Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1911-07-14
CHAPTER /.
AN URGENT

unusually iIIlldllIlS one, tdleiiIl6 tNSSAh
up in the most unexpected ways, until,
with petitions and counter petitions
and answers and demurrers and what
not, we were all heartily tired of 1t.
] slipped the papers into an envelope
and shot them into a pigeon-hoie with
q sigh OF relief.
II think that'n end It." / said Il
don't see how there al be any further
delay
mo" agreed our junior, neither do
/. Are the papers in the Griffin case
ready?"
Not yet; / doubt If they will be
ready before this afternoon"
We'll, they can wait" he said. and
glanced at his watch. Il want TO catch
the ten-ten for Elizabeth"
For Elizabeth"
Yes. / know it's a mighty awkward
time for me to leave, but it's an en-
gagement I've got to keep. You've
heard me speak Of Burr Curtiss?"
Yes" I said; Il seem to remember
the name"
Hes been one OF my best friends
for the past 10 years. met him hrst
at Yale. and a liking sprang up be-
tween us, which grew stronger as time
went on I played a sort Of second fd-
die to him, then, for he was president
of the class in his senior year and
was voted the most popular man In 1t.
He came to New York, as soon as he
was graduated, and got a place on the
construction staff Of the Pennsylvania
road. He was assigned to n OF the
western divisions, and ] didn't see any
thing Of him for two or three years,
but finally he was recalled. and we used
to hobnob at the University club. Since
my marriage, he comes afound TO
smoke a pipe with me occasionally and
talk over DID times. He's a social fell
Inxy lflrao 1op,Y no n ton ii in aud INV ypifp
says, is Just the man to make a wom-
ar happy; SO when he wrote me q note,
two months ago, announcing his en-
gagement, we were naturally curious
concerning the woman in the case
for hts ideals were high-too high, /
always told him"
Mr.. Royce paused and sat for a mo-
ment smiling out the window at the
grey wall Of the building opposite.
Il remember 1t was n evening last
winter" he went on at last, that Cur
tiss happened in and. as we sat smok-
Ing together, u talk somehow turned
to women. It was then l learned what
ar idealist he was. The woman 10 win
his hear must be accomplished, of
course: witty. knowing the world. and
yet unsoiled by 1t, capable of original
thought, Of being her husbands intel
lectual companion-so much for the
mental side. Physically-well, physi~
cally he wanted a Venus de Milo or
Helen Of Troy, nothing less. I laughed
at him. / pointed out that beautiful
women are seldom intellectual. But he
was obdurate. He protested that he
would capitulate on no other terms. |
retorted that, IN that case, he would
probably remain a bachelor
But" / remarked, 1T seems to me
that this friend cs yours Is a trifie ego
~tistical. What has he to offer IN ex-
oh n Y fnr cr,rJ, rny-fonttnp %
We'll" said Mr.. Royce, slowly, ut
would be a good bargain IN both sides.
Given such a woman, / could fancy her
longing for such q mar as Curtiss, just
as he would long for her. I've told you
something Of his mental calibre-physi-
cally, he's the handsomest man I ever
saw. And It seems to me ne gets
handsomer every year., In u college
days, he was rather too stout, too girl
i~sh-looking, but hard work and contact
with the world have rubbed all that
away. George!" he added, the chill
dren Of such a pair would be fit for
! olympus"
"And did he find herr" I asked, cur
ious for the rest of the story.
after I got his note" said my COM
p~anion, II hunted him up at his apart
ments as 500 as I could. He let me
IN himself, got out his cigars, and sat
down opposite me fairly beaming. 1
looked him over--I nae never before
seen a man who seemed so supremely
happy; .s,e, ~ ,.s+ .,,o,,.ro to,r,
her?'
Yes he said; yes
The woman you were looking for? p
1.-THE very woman
THAT impossible ideal?'
IAN ideal, yes; but not impossible,
since she exists In the flesh and I have
found her.
"well, you're a lucky dog I said.
Tell me about her.
80 he told me-quite a Laura Jean
Libbey story. She was everything, It
seemed, that could be desired in a
m
"And beautiful?' I asked him.
For reply, he brought out a photo
graph from his desk. I tell you, Les
ter, It fairly took my breath away. I
felt as though 1 were looking at q mas
terpiece--say Andrea del Sarto's Ma
donna And I would as soon have
thought of marrying the one as the
other. 1t was like snatching a star
down out of heaven.
Curtis was leaning back In his chair
watching me, and he smiled as / looked
UP.
"wellY he asked.
1T went over and shook hands with
him-I couldn't find words to tell him
what i lelt.
but where has she been?' / de-
manded. How does 1t happen she was
left for your
"'She's been abroad for five or six
years he explained.
That's no answer / said, WHY
isn't she q queen, then; or a duchess,
It least?'
"'She's had chances enough, I dare
say and he smiled at my enthusiasm.
Z agree with you that she's worthy to
wear a crown; but then, you see, she
has ideals, too. Perhaps none OF the
kings she met measured up to them
land o did?'
"tShe's good enough to think So
II had been idling over the photo
graph, and my eyes happened to fall
upon some lines written across the
back didn't know them. then, but
I've looked them up, since:-
my days were sunless and my
nights were moonless. Parched the
pleasant April heritage and the iark's
hearts outbreak tuneless, If you loved
me noti'
II tell you, Lester and there was O
little break In our juniors voice, =
was overwhelmed. You know. love