The Somerset reporter., 1908-12-24
Their
Prettiest Girl.
By HENRY BERLINGHOFF.
Copyrighted. 1908, by Associated
Literary Press.

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 u bachelor
apartment three years before that they
had mad 4 disagreement
Maurer had flung himself out Of the
room with never n goodby. and Ned
had sat himself down at his drawing
board to make the girl across the
way the central figure i'll Il set of IL
Illustrations he was doing for a story,
blissfully ignoring the fact that the
authors heroine was tall, Above the
ordinary, 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 taeitly 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. "A pleased
smile of triumph on his face. But the
smile faded when he looked closely.
It's awfully good of you to say SO,
old chap he said gratefully, but I'll
eat that pie myself. Funny | should
have thought her such sumner.
She's a good locker, but nothing like
the goddess I've been raving about"
Don't be beastly fool" urged
Maurer politely You're an artist.
lou Il'uSl hllON that slit y O1e NOllldl
in a thousand"
"Do you mean it," demanded Ned
wonderlngly Il thought you were
saying it to please me. Funny that
you should like her Usually your
taste is very good"
Good" 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 a 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, and
for long half hour he studied the
dainty figure sewing by the window
across the street
He turned away with sigh, then
regarded the half completed sketch
tackled to his drawing board. 1t was
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
He took melancholy pleasure in
drawing in a girl who was tall and
plump and whose hair glinted yellowy
against a crimson curtain. This was
to be the frontispiece of a magazine,
and he had wondered the afternoon
before If the girl would see it and rec
ognize her likeness. He had drawn
nothing else but pictures of her since
that first morning, and now he won
dered how he had ever been such
fool.
That evening Maurer smoked his
pipe in front OF the window where he
could watch his new divinity, and
Ned, to avoid further rupture, clapped
on his hat and went out for a street
car ride, form of amusement he de-
tested, but which was better than
watching Maurer make a fool of him
self
Ever since he had come to the city
he and Crosby Maurer had been the
tirmest Of friends. For three years
they had lived together in the little
four room apartment that had become
a real home to them, and 50 closely
had they studied each others peculiar
tiles there were none of the outbreaks
Of i'll humor that had spoiled many
such arrangements This was the first
time that there had come real clash,
and Belingham felt it keenly
In time the edge of the trouble wore
away, but there was no real resump-
ton of the old friendship. Mnurer was
still too hurt to forget all that had
been said In the heat of passion
though he had forgotten the things he
had said to Ned at the first disagree
ment.
While there was a careful observ-
ance of the old forms. back of them
was lacking the real regard that had
made them something more than
forms.
VanIy Ned sought to overcome his
reversal of opinion, but 1t was nearly
two weeks before he could change
Then as he was dressing one morning
he Glanced to glance through the half
opened shutters, and a moment later
he was in his friends room.
tGVpt1 In ba oria5 NTH s,,nh