Rock Island Argus., 1908-11-30
The Argus Daily Short Story
THEIR PRETTIEST GIRL-BY HENRY BERLINGHOFF.
Copyrighted. 1908, by Associated Literary

1t was Ned BeIlingham who discov-
cred the girl across the way. Cros-
by Maurer hooted at the suggestion
that she was the daintiest and most
wholly lovable young woman on the
globe.
Ned retorted with some heat, and
| the result was that then and there the
domestic partnership was threatened
| with dissolution.
1t was the first time since they had
set up housekeeping in a bachelor
| apartment three years before that they
had had disagreement.
Maurer had flung himself out of the
room with never a goodby, and Ned
had sat himself down at his drawing
board to make the girl across the
way the central figure in a set of H.
lustrations he was doing for a story.
blissfully ignoring the fact that the
authors heroine was tall. above the
ordinary, a fair haired goddess of the
| Norseland, while the girl across the
| way was petite and decidedly dark.
Maurer did not return to dress for
dinner, and Ned was fast asleep by
the time he did come in. There was
no reopening of the discussion. and in
the morning the clash of the day be-
fore was tacitly ignored.
More than a week passed and the
cloud had blown away when Maurer,
waiting for his breakfast to be sent
up from the restaurant in the build
ing. approached the window and gave
a low whistle of surprise.
you're right, old man." he cried,
land I'll eat all the humble pie you
care TO feed me-. That girl is god
dess in miniature"
Ned sprang to the window, pleased
smile of triumph on his face. But the
smile faded when he looked closely.
Its awfully good of you to say so.
old chap" he said gratefully, but I'll
eat that pie myself. Funny I should
have thought her such a sumner.
She's good LOCKER but nothing like
the goddess I've been raving about"
Don't be beastly fool" urged
Maurer politely. You're an artist.
You must know that she's one woman
| in thousand"
"Do you mean it?' demanded Ned
wonderingly. 81 thought you were
saying it to please me. Funny that
you should like her. Usually your
taste is very good"
"Goodw echoed Maurer. "Of course
It's good, and it tells me that that girl
is a remarkable beauty"
Nonsense" scoffed Ned. "She's
good looking. but commonplace. There
are hundreds like her,
Maurer turned a look of ineffable
scorn upon his friend and silently
made his way to the table, where the
breakfast now was spread.
The meal was eaten in silence, and
= for second time Within ten days
Maurer departed for his office without
the good luck in your work, old man, "
which started Ned on his drawings In
: proper humor with himself.
Instead of going to his drawing
board Ned went to the window, aud
for a long half hour he studied the
dainty figure sewing by the window
across the street.
He turned away with a Sigh, then
. regarded the half completed sketch
: tackled to his drawing board. 1t was
a remarkably good likeness of the girl
opposite: but, kneading his rubber
afresh. Ned started to efface the figure
with another sigh for his lost ideal.
q He took a melancholy pleasure In
drawing in a girl who was tall and
+ plump and whose hair glinted yellowy
against crimson curtain. This was
to be the frontispiece Of magazine
d and he had wondered the afternoon
before If the girl would see it and rec
lognlze her likeness. He had draw
nothing else but pictures of her sine,
that first morning, and now he won
:. dered how he had ever been such
fool
That evening Maurer smoked hi
J pipe in front Of the window where b
could watch his new divinity, an
Ned, to avoid further rupture, clappe
on his hat and went out for stree
car ride, a form of amusement he d,
!" tested. but which was better tha
watching Maurer make fool Of hin
'self.