Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-01-20
THE GIRL WHO
ALMOST MISSED
by Mary Douglass.
SOMEONE ELSES STORY.
Chapter IXI

Was going on the widest of wild
goose chascs. asked myself rs boarded !
the train for Albany. Would find that mn.
conicctures were all wrong, when reached
Pine Lodgc2 Perhaps Jack Madden would
be there all alone L
had not seen Jack since the week end
nj his sisters in Southampton. SO long
ago. Not so long in days and weeks and
months, but cndlessly long IN the ret
respect of things that had happened since
then. a.,
lie had said 20 me Are YOU comlngf
and had turned away and said that was
going by train To- New York. had never |
seen hlm since. nor had | heard one word |
from HIM.
Perhaps II was not him to whom Peggy |
had referred in her letter? Yet who else |
could II Toe? Here were the tiny things that |
4 based my belief on the note | had |
stumbled against, that day, IN her ROOM
the flowers and the candy that she had |
said hr sent her; the amethyst pm that |
had lam beneath her pincushlon-and,
last that beautiful jewel that she bad
worn about her neck on the thread OF
cold Vet ne might not have sent her those
n n were not he, who was the manY
n lack should treat me uIdcly, | could
stand thnt. He could do no more than shut
tbc door IN nv face. For moment felt
bcIplcssly inexperienced. If there were
mil, some one hig and strong and re-
hahlc Ia depend on nowl Unconsciously
,boucht of Howard and his winning
s,,,l. | knew Instlnctively in a time
hLo thus hc would be dependable and
loyal But this was for me TO settle alone
Tb,. could bc handled by no alien fingers;
,vcu | might not have n light enough
touch to help the situation.
What | should do. # Peggy were there.
could not ask myself / could go no farther
tban the thought Of finding Peggy. u
must find hcrl' SAID TO myself, and
clcnchcd my hands uncounsClously tIght
together.
bnd been So wrapped in my own
thoughts that had not seen anyone about
me. Now was reused by the shrI'l cry
81 4 baby. sitting beside me WAS IN
| Italian ,,irl perhaps eighteen. with au thc
| cain, hcauty of 4 Botticclh madonna Shc
| tr,cd u hush the baby N her arms.
Then shc turned to me and smiled.
| lad seen tears uf grief and misery
] Thought: III IN Z Smlc was sorrow
\ greater than bad ever seen p"r'Tayeu
/ by signs " lam'nta'ion.
4 / booked do0u A the baby whose
\ pinchcd white face, sccincd thc miin'cTy
! Of ago. ,.l ra
a. hurry away tac dragging minutes 'l'h'
out NJ real interest
She tod me Fcclnc perhaps my IN
conscious sympathy, lrilc by little, ~
lIr,lcn words She uufrldcd her story t.
-, / could not believe. g me IN utter
stranger She Was telling tins story ot
mi~,r, and scrlldrcSs
.Il, fight in France. my man. Before
~ ~ ~ lcat nc. hc hit me when ne
conc NJ the rIEht. and brcak the windows,
Of'cn he drink, and call me bad. evil
names tie know the baby come make
hm mad
" 7 am ashamed t. marry With him;
not goci man Then he 50 n TIC army ana
l,ave and the baby come HccOmcs back
ard 80 ne and say he marry mo. But
sam afraid He do not stay long thus
tunc Hc ten me no can have money less
4 ! marry with him This time he no beat
~ nor break the furniture Tie loo| At
bamhiuo. here very sorry, SO white and
Then ny father hear that he no marry
nc Hc saws ne Will open the door make
me co ont IN the strcCts-he cannot
have me
- Ton, come back once more. lie
marry nc But hiS country need hlm.
IIc must 20 Tie leave baby and me and
% 10 battle Government send money tor
me But wait long long Bamhino IS
SICK. 80 sick ! take All money out 10 my
sister in country. See
She turned bark. with gentle fingers
sornc ~ the covering that swathed the
baby She showed me an arm, an arm SC
tinv and thin that II seemed like wasted
thing Tho baby began 10 CRY again lee "
a,d look ed down At it's white face with pity
That he baby was dying, | could
not doubt As I looked at the beautiful
face az tho girl. | wondered why her lot
Rad been cast IN such miserable WAYS
and mine
There was chance for me; there
was even chance for Peggy, at the
worst For would work my fingers TO the
bone. If II would.bring Peggy back to me
though of the Italian girls father who
" uld make me go out INTO the streets
IN her words
The girl lifted the walling baby II
her arms and rose This was her station
We sald cosdbve to each other watched
her svaving figure so down the aisle with
the hurdle IN her arms.
There are many many troubles worse
than mine. | thought There must bt
some way TO the light l shall hope and be
thankful that life Is not for me as II Is
for that child-woman.
I coald not forget the smile that had
shown me the sorrows Of another's life
only a Young GIRL too, but ages old in
misery
a. the train slid on ! could almost
fancy Peggy was the girl with the baby
in her arms and that Peggy lifted her
head 10 me as that girl had done, with a
smile that covered breaking heart
Tomorrow PAIR Of High Heels.