The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-07-05
HIS MANLY
BEAUTY
BY WALTER EMMONs BROOKS
Copyright by American Press Assoc
citation 1911.

| At twenty-five lived in city and
were yards just deep enough fol-
| clotheslines and then the rears OF
| other houses.
| One day while looking out Of my
window saw girl sitting pensively
| at window OF house across the
| yards. She was doing something with
| her hands which inferred to be knit
ting. though 1t was done beneath the
| sill. so that I could not be sure, She
| was looking down pensively. but
whether her eyes were bent on her
| work could not tell. was struck
| with her regular features and, above
all. with an expression Of sadness
that seemed inappropriate to a young
face.
| 1t doesn't require much to set o
young mans fancy flying. though BY
| this do not mean to belittle the pic
| ture TO which have referred. saw
| her shout the same time every day and
fell to dreaming about her. The fuel
4
attracted to d girl not for what she
| Isl but for what his fancy paints her
4 And girls are still more apt to endow
| man with noble qualities and love
| him for them.
| 1t was in the summer time, and
when ! came home from business ev.
cry day at G 1t was still very light, and
| every day at that hour saw the girl
| opposite sitting In the same position
| Since stood right up before my own
| window It was impossible that she
should not have been aware of my
4 presence there. Occasionally she
would turn her face outward, but |
could not see that her eyes ever rested
upon me. But | remembered that o
pure girl would not gaze upon stran-
| ger--certainly not when he was look
ing at her
Every day on entering my room after
my return from business dressed for
the evening. making myself appear as
attractive as possible, then threw,
open the shutters with as much clatter,
as possible that might attract the at
tention of the girl opposite, Hearing
the sound, she would turn her face In
my direction, but only momentariy
and without any look of recognition.
This put down to her native mod
esty and purity. But | remembered
| that there was young man opposite.
and 1t occurred to me that IL she con
| sidered that young man especially
good looking she might fall In love
with him, for this was not only my
theoretical basis Of love at that time.
but / saw no other way OF attracting
| her.
| | spent some time discovering the
young lady's name. then wrote her
note couched in as manly and respect
full terms as / knew how, | had no
thought of making Roadway by what
| wrote, but ! must open communica-
ton, and In ooiug 30 / wished TO give
| the girl an opinion OF me common
| surate with the admiration. II any,
that she had for my personal appear
ance.
To make a long story short, receiv
ed courteous reply to my note, the
young lady stating that, though she
could not consent to correspondence
with stranger, In case | could find
means Of making myself known to
her through mutual friend or other
wise. should my position and characte:
prove satisfactory, she would be hap
| py to have me call upon her.
The day received this note / spent
some time before my mirror wonder
ing that the girl should have found
| such attractiveness in 1t as to call
forth SO favorable reply. set my
wits to work to discover some mutual
friend to introduce me; but, having
recently come to the city a stranger,
knew very few people Finally
wrote another note to the girl I ad
mired, stating the case and asking
permission to furnish references.
To this received reply that she
| would not receive calls for few weeks,
| but If after the expiration of that
time | was of the same mind she
would be happy to receive me.
Those weeks were the longest of my
life From Sunday to Sunday seemed
like from month to month. After
three Sundays had passed dispatch
ed a note asking IL might be per
| mitted to call | received reply Civ.
ing the desired permission that day
| week.
When after the sending up OF my
card Miss Marley came into the
room where I awaited her what es
pecially noticed was that she looked
at me as though she had never seen
me before ana was curious to know
what sort of looking fellow was
Having received me with fair
amount OF cordially. we seated our
selves. and she said:
II will explain why put you of
so long. 1t was necessary. had
learned who you are. and the delay
was not because the report had
Of you. for n was very Gathering
The truth is that ! was born blind
Until couple of weeks ago | had
never seen any object II was recent
" decided by several ocalists In coun
sel that an operation should be per
formed on my eyes with view to