The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1918-03-07
THE OTHER GIRL
BY EARL REED SlLVERS.
Copyright, 1918, by the Mcclure Newsp'
per Syndicate.)

months ago he had told Mildred al
about that wonderful week In thu
mountains. He had been worn ou
with the press Of work and had gone
TO Coleyille, where he had found Elsie
She was the village school teacher
just out of normal school.
He had not known Mildred very well
then. But the day after his return she
had met him at a country club dance
and she had listened while he told
her about Elsie. And then, two days
before New Years, he had told her
that he was going to Coleville again
to see Elsie.
81 promised her the last time I was
mp there that I'd come again on New
Years" he explained, "and don't like
to break my promise"
Something In the hurt of Mildred's
eyes brought an answering light in his
own.
"You know, don't YOU" he asked
softly, that I'd rather be here with
youf"
But Mildred shook her head. 81
don't know whether you would or not, "
she answered frankly. "You must care
a good deal for her."
He nodded. Eyes" he said; 81 do"
Two days later he had left for Cole
Vile, but not before he and Mildred
had talked It all out. And Mildred
tried to convince herself that he was
doing the right thing.
"She is very much in love with him,
! know she u.s." she told herself, land
before he offers his love to me he
must find out whether or not Elsie has
lost her appeal to him"
II was hard waiting until he should
come back again. Through seemingly
endless days Mildred tried to fix her
mind on other things, but 1t was use
less. Gradually an idea took posses
sion of her and worked its way into
her mind until It became almost an
obse sion. She began to think how
strange It would be If Ted should bring
Elsie to New York with him as bride
and It ended by believing that that was
exactly what Ted was going TO do.
She resolved to go to the Grand Cen
trail station and to wait outside the
gates for Ted's train to come in.
81 can hide behind some other peo-
pie" She said to herself, "and If he
should come Off the train with another
girl I can see him first and come home
without him knowing 1t. Then he
won't have TO tell me about it himself"
She was waiting at the station when
the train arrived, and as the people
started TO pour through the gates she
felt "A sudden panic.
"Supposiug he should come with an
other girl" she thought. II would
never speak to him again In the
world"
The fact that under those circum-
stances he wouldn't care whether she
spoke to him or not did not occur to
her.
The passengers had almost all passed
through the gate, and Mildred had be-
gun to think that perhaps Ted had
missed his train, when he appeared
suddenly from the darkened platform.
Mildrcds heart stood still as she saw
him. for he was walking beside one of
the prcttest girls she had ever seen,
with something like a sob, Mildred
drew back into the crowd, watching
with tear-hordercd eyes while Ted and
the girl passed almost within six feet
Of her When they had gone into the
main station she rushed into the sub
way and somehow made the trip to
her home.
A doorbcll rang downstairs, but NIL
drod did not notice. Nothing mat
tered. But a moment later a knock
sounded at her door and the maid an
nouuced that Mr. Terrill was waiting
Mr. Torrlll was Ted and the announce
uent that he was downstairs filed NIL
bred with a sort Of dull rage. She
wondered vaguely why In the world
he was calling on her; but she re-
solved that she would not let him
know what pang his selection of the
other girl had given her. So she
washed the tears from her eyes and
went down the stairs, just as If the
bottom had not fallen out of the earth
Ted stepped forward eagerly as soon
as he saw her.
mildred - he said.
But Mildred only nodded casually.
Glow are you, Ted?' she asked, with
studied formality. you had a nice
trip hope"
He looked at her with startled eyes.
whats the matter, dear?" he asked,
softly
There was something In the way he
spoke which shattered Mlldred's re
serve into Tiny fragments.
"Oh, Ted" she half sobbed 81 saw
you get off the train with her. Where
IS she2'
where is who?"
"The other grl-Elsle?"
"Why," Ted looked very much mysti-
fed "when | left her this morning she
was standing on the station at Cole
VILE"
"And wasn't that she coming from
the train with your
mo dear; that was my cousin, who
got on the train ut Bridgeport. and
who asked me to take her over to the
Penn. station In New York"
"Oh" For n long two minutes Nil.
drods eyes looked anywhere except at
the man before her. But they re.
turned 10 his after he had started to
spenk for ne WINS. saving the most