The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-06-21
PERFECT" WOMAN.
BY SARA A. UNDERwooD.

h PERfkUT' WOMAhs
BY SARA A. UNDERWOOD.
married, are you? Well, suppose
ought to congratulate, but feel more
like condoling with you. However,
every one to his own taste. May you
, never live to repent of your bargainr'
and handsome Burt Lfsyd gave Allen
Newcome's hand a hearty shake,
while a half sarcastic smile hovered
around his lips.
"And may you live to repent you OF
your confirmed celibacy. With your
income and prospects it's a shame, old
boy, that you were not married years
ago." was Aliens laughing rejoinder.
'Tm waiting" said Burt.
''FOr what?r
IA perfect woman. Find me one, and
1 promise you I'll marry her at once"
"a perfect fiddle-stick! Suppose the
thing possible, however, how do you
know that she'd accept your lor1ship?"
Burt glanced at the mirror opposite
with smile of great cOmplaceney.
"With my income and expectations,
as you just now suggested, I'll run the
risk of that. I'll leave entire disinter-
estedness out of the list of her perfec-
tions."
"You are ineorrigible, Burt. But l
must CO."
Allen Newcome took his leave with
the mental comment that his friends
self eonceit needed decided rebuff, an
opinion which would have received
confirmation had he seen the supercil-
ious smile that curled Burt's lips few
moments later, as he read a dainty note
just brought in TO him. He threw it
aside scornfully, as he muttered, "An
invitation and snare. No, Tll not ac-
cept. Miss Belle-Oh, these women,
how they bore me with their attentions!
VIII 1 ever, / wonder, meet with my
ideal-my perfect, womanly woman"
More than a year later Burt Lloyd,
still a confirmed bachelor, received
rather gladly, it being sultry August
weather, an invitation from his friend
Allen to visit him at his summer resi-
dence, a qniet country place by the sea-
side. He fancied, too, there would be
no other company. But in this he was
mistaken. Quite gay little party was
already there, among whom he created
quite a sensation by his polished though
slightly sarcastic manner, his aristo-
cratic bearing and reputed wealth. His
friend Allen, however, did not allow
him to be bored with their company a
great deal. Hunting and fishing kept
them out of doors much of the time for
two weeks, at the end of which time he
was rather agreeably surprised to find
that the crowd of butterfly visitors had
fitted to other fields of pleasure, leav-
ing as guests only himself and Miss
Harte, a cousin of Mrs. Newcome's,
whom he had heretofore only observed
enough to remark how rarely beautiful
and child-like she was. And, like most
mems, Burt Lloyd's perfect woman was
to be in a great measure a mature child
"a child's purity and innocence, COM
bined with woman's discretion and
efficiency.
A few days Of drizzling rain put an
end to his out-of-door pursuits, and that
was how he came to notice Miss Harte
more particularly, and to find her a
pleasing, piquant study. The odd ex-
perience of being baffied in that study
made it doubly interesting to him.
Her face was the face of a trustful,
innocent child-one of rare blonde beau
ty, showing in its swift changes of color
every varying emotion; soft, brown,
velvety eyes, whose long, dark lashes
were such contrast to the heavy coils
of golden, satin-smooth hair which
adorned her small, shapely head. Her
mouth troubled him most to read. 1t
, was most too large for beauty, and the
lips, though full and red, bespoke firm
! ness and decision; but her voice was
! sweet, low and harmonious, and heI
, laugh was the happy laugh of a care
: free girl. She sung, too, not with
. power, but with rare pathos and feeling
as she played. Dressed always becom.
ingly, nay eharmingly, yet never ap
peared to give a thought to any of tn,
. details of dress; never betraying unit
she was asked that she held any opinion
upon any subject under discussion, anC
then surprising all by the amount of in
formation she could give; never seem
ing Busy or hurried, yet accomplishing
great deal in very little while. II
these peculiarities add the fact-strang'
inconsistency of man!-that she treate'
Burt Lloyd with an unstudied but clear
, ly apparent indifference, and you vii
not be surprised to learn that ere
months time he had begun to question
whether his ideal dream Of perfec
. womanhood was not possible of realiza