Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1903-03-27
VTTHEN young Thomas Mobra


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, 1 am glad to find you
up" said Mobray, laying aside his
opera hat and coat, and seating him
self in a comfortable chair. 81 want
to talk to you"
con the same old subject, ] sup
pose"
"Yes-about Miss Gertrude Russell.
You know she asked me to sit in her
box at the opera. have just left
her, and I confess she never APP
peared more charming. Do you
know, Bob, I am sure she likes me,
and / am as much in love with her
as I ever could be with any woman.
She is pretty, bright and" here
Hamilton paused for a moment-'T
might as well mot attempt to dis
guise the fact-wealthy i'm her own
right. But to come to the point-I
am resolved to marry her"
When Mobray had finished, Hamil-
ton made no reply. He had an abb
stracted look and did not appear to
have heard what had been said.
"Wake up, old man." called Mobray,
rather loudly, "and 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 viii accept you?"
"she has given me every reason to
think So" quietly remarked Mobray.
"But have you considered the num-
Der of excellent proposals she has
reiected?" suggested Hamilton.
90, know she has refused several
recently, if theirs are the excellent
proposals to which you refer"
elias not little Leonard Thompson,
notwithstanding his great wealth
and social position, failed to win
her?"
eyes, believe So" replied Mobray,
evidently bored.
"And has she ever deigned to look
at Lieut.. Harold Schuyler, who is
SOON 10 DG ulnNdIN dlNhtHt ~ AiiN
embassy at Austrian"
"I don't know how she has treated
Schuyler" answered Hamilton, rath-
er shortly, "but Schuyler does not
know how to win a girl anyway"
"And then, there is John Milford" J."
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
So"
90, 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, doubt If should have
had anything to say to her." and
Mobray leaned back in his chair with
a self-satisfied 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, 7 will ad
nit. You can describe the physical
beauty OF Miss Russell with vastly
more ease than I. You could paint her
likeness to perfection. But If you viii
let me say It, 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 or
a gracefully poised head, accentuatina
the fairness Of that face; the freshness
Of her complexion, which even your art
could not copy; her large, expressive
brown eyes; her mouth full of grace'
and gentleness; the perfect contour
of her figure; and believe you would
not even be critical Of her small, deli
cate, slightly turned-up nose. All o.
these attractions you would instantly
discover and would appreciate. But
while you understand these things a.
an artist, you know nothing of how Il
succeed in affairs Of love. You woull
dawdle and lag around, and remain IT
a constant state of hesitation and fear
On the other hand, am a practica
lover, not a visionary or romantic one
I carry things through with a rusl
when once make up my mind. Now
want 80 marry Miss Gertrude Russell
and I an resolved to 90 So I shall
propose to her next Thursday night o.
Miss brakes cotillon."
Late on the following Thursday
night, or rather, early Friday morning
to be exact, Mobray returned from thu
dance and went directly to Hamiltoni
studio, where he found his friend stil
at work. His manner. as he seated
himself. was not as buoyant as on tn,
previous occasion.
"Wen, / proposed to her, Bob" b,
began, and then stopped and took sew
eral slow puffs at his cigar. "and, b,
Jove, she refused me-lilxed me, ad
mired my energy and success in my
profession, and all that sort Of thing
tif-i.f o.t,