Putnam patriot., 1908-12-25
Their Prettiest Girl.
By HENRY BERlINCuOFr,
Copyrighted. lss. by Associated
 


 wholly lovable young woman on the glal,e
 Ned reterted with some heat. and the result was that then and there the domestic partnership was threatened with dissolution.
 IL was the first time since they had set Hp housekeeping in bachelor apartment three years before that they had nad a disagreement
 Maurer had flung himself out Of the room with never a goodby. aud Ned had sat himself down at his drawing board to make the girl across the way fhe central figure in a set of T. lustrations he was doing for story. blissfnHy ignoring the fact that the authors heroine WAS tall. above the ordinary, a fair haired goddess ef the Norseland. while the girl across the way was petite and decidedly dark.
 Maarer did not return te dress for dinner. and Ned was fast asleep by the time he did come in There was ne reepeninx of the discussion. and In the morning the clash of the day be fore was tacitly ignored
 More than week passed and the cloud had blown away when Maurer. waiting for his breakfast fo be sent up from the restaurant in the build ing. approached the window and gave low whistle of surprise.
 You're right. old man" he cried. and I'll eat all the humble pie you care 10 feed me. That girl Is god dess in miniature
 Ned sprang 10 the window pleased smile of triumph on his face But the smile faded when he looked closely
 It's awfuIly good of you to say so. old chap" he said gratefully, but I'll eat that nie myself. Funny I should have thought her such Il sumner She's Il good locker but nothing like the s0ddess Eve been raving about
 Don't be a heastly foai.s urged Maurer politely You're an artist. You must know that shes one woman in thousand.
 Do yeu mean fl :s demanded Ned wonderinglY. T thought you were saying it te please me. Funny that taste is very good
 Good" echoed Maurer "0f course it's good. aud il tells me that that girl is remarkable beauty
 .'Nonsense,.'' scoffed Ned. Shes good looking, but commonplace There are hundreds like her.
 Maurer turned look of ineffable seorn upon his friend and silently made his way ta the table. where the breakfast now was spread
 The meal was eaten iii silence, and for second time within ten days Maurer departed for his office without the good luck in yenr work. old man" which started Ned on his drawings in proper humor with himself
 Instead of going to his drawing board Ned went ta the window. and for long half hour he studied the across the street
 He turned away with sigh then regarded the half completed sketch tacked te his drawing board. It was a remarkabn good likeness of he girl opposite: but kneading his rublei 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 glipted yelowy against a crimson curtain. This was fe be the frontispiece of a magazine, and he had wondered the afternoon before if the girl would see it andsree- ognize her likeness He had drawn nothing else but pictures of her since that first morning. and DOW he won dered how he had ever been such a fool
 That evening MauBer smoked his Dipe in front of fhe window where he could watch his new divinity. and Ned 1@ avoid further rupture. clapped on his hat and weut out for a street ear ride. form of amusement he de- tested. but which was better than watching Maurer make fool of him. self.
 Ever since he had come to the city he and Crosby Maurer had been the firmest of friends. For three years they had sIved together in fhe little four room apartment that had become real home to them and SO closely had they studied each others peculiar flies there were none of the outbreaks of i'll hHrnor that had spoiled many knch arrangements. This was the first time that there had come r~al clash. and BeIlfnshan felt it keeniy.
 In time the edge of the trouble wore AWAY. but there was no real r~sump- lion of the old friendship. Manner was sill fno hnrs to forget all thai had been sah In the heat of passion. though he had forgotten fbe things the had said te Ned af fbe fSsf disagree ment
 While ti.efe wa. a earefHi obsefv- ance of the old forms. back of them was lacking the real regard that had made them something mofe than forms.
 yainiy Ned sought fa overcome his reversal of opinion. but 1t was nearly two weeks before he conld change Then as he was dressing one morning he chaneed to glance through the half opened shutters. and moment later he was in his friends room.
 .sYou win-' he cried with such ab- ruptness that Maurer cut himself with the razor he was welding That girl |. 4 raving beauty. Maurie- Funny that should have taken that ois'iAs 10 her. but it's gone now shes all that you say she is
 And that isn't much. was the re. r.,v iu cold contempt Funny should have raved about her. She looks iiAe a chorus girl. Ii was shock when