The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1922-02-09
THE WRONG SIDE
BY VINCENT C. PERRY.

snuhbed--befOTe all the boys of the
staff, too; that was the rub. In the
city his breezy sunshiny air had won
him many friends and his ready wit
kept them around him in droves. There
wasn't girl in the Office who wouldn't
Jump at the chance of going out to
lunch with him-that was before this
little girl from his home town came
to push in the plugs on the switch
board.
He recognized her the first day-llt-
tie Madge Murray, whom he had
taught in the village school the first
year after he left the normal, the year
he found out he wasn't cut out for
teacher and left for the city to try
his hand i'm the newspaper game. She
lad written him such nice school-girlle
letters, that first year in the city, and
when he went home for the first we'll
earned vacation he spent most Of it
boating with her. Then after that he
forgot all about her, or thought he did
in the whlrl of growing popularity and
gay times in the city. She had written
him once or twice, but he didn't find
time to answer with more than a pic
ture post card now and then. To his
"Soe who's herel I'm awfully glad to
see you, Madgew she puckered her
pretty lips into a stiff and formal,
"TIow-do-yOu-do" and turned to her
switchboard.
She had improved, he noticed, as he
passed through the office on the way
back from the lunch he hadn't touched
improved not in her attitude toward
him but In appearance.
Madge answered the buzz of Teddy's
telephone. When he asked for an ex-
PLANTATION Of her GOODNESS the only an
swer he got was: "What number did
you wantT He hung up his receiver
with disgust and didn't try again for
days.
The other men on the staff were not
so coolly treated by the new girl on
the switchboard. Teddy noted with
alarm her preference for Billy Gibbs.
Billy and his wife were not on speak
ing terms and Billy was trying to get
a divorce.
Teddy resolved to talk to Madge, but
when she answered his telephone call,
she wouldn't listen to him. He wasn't
going to suffer the humiliation Of per-
gonaI interview. He tried to talk to
her over the phone time and again, so
to get rid of him Madge switched him
on the central line. The girl at CEN
trail heard all that was intended for
Madge and made an appointment with
Teddy. He thought 1t was Madge.
While Madge was trying to get CEN
trail for the manager, she heard over
the wire the telephone operator there
talking to one of the other girls. eyes,
I Just made a date with one Of those
reporters at the Times. He was the
cuiest thing" the girl was saying.
"Hello, Times give me the foreman
of the composing room,' the operator
broke I'm on Madge Realizing the mis-
take she had been the cause Of Madge
couldn't help listening to the next con-
ycrSation.
'TIello, Dick, Flora speaking.
Dreadful headache! Tomorrow night
--good-by."
Madge worried about 1t all after
noon. She had been very foolish in
her treatment of Teddy, she thought.
But she couldn't blame herself for
treating him 50 coolly. She had cared
So much for him that summer and
thought he cared too, but he had
spoiled it all by sending her post cards
as he would to his little sister.
Late that afternoon Madge got a
call in q feminine voice for the fore
man Of the composing room. Probably
ne was MS tickle as the girl at CEN
trail, she thought. It would ease her
conscience a little if he was, so she
listened to find out.
"This is Peg speaking, Dick. Thought
I'd let you know Flora has made a
date with one Of those fresh reporters
for tonight, Mt WHY'S, l think"
"Ill get him." Madge heard Dick
mu'tcr as he put up the receiver.
Then she was in a panic. She couldn't
let Teddy go to that place, perhaps to
be murdered,
AIadgc was at WHY'S first She
took good care of that at the expense
Of n hasty preparation. She would
like to have "fussed" little more, but
she hoped Teddy would not notice that.
Perhaps he would be mean and treat
her like a little girl, as he' had done
before, she thought, but when she saw
the pleased look on his face when he
caught sight of her waiting for him,
She knew he wouldn't
"Now, dear, since you told me how
7 offended you ana have accepted my
humblest apologies, 2nd my promise
never TO send another post card to
You as long as | live, won't you tell
me what made you change your mind
ANA manner toward me?' Teddy
asked,
Mudge brcathed a sigh of relief as
she noted the departure of the tall
girl I'm green who had been waiting Inn
patiently for more than half an hour.
Just because / was foolish, Teddy,
very foolish" she laughed.
Copyright, 1917. by the Mcclure Newspa-
per syndicate)