The Cairo bulletin., 1910-01-18
A GEOMETRICAL
ROMANCE.
BY Allan p. Ames.

0eTlTuuS Alien was an extremely
pretty girl, with dreamy eyes and a
full of captivating foolishness.
lin Etcher was a clean-cut, square.
shouldered lad with as much romance
in him as Belgian block, but bust.
ness head that mad gained him jun.
ior partnership in large hardware
house before he was 80.
Ronald Vernoy wore his hair on his
collar and Endorsed check when h.
was fortunate enough to possess one
usually Oh the wrong end. He earned
$50 week as newspaper critic
and wrote verses for The minor mega
zines at % cents line.
There you have the t!lree corner;
Of the triangle.
Il might marry hard headed bis
ness man, Gertrude told Etchor on,
evening, when he was unusually ne
sistent, but not a man whose hls
ness is his only interest m, If yog
only showed a spark of sentiment
well. things might be different
This explanation. which was tn,
first really satisfactory one Gertrude
had vouchsafed made Jim t!tcae
think hard all the way home. Tho re
suit of his cogitations is the secont
side of the triangle reaching Ronald
Nernoy. Eteher fell upon him IN hi
back hall bedroom as lie was reyainp
ing rejected quatrain
Just what come to see yol
about he said, catching sight of tn
manuscript In th epoet's hands. Yer
noy old man, tell me how you do it?.
Il can't" replied Vernoy senteb
tiously: nobody can. You just fee
1t and then You write. If you're no
born that way there's ne use trying
Just what feared sighed tn
lovelern Etcher "Veinoy. whatll 20,
take for what you're writing tha
roundela or whatever You call ito
This? said Ronald why wha
use would 1t be to you"
Never mind the use. How much?
Il have offered il u the Pink Pea
cock for S15," replied Vernoy. He r.
Trained from saying that the Pink Pes
cock had promptly rejected his oile
in its customary printed phrase
III give you 500 for it" said Etc
err, pulling out his purse,
ITS, yours" said Vernoy, passn
1t over, but yon must promise not t
use it in connection with my name.
Nothing further from my inter
ton declared the hardware mel
chant
The real significance of Etcher'
parting speech did not dawn upo
Ronald Vernoy until two afternoon
later when he discovered the batter
ed quatrain on the little writing DIES
in Miss Aliens reception room. T
his intense indignation his fines ha
been copied in another hand, and b,
meath them was the signature Jim.
OF course there Nae only on
thing for an honorable man TO do
case like this. Jim Etcher had l.,
sorted to underhanI means 70 TO
ward his suit. When Miss Allen en-
tered the room Vprnoy lost no tim
in explaining how some designin
villain had imposed upon her innocen
love of poetry and "omaHce.
But how do you know that the pei
| son who sent me these lines did ne
write them?" she asked, WIFI a pee,
| liar look
"Know?" snorted Vernoy-it was
refined poetic kind Of snort -"becaus
wrote them myself"
| Jim" said Gertrude when Etche
called that evening, "Mr Vernoy say
that he wrote that verse you sent IN
land sold it to you. Is that true?"
Jim Etcher turned fiery red. "Ge
trude,' he said. Il thought Id be will
ing to do anything to get you, eve
tell lie; but when you, look at IN
| like that it's no use trying. l can
Yes, Vernoy wrote that poetry. Is
really so beautiful"
Gertrude moved step closer b,
fore she replied
Yin, it's the sickliest mock.Sent
ment | ever read. If You had wiitte
it I'd never marry you IL you were th
last man on earth"
You can guess the Q, E. u.
mr. Wurtnn1 has had praat reur1,