The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1919-01-09
THE BETTER MAN |
BY MARY PARSONS.
%%e%N%%%~%%eo
1915 by Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate)

whats the trouble, now, child-is
1t Sam or CharleyT
"Neither-I mean both. don't
know which I'm In love with. ] think
it's Sam till Charley comes to see me,
and then he is so good looking
Just like a collar ad--and he looks
at me so deeply--you know how
mean-that l think I'm all wrong again
and II must be he. He's ever so much
more popular with the girls, too. Now,
Sam never says any Of the nice little
things Charley does, and he's ever so
blunt sometimes, but somehow I don't
know. I'm not sure, but | think Sam
is the better man. You're older and
wiser than | am, Barbara tell me why
you admire Sam more. I've always
thought you did whenever / talk about
them, but you've never said anything.
Please tell me-"
The older girl got up and walked
over to the window. For a moment
she did not say anything. Then she
sank into a seat with a little sigh.
Polly, child there isn't anything in
the world | know against Charley-it
wouldn't be fair to say there was, for
he may care for you even more than
| think he does-but I'm going to tell
you little story, If you have time to
listen"
"Of course, Babs," assured Polly, set
Ting her attractive little person into a
perfect nest of cushions
"Once upon a time" began Barbara,
there was girl-not beautiful girl
just a bright, frank, cheerful girl,
with a sense OF humor and lots Of
friends. She liked men sincerely, but
she was neither very susceptible nor
very foolish, and she had seen some
thing Of life.
There was one man she had known
for long time, and she always adj
mired and liked him tremendously.
$50 they went out together, danced
together and talked together, and he
was very nice to her. She found that
she could talk to him as she had never
been able to talk to anyone before, and
he always seemed to understand. She
began to value his friendship, above
all her other friends, and to depend on
his help and advice in many little
things. He liked to help her, and as
the months passed they grew to be bet
ter and better friends, with a clearer
understanding of each other than they
had ever had.
"Then, she went away for a long
visit And he almost made her believe
that he would really Miss her badly
and she was very glad
"And she wrote to him naturally, as
a child would write to very favorite
uncle or dear kind friend who was
Older and wiser than she, long, newsy
letters about all the daily happenings
and she dearly loved to write to him.
"Ile wrote to her twice; then there
was long lapse. Then. third letter
came which might have been written
TO an utter stranger with perfect safe
ty--alr and weather being the main
topics. This was after she had i'm.
pulsively written to him for help and
sympathy over what seemed TO her n
very great trouble, and he had failed
her--dismally failed her. She wrote
TO him once more, but she never sent
the letter. She could not thrust her
friendship upon him If he did not want
It.
"And though she was bound to meet
him and did not wish TO obviously
avoid him, she did not need to, for he
showed no desire for any sort of a
meeting and fitted about among the
girls as he had probably always done.
And she tried always to be fair to him
and not to judge hlm-she liked to re.
member him rather as n friend who
had died than one who had ceased to
value her frlendship-she simply could
not understand. That's all | know
about Charley and It's two years ago
he's probably forgotten all about It
long ago.
"That's all, Polly dear. It isn't much
OF story, but thought I'd tell II to
you. Somehow. from my own stand.
ards, 1t doesn't seem to me as II a man
who would hurt anyone so cruelty so
blindly and with such utter lndffer.
ence, could measure up to quite the
same standard as n man like Sam, who
is fair and square In everything he
does.
Polly sat stlll for long time after
Barbara stopped talking.
THANK you for telling me the story"
she said at last.
A maid came to the door with tele.
gram. Polly glanced at the address.
seized 1t and tore II open hastily. In
a moment the paper dropped to the
floor.
ITS from Sam" she gulped, "and
he's going to the 'front.' and he wants
me to tell him before he goes-they
won't let him off to come hlmself--oh,
dear, It's TERRIBLE"
"What are you going to write to
hlm2'
"Write TO him why, I'm going to
that camp tonight-just as fast az |
can pack mothers bag and my own
and I'm going to marry him tomorrow
If they only let me see him for five
minutes. haven't any choice IN the
matter-there never wasl see II all
now as plain as the nose on my face
he's the better man, the best man
the very best man In the world as far
as am concerned, Mt least, aud |
ought to have known It all along. Kiss