Democratic messenger., 1904-12-03
The Eyec Of
Cupid
BY KEITH GORDON
Copyright. Iaol. bv Mary McKeon


as he unconsciously began to respond
to Mrs Jacks artful prOmptings Of
the last half hour. which had, however.
been so deftly administered that he
did not so much as suspect that he
was being pumped dry on the subject
OF his ideal woman. Give me a girl
with no nonsense about her
Ife paused impressively and stared
dreamily into the haze of blue smoke
that surrounded them as if striving to
call his ideal clearly up before his
minds eye.
Venus de Milo waist and common
sense shoes:' suggested Mrs. Jack.
who for reasons of her own wished to
get the outer semblance of Billy's
ideal woman clearly impressed upon
her memory.
Billy's glare withdrew itself from
the shadowy haze and rested upon his
friends wife. For brief moment his
taste wavered. DETECTED by the be-
witching thinness of her daintily shod
foot. which had an apologetic air of
being more ornamental than useful.
Then he reverted sternly to his ideal
once more.
"Er-yes." he began-"that is, If
1t is necessary" he added weakly. find
ing his companiOn's appearance fatally
antagonistic to his theories.
AS she had explained to her husband
while dressing for dinner that even
ing. she felt responsible for Billy. and,
though the former had assured her that
Billy was a husky brute and could
take care of himself. she had not been
convinced.
IL took you away from him." she
had argued with soft persistence, "and
of course he must be awfully lonely
up there i'm the old rooms. 1t isn't
as If he had you." she had ended. with
an infection that had caused her hus-
band. who was at the moment deftly
manipulating his hairbrushes. TO flash
half humorous glance at his image
IN the mirror and then cross the room
to her side.
With an orange wood stick in one
hand and the finger tips of the other
rosy with pomade. she had reached up
and recklessly pulled his head down
beside her own. Temporarily the lone
ly Billy had been forgotten. Then the
very excess of their happiness had
made her heart smte her.
'.It must be awfully lonely for him."
she had resumed as If their conversa-
tion had received no interruption, land
since it's all my fault | feel as If
ought To find him wife"
Now. encouraged by Mrs. Jacks
sympathetic. questioning eyes, Billy
rambleL on. explaining that, though he
was not a marrying man. there were
moments when he hoped that some
time he might have Il hearth of his
own. etc. Though apparently listen
ing with sweet interest. his hostess
was In reality reviewing the list of
her friends I'm search of the possible
girl. One by one they seemed to pass
before her. a smiling. teasing process
sion of blonds and brunettes. But none
of them. she realized with some dis
appointment. could exactly be describ-
ed as girl with no nonsense about
her." and from the fervor of Billy'S
convictions it was apparent that no
other need apply.
Then. just as two worried lines of
! thought began to appear OH her smooth
forehead and as Billy was winding up
with. You see how it Is. Mrs. Jack
the girls of today are too brilliant and
worldly for humdrum fellow like
me" the face of Virginia Blair arose
before her. and the lines disappeared
in the radiance of bright. assured
smile.
"She certainly is good looking in n
dreadfully noble manner" the young
matchmaker thought TO herself as she
revolved schemes for bringing the two
together. but l suppose Billy admires
that type. And she doesn't pinch her
feet or her waist. Obviously she was
made for Billy"
At the dinner party which she gave
soon after for that particular though
unexpressed purpose of bringing them
together Billy took Miss Blair out. She
was a tall. handsome girl. with dark.
serious eyes and smooth. heavy hair.
Before the first course had disappeared
Billy had discovered that she and life
took each other seriously, and he had
an uncomfortable feeling when her
serious gaze fell upon him that lie
was trivial soft of fellow after all.
When she asked for his views upon
municipal reform, he was sure of it.
He was as conf used and nonplused as
if canary bird had suddenly begun
to bark.
For years he remembered that din
ner with sort of horror. He and
Miss Blair. it seemed TO him afterward.
had worked like galley slaves, discuss
ing all the knotty problems of the day.
Around them We're lightness. gayety
and laughter. especially on the other
side of the table. where Tessie Loring,
who was the very embodiment of fem
mime frivollty. bubbled and dimpled
and cast languishlng glances about her.
Mrs. Jack had often wondered wheth-
er there would be ANYTHING left of