The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-01-14
HUNTING AN IDEAL.
BY N. QUAD.


at the age of forty was because he had
an ideal and because be had never
found her. He had looked aud longed
and hoped. but she had not crossed his
tieth birthday. Then fate or fortune
or something else smiled on him.
MIR. Hutchinson was strolling up
Fifth avenue. New York. when his eye
caught photo In showcase. There
she was-the counterfeit of the woman
he had carried In his mind for thou
sands of days. Her hair was down.
and she was draped as an angel. How
the photographers get ON to the angel
business without going to heaven Is
none Of The public's business. You can
take their angels or leave them. This
particular angel. as near as the old
bachelor could figure out. had blond
hair. blue eyes, ruby lips. and her voice
was the trill of bird.
The ideal hunter stood long before
the picture and made up his mind to
hunt the earth over to find the original.
He did not go upstairs to find the
artist. He waited down below for the
artists boy. aud that rising young man
replied to him.
That gal? She came in carriage
aud had a poodle. Took away our
breath in minute. IL growed up
and had the scuds-gee"
But her name. bOy-her name and
address," demanded the man with the
beating heart.
You can search me. The boss has
got it in book. and he keeps the book
in a safe. She must be Fifth avenue
flier, though, and If you walk up and
down long 'nuff you'll be sure to meet
her"
: If it hadn't been for the dreams that
Mr.. Hutchinson dreamed his legs and
his perseverance would have given
out. He had various dreams of the
angel in the show case. and they al
; ways heartened him up for the next
days hunt. In those dreams he was
always saving her from going over
!, Niagara falls. from mad bull. from
|, joy ride auto going ninety miles an
hour and from other things.
March gave way to April. and still
the search went on. Sometimes 1t
rained on the searcher and sometimes
1t didn't. Sometimes he caught sight
| of face in carriage and hope eter-
nal bubbled up in his breast, and some
times he simply saw females and drag
! ged his weary legs along. One must
even give credit to the rat that gnaws
through a two inch plank. Clubmen
wondered and talked. but they didn't
get hold Of the truth. They took it
that Mr.. Hutchinson was haunting
Fifth avenue In search of site TO
: erect an old mans home, If they had
I any other idea he was man not -
be questioned.
April dragged away and May came
in. Up one side of the avenue and
down the other. just the same. The
: photo still remained in the showcase,
and 1t was scrutinized regularly at
least twice day. The photographers
boy still remained, and gradually a
feeling Of pity came into his young
heart for the persevering searcher. He
always encouraged him with nod
when they met. but 1t was well along
In May when he waited at the show
: case with a smile on his face to say:
: "Say, I've got news. That angel was
in the gallery ag'in yesterday"
"You don't tell mel" gasped Mr..
Hutchinson.
"Sure as shootin', and she ordered
? the boss to send fifty of her photos
, to Coney Island. Said she was going
down there today"
"But what for?'
"Dunno. That's what she said. Meb-
F. be her dad has rented Dreamand Tor
bungalow. You orter tind her down
there In a day."
"You are sure 1t was the sameF
"Sure Mike! Can't any one tell an
angel after seeing her oncest? You &c
right down there tomorrow and you'll
: find her"
What was money to the searcher
when the search was so near ended
Another FIVE changed hands. and at
the club that evening they noticed the
great change In MIR. Hutchinson. lie
was joyous and loquacious. and they
said he had finally bought the site. lie
was down at Coney by 10 o'clock next
forenoon. By noon he had made sure
, that no angels were registered at any
of the hotels. BY 2 o'clock he had ex'
[ hausted the bungalow idea. Then q
feeling of despair crept into his heart
and he entered concert hall to brace
' up on sandwich and glass OF beer
He didn't brace. He wouldn't have
> got into the place If he hadn't fallen
n in. At the door. in big, cheap frame
we're a dozen photos of the ACTRESSES
then doing the high kicking on the
stage, and that of the angel of the
showcase led all the rest. Mr. Hutch
inson fell into the hall and on to
I chair. and for five minutes things
D buzzed In his head. and he couldn't
give his order to the waiter. who was