Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1901-08-14
"Te1 me about your heroine. =. sh.,p

hesitatingly, very beautiful"
TO me she is very beautiful" said
Broadbridge, though, of course.
beauty is matter of taste. Still I
may safely say"-Miss Peters thought
he said it with unnecessary, almost
brutal, emphasis-''that the good
reading public would also call my
heroine beautiful
Il suppose they are more interest
ing when they are beautiful" ad.
mitted Miss Peters. "but 1 wish
one would write a
story about an ugly girl"
1t would be a rather catchy title"
observed Broadbridge. carelessly. He
wondered if the ugly girl was not a
trifie lacking in penetration.
Broadbridge was young enough to
f1atter himself that he understood
women very well. Such presumption
generally carries with it its own pun
ishment. When Miss Peters, after
that conversation about his heroine,
began to avoid him, he made up his
mind that she had read in his eyes
his growing interest, and did not
care to encourage it. Broadbridge
began to feel blue and his story be-
came of secondary Importance. The
rector possessed valuable reference
library, which he placed at Broad
bridges disposal
When Miss Peters began to desert
him in his walks the library was q
pretext for meeting her. The story
was almost finished, and in spite of
his blueness he felt singularly elated
over it. Miss Peters lack of interest,
however, married his content. He was
sitting in the library late one after
noon reading when she came in unex-
pectedly. She nodded cordially to
Broadbridge, seized book and
turned to leave.
stay and talk" pleaded Broad
bridge. Its too early for lights and
too dusly to read"
We've nothing more to talk about"
said Miss Peters, gazing into the fire.
Il know what you would say on ev-
cry subject"
We'll, life. for instance" suggested
Broadbridge, nettled.
IAN i'll endured because man is vain
and objects to becoming nothing
And death?"
AN ending with no fresh Begin
ming
'And-love?''
"Fiirtation carried to its logical
establishment"
AS she mockingly repeated some of
his own pet cynicisms Miss Peters
looked provokingly impertinent in
the freight. but. of course, she
couldn't realize her own irresistible
charm, and when Broadbridge sud-
denly kissed her there seemed no exc
cuse for him. He had no opportunity
for the explanation that was meant
to follow the kissing, for Miss Peters,
after one indignant, scornful glance,
fed from the room. That night he
almost finished the story. The next
morning, in passing through the hall,
he heard Miss Peters voice talking
to his hostess.
Its been an engagement of long
standing" she was saying. although
l don't believe Eve ever mentioned
the name to you before
IT'S perfectly lovely, and I con-
graduate you
Broadbridge. dazed, seized his hat
and rushed out of the house. tie
walked all morning. In the after
noon he tried to finish his story. but
found he couldn't write an intelli-
gent line. Finally, with sudden re-
solve. he bundled up and sent it UNI
finished to the editor. The next day
he went down to bid the rector good
by He inquired for Miss Peters.
''Ah," said the rector, kindly. ''she
was so sorry to leave without seeing
you. She left last night for Boston
to attend the wedding of a college
friend. It's an engagement of long
standing, | believe. The girls prom
Used at college that whoever was
married first should invite the other
to be maid of honor"
''Ah," said Broadbridge. in turn,
the gayety that was expressed in that
tiny monosyllable. I'll probably see
Miss Peters, then. I'm going to Bos-
ton later myself"
Two weeks after he left Ashton
Broadbridge received a letter from
the editor. together with the manu-
script ''Your story is the most
availa BILE of any sent in said the let
ter. ''but it's not finished. Doubtless
you overlooked sending us the last
sheet. If it ends happily. send it
back to us with the missing sheet,
and We'll consider it,
Two days later Miss Peters in Bos-
ton received manuscript entitled
IAN Ugly Girl" together with the
note Broadbridge had received from
the editor. There was also note
from Broadbridge himself
I'm in a dilemma said this lat
ter note. Il should like to have the
story accepted, for its acceptance
would help make possible an ideal
honeymoon with Easter, perhaps. in
Rome. But the story is true to life.
L can't mar it by making up an end
ing. Please read it yourself and tell
me whether it is to end happily"
81, too, should like to have the
story accepted wrote back Miss
Peters, for / feel as if | had pro-
prietary interest in it. End it happily,
by all means"
Of course there was a postscript.
Your title is a misnomer," it said.
You call your heroine ugly, but YOU