Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1901-12-07
A Laggard il, |
~ Love ~
BY FRANK JOHNSTON. J
Copyright, 1901. By Authors Syndicate,

MHEN young Thomas Mobray,
w counselor at law, returned
from the opera to the fiat which he
and his artist friend Robert Hamilton
shared, he found Hamilton hard at
work on portrait. When he recog-
nized Mobray's step and heard his
knock at the door, he quickly hid the
canvas on which he was engaged, sub
stituted another on the easel. and
opened the door.
well, Bob. I am glad to find you
up" said Mobray, laying aside his
opera hat and coat, and seating him
self in comfortable chair. 81 want
to talk to YOU"
ION the same old subject I sup
pose"
"Yes-about Miss Gertrude Russell.
You know she asked me to sit in her
box at the opera. I have just left
her, and I confess she never ap-
peared more charming. Do you
know, Bob, I am sure she likes me,
and am as much in love with her
as 1 ever could be with any woman.
She is pretty, bright and" here
Hamilton paused for a moment-"I
might as well not attempt to dis
guise the fact-wealthy in her own
right. But to come to the point
am resolved to marry her"
When Mobray had finished, Hamii-
ton made no reply. He had an alb
stracted look and did not appear to
have heard what had been said.
awake up, old man." called Mobray,
rather loudly, land tell me what you
think of it,
''What I think of it'll" repeated
HAMILTON, unable to conceal his sur
prise. "What will she think of it?
Do you suppose she will accept your"
''She has given me every reason to
think So" quietly remarked Mobray.
"But have you considered the num-
Der of excellent proposals she has
rejected?" suggested Hamilton.
90, know she has refused several
recently, if theirs are the excellent
proposals to which you refer"
"Has not little Leonard Thompson,
Notwithstanding his great wealth
and social position, failed to win
her?"
ayes, I believe SOL replied Mobray,
evidently bored.
-'And has she ever deigned to look
at Lieut.. Harold Schuyler, who is
soon to be military attache to the
embassy at Austria ?''
"I don't know how she has treated
Schuyler" answered Hamilton, rath-
er shortly, shut Schuyler does not
know how to win a girl anyway"
''And then, there is John Milford -
continued Hamilton, ga man calculat-
ed to attract any woman. He has
told me that he loved her, but that
he never had the courage to tell her
3d."
go, there is no use to run over the
whole list of her admirers said
Mobray, impatiently. "Of course, she
has had a number. I would not care
for her if she were not sought after.
But as for the chaps you have
named-they are barbarians in af-
fairs of love. Certainly she refused
them; anyone of taste must have
done so. If she had listened to any
one of them, I doubt if should have
had anything to say to her." and
Mobray leaned back in his chair with
self-satisf1ed look.
Hamilton was completely overcome
by surprise at Mobray's assurance.
He knew his friend had unlimited
self-confidence in courts of law, but
he had not expected to see him carry
this trait of character into the court
of love. They sat for some time in
silence until Mobray reopened the
conversation.
"You understand art, Bob, will ad-
nit. You can describe the physical
more ease than I. You could paint her
likeness to perfection. But if you will
let me say it, I fear you would be at
tracted by her solely from an artistic
standpoint. You would be fascinated
as an artist, not as lover, with her
low, broad brow and fair, oval face;
her dark hair arranged tastefully on