The book
opened In her hands and the clipping
was facing her. She stopped to
read It.
"What a splendid clipping that is"
she said. "My, wouldn't 1t be hard to
live up to all that But l suppose a
real friend should"
'Yes," he said, "a real friend
should"
"Then," she said, hesitatlngly. ''you
can't think much of me, for l haven't
been that true friend"
"You have been more than true
friend dear" he said as he took her
hand. "a man doesn't want the girl
he loves TO be his friend, he wants her
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