The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-06-28
THE IDEAL DOROTHY.
By GEORGE HORTON.

GAWfhnE 0I "LhkN AnOAMGE kNEAEAs
 He was down in the Washington City Directory as "A. Quintner, clerk war Department" and that brief oi- o0raphy gave a very correct estimate of his relative importance in the com munity He was one of the several thousands in similar positions who lett their houses at certain hour in the morning. performed various duties and returned at a fixed hour at night,
 He was a bachelor, was 4. Quintner' As years of age, retiring and timid, with brown hair, slightly silvered at the temples, a florid complexion. ana snas- Ry eyebrows. He was big man, ne dressed neatly. his manr CTS were grave and polite and he walked with the alo If d corkscrew Manzanita cane.
 A. Quintner had never married De- cause of an ideal.
 Tn early youth he had supposedly found the incarnation of that ideai' tall. fair woman, with form as grace sui as the stem of lily, low, proae . sforehead, arching eyebrows. an oval lace serious, truthful, tender eyes Ex- uuisfte refinement seemed to eminate frana her like a perfume, while gentle- namn and angelic goodness looked rom Her level, fearless glance, and spoke In every tone of her low. soft voice.
 This woman lied to him, piayea Witn n hia heart as a cat with a mouse, ana married a disgusting old millionaire, whose very touch was condemnation. Her husband ( ed after few years ana the widow made 1t very plain 70 A; Ouintner that he might share the deao mans millions with her, ,I. nui ne PIE tSa ferred to remain simply elk. Tn the war department
 But he had not lost faith In ms ideal as we shall see.
 one morning as he was proceeding to his desk in the cepartr-ent, he looked suddenly into the face and eyes or a woman who so reminded him of his votithful love that he nearly dropped his corkscrew cane in his agitation. He turned and gazed after her. Yes, there was the same graceful form. re- minding him of the stem Of lily, sway ing in a gentle breeze, the same mas sive coil of amber hair.
 Can it beE he unused But no. She is 40 by now. and thi i5 young woman. the same age that she was
 He had not come far from his home, and, as he stood lookir g, the fair un- known passed into a house adjoining his own. She was not the same, ana A ouintner, clerk. made two mistakes in addition that day, a rare thing in his case, whose mind had become q sort of mechanical ready reckoner. That night he lit his pipe and sat oy his open fire, indulging in waking dreams.
 aThA ideal woman" he unused, .shouId be a bionde-a pronounced blonde--such as Dorothy here is."
 He called this woman. too, Dorotfy, even though he did not know her name and did not desire to learn 1t,
 It seemed improbable to him thatNtwo persons so ciosS resembling each other and his ideal-tfis Dorothy and the Dorothy of long ago-should both be ignoble. He knocked the ashes ont of his pipe and went to bed. coz .aeed that this Dorothy was good.
 This opinion was confirmed the next morning when he observed her from his. window bringing several bundles from the corner grocery, evidently pro- vision for the family breakfast. The early air had touched her cheek with freshness, and there was a joyous light in her eyes. which he concluded were grey.
 After a week A. oui trsr began to feel that he had something to. come home to nights. He was no longer en- vious of his two associates, one a fat, the other a tain old man, both bald. who shared h. office As the hands of the clock crept around the dial to- wards half-past fourg he also glanced impatiently at them. They-the two old men--wera hungry fer a sight of their wives and babies. while he per- haps might g. glimpse of Her. Fnil- ing that. he should at least experience the sweet influence of her proximity. for she was sure to be in during tho evening.
 Now. he eajoyet! a lowing acquaint- ance with the servant next door, a wo- man of about 10, with one co.or,ess eye and a Socratic nose.
 He stopped and talked several times with Annie, holring his hat politely in his hand. out of deference for her whose servant Annie was; and as he talked his voice grew tender and he exhibited hesitation and embarrass- ment When he was actually in con- versation with Annie his purpose seemed prepoStero,,s for he realized that he had stopped the woman simply