The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-01-08
Sir Humphrey POffer's
II First Love. Il
Observation-Disclosures
BY HAROLD OHLSON.

NH AIN people COnSlQereQ lndC the
lu time had come when Sir Hum.
phrey Potter, with his wealth and hi.
title, should take wife. Some o.
these had daughters. They were onl.
anxious for the dear girls happiness
No one, however, cared to speak tt
him on such subjects as love and mar
riage. He would have thought then
frivolous.
He was never frivolous.
1t was only possible to interest hin
in serious matters; business trans.
actions for preference; politics, OF
which he had decided views, in his
lighter moods. 1t was difficult tt
conceive of him as lover. His tall
portly form seemed always to require
about it the red mahogany and shin.
ing leather of his Office. Laughter
while in conversation with Sir Hum.
phrey, seemed out of place. 1t was
said an irreverent person, as the
cracking of thorns under Potter
Mrs. Latimer had described him as
''portentous." She owned that the
exact meaning of the word had escaped
her for the moment, but she had an in.
ner consciousness that it contained ar
exact description, and she was not tc
be moved by any dictionary person.
He was self-made man. That wa:
evident. No one else would have trou-
bled to make him. However, he stated
the fact constantly.
He was enormously rich, and had OBJ
tanned knighthood by judicious phil
anthropy. He did not pay large sal
aries to his clerks, but when q fund
was started at the Mansion house he
pressed nobly to the front. PRESSING
nobly to the front-people can see you
when YOU are there-had made him
what he was-Sir Humphrey Potter.
Young ladies have been wont to call
him, in the course of private CONVEX
sation, "a fat pompous beast" The
course of private conversation does
not always run smoothly. Now he
was dear Sir Humphrey"
He was on the market. He had
wealth and title, although the goods
were a little shop-soiled.
1t was on beautiful warm morning
In July that Sir Humphrey cautiously
lifted one lath of his bedroom blind
and peered out. He was not anxious
to be seen. He was a man of great
dignity of presence (his tailor, to
whom he paid cash, had often told him
SOY, but he felt he did not look his
best at that particular time. His hail
fell in a fringe over his forehead
which did not suit him-and his face
shone with the perspiration engendereC
by a hot July night. 1t also required
the refining touch of razor. The fat
frowsy man in the long white shirt
Che chung to the old fashions), with
big, bare feet and rumpled hair, was
as ridiculous and unpleasant to the
eye as Sir Humphrey Potter, an houl
later, would be dignified and imposing
1t was not for the purpose of observ.
ing the beauties of nature that he thus
delayed his toilet, but rather that hi
might watch Miss Latimer, the daugh
ter of his old friend and present host
and her cousin Clarissa, who were
walking in the garden. They were en-
joying the fresh morning air; Clarissa
for the sake of the thousand delicate
scents that mingled with it and tn,
sweet, glad song of the birds; Mis-
Latimer chiefly for the sake of he
complexion. She did not care mucl
Z for the songs of the birds; she pre-
ferred music from the comic operas
And as for the delicate scents of thu
waking flowers. She had beer
known to purchase patchouli.
Miss Latimer's whole attention wa
at that period of her existence en-
crossed by her numerous love affairs
Her talk was of young men. He
great purpose was to obtain a hus
band; if young and handsome, so mucl
the better, but the only indispensable
adjunct was wealth. She was little
plump and pretty, with beautiful eye
that she could use effectively on yer,
young men. These walked with her
talked with her (she would giggle a
remarks that should have been re
ceived with a cold silence), and airte,
with her.
She was called "Flo." 1t seemed
necessary consequence There ar
many noble, stately women in tn
world named Florence. but 1t wou'