The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-01-08
=.
Sir Humphrey Potter's !:
- First Love. ~ J;
..
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
BY HAROLD OHLSON.

M time had come when Sir Hum
phrey Potter, with his wealth and his
title, should take wife. Some of
these had daughters. They were only
anxious for the dear girls happiness.
No one, however, cared to speak to
him on such subjects as love and mar
riage. He would have thought them
frivolous.
He was never frivolous
1t was only possible to interest him
in serious matters; business trans
actions for preference; politics, on
which he had decided views, in his
lighter moods. It was difficult to
conceive of him as lover.y His tall,
portY 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 a 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 an
exact description, and she was not to
be moved by any dictionary person..
He was self-made man. That was
evident. No ono else would have trou-
bled to make him. However, he stated
the fact constantly.
He was enormously rich, and had OBJ
tanned a knighthood by judicious phil
anthropy. He did not pay large sal
aries to his clerks, but when 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 won't to call
him, in the course of private CONVEX
fation, "a fat pompous beast" The
course of private conversation, does
not always run smoothly. Now he
was dear SirsHumphreyy.' - -
He was on the market. He had
wealth and title, although the goods
were little shOp-soiled. >. = 80 Il
1t was on beautiful, warm morning
In July that Sir Humphrey cautiously
lifted one clath of his bedroom blind
and peered out: He was not anxious
to be seen. He was. q man Sof 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 hair
fell, in a fringe over his forehead : !.
which did not suit him-and his face
shone with the perspiration engendered
by a hot July night. It also required
the refining touch of a razor. The fat,
frowsy man in the long white shirt
Chez chung to the old fashions), with
big bare feet and rumpled hair, was
as ridiculous and unpleasant to the
eyes as Sir Humphrey Potter, an hour
later, would be dignified and imposing
ltlwas not for the purpose of observ-
ing$the beauties of nature that he thus
delayed his toilet, but rather that he
might watch Miss Latimer, the daugh-
ter sof 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
forssthe sake of the thousand delicate
scents that mingled with it and thu
sweet, glad song of the birds; Mis-
Lattmer chiefly for the sake of he1
complexion. She did not care mucl
forssthe songs of the birds; she pre-
ferred music from the, comic operas
. And as for the delicate scents of tn,
Walking flowers. She had beer
known to purchase patchouli.
Mass Latimer's whole attention wa!
at that~period- oh ~existence~en
crossed by her numerous love affairs
Her. talk was of young men. He
great purpose was to obtain a hus
band ii young and handsome, so mucl
~ thesbetter, but the only indispensabl,
adjunct was wealth. ! She was LITTLE
i plump and pretty, with beautiful eye
that she could use effectively on yer,
young men. These walked with her
tailed with her (she would giggle a
remarkasthat should have been re
ceived with a cold silence !, and dirte'
with her. 49,
i She was ca lied Flo i seemed
necessary consequence There az
many noble, stately women ii th
world named Florence. but It wou'l