Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1910-01-13
HUNTING AN IDEAL.
Cy NJ. QUAD.


copyright. 1905. by Associated Literary
Press
The main reason why Phillip Hutch.
inson found himself "a bachelor still
at the age of forty was because he had
an ideal n because be had never
found her. He had looked and longcd
and hoped. but she had not crossed his
path. She did not until after his for
tieth birthday. Then fate or fortune
or something else smiled on him.
Mr.. Hutchinson was strolliug up
Fifth avenue, New York. when his eye
caught Il photo in a showcase. There
she waS-the counterfeit OF the woman
he had carried in his mind for thou
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 CID
bachelor could figure out. had blond
hair, blue eyes, ruby lips, and her voice
was the trill Of a 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. and that rising young man
replied to him:
THAT gal? She came in a carriage
and had a poodle. Took away our
breath in a minute. If l growed up
and had the scads-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 a book. and he keeps the book
in a safe. She must be a Fifth avenue
fier. though. and if you walk up and
down long huff you'll be sure to meet
her"
If it hadn't been for the dreams that
Mr.. Hutchinson dreamed his legs n
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 a mad bull, from
a JOY ride auto going ninety miles an
hour and from other things.
March gave way to April, and still
the search went on. Sometimes it
rained Oh the searcher and sometimes
it didn't. Sometimes he caught sight
of a face in Il carriage n hope eter-
nal hnhbleI 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 haun,iNg
Fifth avenue in search of Il site TO
erect an old mans home, If they had
any other idea he was Il man not to
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 it was scrutiniZed regularly at
least twice Il day. The photographers
boy still remained, and gradually Il
feeling OF pity came into his young
heart for the persevering searcher. He
always encouraged him with a nod
when they met, but it vas well along
in May when he waited at the show
case with Il 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?"
"DuDno. That's what she said. Meb-
be her dad has rented Dreamland for
a bungalow You orter find her down
there in q day."
"You are sure it was the same?
"Sure Mike! Can't any II tell an
angel after seeing her oncest? You go
right down there tomorrow and you'll
find her.
What was none 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 Mr.. Hutchinson. lie
was joyous and loquacious, and they
said he had finally bought the site. He
was down at Coney by 10 O'Clock next
forenoon. BY noon be 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 a
feeling of despair crept into his heart.
and he entered a concert hall to brace
up on a sandwich and a glass of beer.
He didn't brace. He wouldn't have
got into the place if he hadn't fallen
in. AT the door. i'll a big, cheap frame.