The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-01-22
The Eyec Of
Cupid
BY KEITH GORDON
Copyright, iSu4, bp Mary McKton

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''Give me sensible girl" said Billy
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"
i He paused impressively and stared
dreamily into the haze Of blue smoke
that surrounded them as II striving to
call his ideal clearly up before his
minds eye.
Venus de Milo waist and common
! sense shoesY' suggested Mrs. Jack,
who for reasons of her own wished to
get the outer semblance Of Biliy'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, II
It Is necessary" he added weakly. 1nd-
ing his companions 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 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 in the old rooms. 1t isn't
as II he had you" she had ended, with
an infection that had caused her hus.
band, who was at the moment deftly
his hairbrushes, to fash
a half humorous glance at his image
II the mirror and then cross the room
10 her side
With an orange wood stick In one
hand and the finger tips of the other
'osy with pomade, she had reached up
Ind recklessly pulled his head down
,eside her own. Temporarily the lone
y Billy had been forgotten. Then the
'ery excess of their happiness had
made her heart smite her.
1T must be awfully lonely for him."
he had resumed as II their conversa-
lon had received no interruption, "and
Ince it's all my fault feel as II ] I
ught to find him wife" s
Now, encouraged by Mrs Jacks
questioning eyes, Billy t
lmDied on, explaining that, though he 0
as not a marrying man, there were f
omems when he hoped that some g
me he might have a hearth Of his q
yn. etc. Though apparently listen II
& with sweet interest, his hostess l.
as in reality reviewing the list of
n friends in search Of the possible d
ri. One by one they seemed to pass G
fore her, a smiling, teasing process \
On Of blonds and brunettes. But none 81
them she realized with some dis fl
'pointment could exactly be describ- @
as a "girl with no nonsense about el
r." and from the fervor Of Billy's ct
it was apparent that no "
her need apply. al
Then, just as two worried lines Of
ought began to appear on her smooth OF
rehead and as Billy was winding up
tn, You see how it is, Mrs. Jack 81
G girls of today are too brilliant and m
,rldly for humdrum fellow like re
ev the face Of Virginia Blair arose Iii
fore her, and the lines disappeared
the radiance Of bright, assured s'
Iile. In
She certainly is good looking in a sh
eadfully noble manner" the young th
ltchmaker thought to herself as she al
'olved schemes for bringing the two
,ether, "but suppose Billy admires qr
1T type. And she doesn't pinch her
t or her waist. Obviously she was IN
Ide for Billy" sa
1t the dinner party which she gave
IN after for that particular though tie
expressed purpose of bringing them
,ether Billy took Miss Blair out. She bl
s tall, handsome girl, with dark, an
ious eyes and smooth, heavy hair. x
fore the first course had disappeared Te
ly had discovered that she and life
k each other seriously, and he had Ell
uncomfortable feeling when her
ious pazn foil unnn him that ha