El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-02-06
A BACHELOR
GODDESS.
he Story Of a Woman Halter ant
How He Was Converted.
*O*0mO*OxOwO*O*O*G

"Al women are divided into two
classes-either designing adventuresses
or simpering dolts. AS for me-" quoth
Halbert c~ynically, give. me the first
every time. You can trust to an ad-
ventures to have a little gray matter
at least in her Uranium" He was talk
ing to his secretary, young Allen, a cal
low youth, almost effeminate, but new
ertheless brainy, too brainy, as Hal
bert expressed it, for his size and
weight. Allen had got used to these
sinister observations concerning WON
ankind and rarely ever offered any
comment either to agree or to refute
the others statements. These two in
dividuals were a study for n anoth-
er. The hour in which Allen accepted
the position of private secretary, a
short time before. they found a pleas
ant communion of tastes n ideas I'M
a peculiar inexplicable sympathy Of
feeling that seemed to have puzzled
both.
Halbert was a confirmed bachelor.
He boosted of never having proposed
to any woman He was afraid Of
them. In his estimation they were all
scheming politicians and ready to mar
~ him or any man at a moments no.
tice. Keep the women away from
me-" snarled Halbert at times when
driven by force to a rush. I'D rather
smoke or sleep" And the little secre-
tary, with his strong. boyish ardor.
kept them far away and comforted
Halbert with his companionable ST.
lence.
The one measure in Aliens make up
which Halbert could not understand
was his reluctance to smoke. He could
never get him to indulge even In a
cigarette. And in the matter OF drink
ing. though Allen could mix a punch or
q cocktail with c~ommendable art, he
brought them untasted to Halbert as
q kind of offering to that exalted
wretch.
You should have been a woman, by
gad." Halbert said once to him. "a
thousand pardons, Allen. but you
would have made a fine looking girl.
You've got grace N tact enough for
1t, you 10y Why, believe me, Allen,
II there were wome like you today,
with the brain and all. I believe I'd
marry one of them" Allen actually
blushed and retreated in confusion.
Halbert liked this display of apparent
shyness, n his affection for the boy
grew. He liked to slap him on the
back and he said he felt lonesome
when the chap was away. 81 tell you
what. Allen, 1 don't know whether to
adopt o as my SON, considering the
fact that 1 hall never have n of my
own. or whether to let things slide on
as formerly and just double your sal
ary."
Things slid on as formerly until Hal
bert announced a hunting trip to Abys-
sinia. He had actually completed plans
for both n was sketching out In his
Imagination the delicious camaraderie
Of two in a tent in the wilds of Africa
when ALLEN announced his intention to
resign.
You ungrateful beggar. you can't re-
sign" Halbert shouted. why. my
boy. 1 can't go without you. What's
b matter?"
The fact Of the matter is, SIR" Allen
replied respectfully, II don't want to
60 with you"
1t was a blow, and it landed between
Halbert's eyes. He loved Allen If he
ever loveda any being on earth, and this
was the first time that he ever had
been thwarted. Not given to sentiment
or pleading, he nursed his agony ST.
lently. for Aliens abruptness stung
him with all the agony of unfilial in
gratitude, of unrequited love. Of treach-
cry in a friend-everything. 1t panied
Halbert IS he had never been panied
before. That afternoon he ordered his
horse for a long ride and went out de-
tectedly with a load on his shoulders.
He wanted to puzzle out the situation.
He had never to plead with any one
before in his life for what he wanted.
and he hated to plead now. 1t might
seem unmanly, he feared. He went
out without calling to Allen, and he
did not return for dinner.
The secretary in the meantime felt
an unhappy sinking Of his heart as the
hours dragged by and Halbert did not
return. 1t was his custom at least to
return to dress for the evening, espe-
cially IL he meant to din out. and his
continued absence made Allen uneasy.
He did not know whether Halbert
cared about his refusal to accompany
him, but he knew that he himself
cared, and he felt he could not ac-
quaint his friend with the real reason
until lie had actually gone.
At 81 o'clock Halbert came back-not
exactly on a stretcher. but leaning on
the arm of his valet. He had had a
bad fall somewhere on the Riverside
drive, and he a turned his elbow
badly-sprained it, in fact. They had
actually subjected him to the annoy
ance of carrying him to n hospital be-
cause he had been too daZed to remon-
Strate. and when his mind was %eyentu-