Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1925-07-08
Other Side of
the Story
BY MARY B. WOODSCN
sXX7ADE JARRETT, you were
w asked here to tea for pur-

"WAlpo1E. DE, J tara e. f., you yos were we're
pose!'
kind lady, have mercy!"
"Yes, you were. l warn you. You're
here to meet woman"
Kind lady, why?"
"Because-well, I'm sick and tired
of seeing such fine man absolutely
wasted - knocking about in-single
blessedness-"
Pain darkened Jarrett's fine eyes.
His lips set.
"Oh, l know very well what you're
going to say-that there's only one
woman in the world for you (roD and
that You're a one-woman man (roD.
end so it can't, Margaret, unless
perllaps-you'd take pity on me
he broke off, his hungry, lonely eyes on
hers sorrowfully. by Jove, what a
trump you've been to me! l don't sup
pose you'd-think Of it, would you
Abruptly, Margaret put the width of
the room between them. She straight
ened Il rose in d vase with cold fingers.
She didn't look at him.
Don't be silly" she said, decidedly.
you know l wouldn't But why on
earth Polly Wyeth couldn't have been
satisfied-'
After an uncomfortable little silence,
Jarrett said slowly:
"Wc!, she is Avery beautiful
woman, Margaret. And then" The
man looked hard at his suddenly whit
ened knuckles His breath shook
him. "There were other men"
"Oh, Wade, are you sureT
"Why-wasn't it four in the morn
ing that-that last time at the-dance
when she came back with her silly
tale of just meaning run in the
moonlight with Grafton and motor
car breakdoWn-the time snapped
my fingers in her face and just-left
her there to get home as best as she
might?" His words hurried through
his tight lips.
"But couldn't there have been some
mistake? Couldn't there really have
been a spin just for fun. Couldn't
there have been a breakdown"
"Pshaw! Spirit of fun on Monday,
with the wedding set for Wednesday!
What woman who loved her lover
would have gone out at all with an
other man on the eve Of her we'd
ding"
Hadn't you been away a good deal,
Wade?'
Jarrett's face Redeemed He moved
uneasily.
well, Yes, II guess l had been
a bit Of a brute. She'd flirt and
things would get so-unhappy I'd
well, want to cool off-Yes, l guess
had been away good deal"
81 don't suppose 1t ever occurred
to you that women get-well, reck-
less and--defiant when they are lone
ly and-imagine themselves neglected
by the-the men they-care for"
"Our-our courtship had been so
wonderfully happy-at first" hesitat-
ed the man, huskily. 1T was all a
horrible disappointment. II dare
not let myself think of the-the hap
pier days. could break my heart
lust with remembering and with
things I-shoud have done and times
when l was-when | was-wrong. l
cah-see it all-now, too late. But
then-it was all so terrible" Sud
denly he put his face in his hands and
sat very painfully still.
Quickly, with that odd motherins
of women, Margaret went to him.
Pityingly, she laid a gentle hand on
his shoulder.
Not half so terrible, Wade" she
said tenderly "as if you had been
all wrong that-that last time. Just
suppose what she told you had been
true-There, that's the bell. Cheer
up, dear. | shouldn't have let you
talk about it. | ought to be hung.
And l so want you to forget that 9th
err woman just once and be nice to my
girl. Please. Somehow, | can't help
but feel the-the other affair was
Just all-all a-mistake and you two
were just made for each other-l want
you to like each other so much"
Still urging, she left him hastily,
for his eyes, tragic, miserably lonely,
were on her again dependently, be-
seechingly. Safely outside, in the
hallway, she swayed moment, dir
lilly, and closed her eyes. There in
that room was the man she loved
with all her heart with all her soul,
and heart and soul cried out to him.
Suddenly her nails bit her palms and
her throat swelled with denied sobs.
She opened the front door, briskly,
after a moment.
oh my dear, I'm so glad you could
come" she cried cordially. i've
caught a herman to cure your dumps.
He's here now and want you to
know him and-like him"
In a few moments more, she threw
open the door of the room she had
just quilted, threw it open and walked
blithely in and said In his startled