The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1901-08-01
An Ugly Girl
BY Margaret C. Fawcet.
s1spJTlsSI' isi. y IsISsis sJadlssss'
uE WAS competing for q priz, Of

.
II was during these tramps that he
planned hi, story. His evenings were
q trifle slow at first. II was al the
end of his first week in Ashton that
he met the ugly girl on one OF his
walks. She wore a sensible short
skirt. sensible stout boots. a short.
mnnnisn coat and scarlet tam o.
shantcr. lie noted these details with
dIsapproyal. He Was accustomed to
elegant women Of the hot house va
ricty. Most Of all, he objected to the
ugly girls lack Of beauty. Small eyes
OF = nondcscript color, though one
might stretch q point and call them
blue, n tip.tiltcd nose and a wide
mouth: these things he observed with
unkind criticism on that first meet.
Ing. That lips and checks matched
the tam o. shanter Ia color might
irregular features, but. alas! nose
and chin were only q shade palcr.
Then, too the ugly girls manner dis.
pleased him. She had looked him
over with a provokingly superior lit
tie air. AZ II he were the green
grrcer'H clerk or one 81 the other
Young men 81 the village. and Broad
bridge had always pridcd himself on
his air OF distinction. lie was angry
that evening 10 find that he could not
forget the episode Of the meeting.
crimson tam fitted between his
rycS and the pages ~ the book he
was trying to read The next morn
ing hut one he walked down Go the
village post Office and met her on the
way Three dovs were jumping about
her, two great Danes and terrier.
H. went home and wrote steadily the
rest Of the morning BEFORE lunch.
.ou he read what he had written and
tore 1t zap.
shes the daughter Of the Epi,co-
pal minister" said his hostess that
evening, in answering a blunt inquiry.
she keeps house for her father.
They live IN that pretty little white
cottage next the church which you
think n SO picturesque"
lie found the rector TO be gentle.
man and a scholar whose broken
health welcomed the quiet Of Ashton.
liunPering for the flesh pots Of mod.
crn Egypt Dr. Peters welcomed
Hroadbridrc cordially. The two took
n tramp together, and upon their re.
turn iiroadhridge wa invited To have
tea at the rcctory. He found TINT
the ugly girl had much Eclf-pos,es.
sion for a country lass and the fanci-
ful name Of Carr. She chattcd cheer
fully about many thinga with him
and her father, but Brnndbridgr felt
that she hardly separated the two
and he was only 20. lie had learned
ligent young womBn's attention was
to say nomrthing rather rude.
~ hardly expected, Miss Peters"
he observed, while slipping his coffee
in the cosy library one night after
tlinncr-thc rector had been called
out 10y q member of his parish-"io
lind anything quite 40 new as your.
self in sleepy Ashton" One Of BROAD.
bridges many gifts was an expressive
voice. That adjective new" implied
many things, not all Of them fattrr-
Ing.
And you don't like new women"
said Miss Peters, frankly. We'll. we
are quits. have no great admira.
ton for the modern man. Please
smoke. u you care TO. Father always
smokes here"
And what IN your definition OF the
modern mani" queried Broadbridgc,
with interest.
"All opinions and no convictions"
retorted Miss Peters. succinctly. Are
you fond OF Chopin"
The abrupt change Of subject an.
noyrd Broadbridgc. The ugly girl
lacked tact, he thought.
That night wild Polish melodies, a
tip-tilted nose. a hooking mouth and
@ fat cheek were curiously mixed up
In Broadbridge's dreams, The next
morning he began a new story.
After his acquaintance with the
Peters he altered his plans somewhat.
He Etill wrote In the mornings, he
stili tramped about the country In
the afternoons, but now red tam
o. shnntcr generally bobbed near his
shoulder. In the evenings he visited
DIR. Peters at the reetory. Miss Pet
ers was interested In the story.
cit win be detsxtably cynical" she
said. with her usual frankness. IAN
these modern stories are. | stopped
reading them long ago"
"You are lacking in charity, Miss
Peters," observed Brcadbridgc, grave
ly. "You should have considered the
modern writers"
Mics Peters airily dlsregarded the
vsrcasm.
I'VE have smart writer's. nowadays.
We haven't any great writer's"
Fer new woman you are the
mos. old-fashioned ever met" he
said, gazing half quisxicaliy at the
manBish little figure. Miss Peters
had grace, u she hadn't beauty.
Il suspect only my clothes are
new" she answered, with q laugh.
STell ms about your heroine. Is She"
hesitstingly. very beauiifui?''
TO fae she 10 very beautiful" said
Broadbridge, ''thoagh. Of course.
beauty In n matter of taste. stiil I
may safely say"--Miss Peters thought
be- said n with unnecessary, almost
brutal, emphasis-"that the good
reading public would also call my
heroine beautiful"
Il suppcse they are more intcrest-
ing when they are beautiful" I'D
mitfed Miss Peters. ''bat wish
wistfuiiy--"some one would write
story shout an usiy girl