Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-12-16

the world can show. She's better look ing and sweeter than thought she was at first"
 She's q tricky sort of young per son. observed Maurer calmly. One day she looks like the real thing, and then again she looks utterly common place. Funny you can only rave about her on one of her uninteresting days, l suppose that from now on you'll be drawing brunette dwarfs, no matter what sort of heroines the author likes. You'll lose your pull with the publish CTS If you keep that sort of thing up. Better see doctor about It."
 You'd better see an oculist yourself if your eyes are so dull to real lowell ness" retorted Ned. When you have finished your breakfast let mo know, and I'll come and get mine. The lease here runs out at the end of this month. I guess l won't renew my share, Mau- Ter. Better get some one else
 Think I'll move, too' assented Maurcr q don't want to stay here across the way. I'll stop at the office on the way out and tell them to look for another tenant"
 He went out to lonely breakfast, and when he had gone Wellington came out to play with the cold chops and the lukewarm coffee. He did not go to the drawing board in spite of the splendid inspiration of the girl across the way.
 He was tremendously fond of Mau rer. and this abrupt termination of their friendship, coming as 1t had, un settled him for work. He could only puff at his pipe and wonder what 1t would be like to set up housekeeping alone in smaller apartment. He would take an apartment in the same house to be near the girl, but he would need only one room.
 Maurer paid the larger share of the joint rental He was making more money and insisted that he would pay as much were he alone. Ned had ap preciated Ms kindness. and when he did not look at the girl he reproached himself for his new ingrattude.
 But when he saw the little brown head and the delicate profile through the window opposite he told himself that an unseeiug brute like Maurer did not deserve sympathy.
 The luncheon came up and was sent back untasted, and the afternoon shad ows grew into dusk, and still Ned sat and smoked and thought
 The girl was gone now, but he could still fancy that she was there, and he was so absorbed with his thoughts that he did not hear the key turn in the lock, and not until Maurer burst shades on the electric globes did he rouse himself
 We're both right. old man!' shouted Maurer as he dragged Ned from his chair and forced him to participate in an impromptu war dance about the tiny parlor "The prettiest girl in the world lives across the way, but your prettiest girl is not my prettiest girl, thank heaven. There are two of 'em, old man, yours and mine-at least they're going to be yours and mine, I hope"
 He sank into a chair
 "Tm tekjup cara of Cordon's rlIents while he's in Europe, and Mrs. Eos ter sent for me today to consult about some real estate deal That's where my prettiest girl went. They're twins, Alice and Phoebe Bayard, and they're Mrs Fosters nieces She's an invalid, and they tnke turns living with her. She says it's too much of strain to have them both there at once and to try to tell which is which That's why sometimes it was my prettiest girl, and sometimes 1t was the one you liked. We made the mistake of think ing that there was ely one. The old lady's going to Europe with a trained nurse for keeps. It's good thing that we gave up this apartment. We'll need two, and they won't be In bache- Tor halls either
 Ned grasped his friends hand in his own. There's only one prettiest girl" he declared, ''but yours isn't common place. And with that concession Mau- Ter was content