Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-12-16

t0dI sue WAS lut udIHlleSI ouu iiioSt 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
 It was the first time since they had set up housekeeping in bachelor apartment three years before that they had mad a disagreement.
 Maurer had flung himself out of the room with never q goodby. and Ned had sat himself down at his drawing board 10 make the girl across the way the central figure in a set of H. lustratio be was doing for a story. blissfuly 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 low whistle of surprise
 "Youre right. old man." he cried, and I'll eat all the humble pie you care 10 feed me. That girl is a god dess in miniature"
 Ned sprang to the window, a pleased smile of triumph on his face Rut the smile faded when he looked closely.
 Its awfuIly 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 sumner, Shes a good locker sut nothing like the goddess I've been raving about"
 Don't he a beastly fool" urged Maurer politely. You're an artist. You must know that shes one woman in a thousand
 Do you mean it"' demanded Ned wonderlngly. 'I thought you were saying it 10 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 q second time within ten days Maurer departed for his office without the good luck in your work, old man." which started Ned on his dra wings in proper humor with himself
 Instead of going to his drawing board Ned went to the window. and for a long half hour he studied the dainty figure sewing by the window across the street
 He turned away with q sigh. then regarded the half completed sketch tackled to his drawing board It was A remarkably good likeness of the girl opposite; but. kneading his rubber ara +oI with another sigh for his lost ideal
 He took a melancholy pleasure in drawing in q girl who WAS tall and plump and whose hair glinted ycllowy against q crimson curtain. This was 10 be the frontiSpiece of magazine, and he had wondered the afternoon before if the girl would see it and rec 0gniZe her likeness. lie had drawn nothing else but pictures of her since that first morning. and now he won dered how he had ever been such a fool
 That evening Maurer smoked his pine in front of the window where he could watch his new divinity. and Ned. to avoid further rupture, clapped ou his hat and went out for street rar 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 Naurer had been the tlrmest of friends For three years they had lived together in the little four room apartment that had become real home to them. and so closely had they studied each others peculiar itios there were none of the outbreaks of i'll humnr that had spoiled many such arra ngements This was the first time that there had come a real clash. and BnlIinghan felt it keenlv
 In time the edge of the trouble wore away. but there was no real rosump- fion of tho old friendship. Maurer was still ton hurt to forget all that had been said in the heat of passion though he had forgotten tho things he had said 10 Ned at the first disagree ment
 While there was q careful obsprv- ancc of the old forms. back of them was lacking the real regard that had made them something more than forms
 Nainly 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 chanced to glance through the half opened shutters, and q moment later