Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-07-27
HIS MANLY
BEAUTY
By WALTER EMMONS BROOKS
Copyright by American Press Assoc
citation, 1911.

At twenty-five l lived in a city and
IN a rear room. Back Of the house
were yards just deep enough 70.
other houses.
One day while looking out Of my
window l saw a girl sitting pensively
at a window of a house across the
yards. She was doing something with
her hands which I inferred to be knit
ting, though it was done beneath the
sill, so that l could not be sure. She
was looking down pensively. but
whether her eyes were bent on her
work l could not tell. l 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 u
young mans fancy flying, though by
this l do not mea to belittle the pic
| ture to which / have referred. / saw
her about the same time every day and
fell to dreaming about her. The fuel
Of love is Imagination. A youngster is
attracted tt a girl not for what she
Is. but for what his fancy paints her.
And girls are still more apt to endow
a man with noble qualities and love
him for them.
It was in the summer time. and
when l came home from business ev-
cry day at 6 it was still very light, and
| every day at that hour l saw the girl
opposite sitting In the same position
Since I stood right up before my own
window it was impossible that she
should not have been aware of my
presence there. Occasionally she
would turn her face outward. but I
could not see that her eyes ever rested
upon me But I remembered that 8
pure girl would not gaze upon a stran-
| ger-certainly not when he was look.
ing at her.
Every day On entering my room after
my return from business l dressed for
the evening. making myself appear as
attractive as possible. her threw
| open the shutters with as much clatter
as possible that I might attract the at
tention Of the girl opposite. Hearing
the sound. she would turn her face in
my direction, but only momentarily
and without any look of recognition.
This / put down to her native mod.
esty and purity. But l remembered
that there was a young man opposite.
and it occurred to me that if she con-
sidered that young nan especially
good looking she might fall in love
with him. for this was not only my
theoretical basis of love at hat time,
but l saw no other way of attracting
her.
l spent some time discovering the
young lady's name, then wrote her a
note couched in as manly and respect
full terms as l knew how. l had no
thought of making Roadway by what
I wrote. but l must open communica-
ton. and in doing so l wished to give
the girl an opinion of me common
surate with the admiration, If any.
that she had for my personal appear
ance.
To make a long story short, l recetv-
ed a courteous reply to my note. the
young lady stating that, though she
could not consent to a correspondence
with a stranger, in case l could find
means of making myself known to
her through a mutual friend or other
wise. should my position aud character
prove satisfactory, she would be hap
py to have me call upon her.
The day l received this note l spent
some time before my mirror wonder
ing that the girl should have found
such attractiveness in it as to call
forth so favorable a reply. I set my
wits to work to discover some mutuaI
friend to introduce me; but. having
recently come to the city a stranger
wrote another note to the girl | ad
mired. stating the case and asking
permission to furnish references.
To this l received a reply that Shit
would not receive calls for a few weeks
but if after the expiration of thai
time l was Of the same mind sb.
would be happy to receive me.
luOSS weeks were luG lOuSGSL u lily
life. From Sunday to Sunday seemed
like from month to month. After
three Sundays had passed l dispatch
ed a note asking if l might be per
mitted to call. l received a reply Civ
ing the desired permission that da,
week.
When after the sending up Of m.
card Miss Markley came into thu
room where | awaited her what l es
pecially noticed was that she looked
at me as though she had never see
me before and was curious to know
what sort Of a looking fellow I was
Having received me with a fai
amount Of cordially. we seated our
selves, and she said:
| II will explain why I put you of
SO. long. 1t was necessary. l hat
learned who you are. and the della.
was not because the report l hat
of you. for it was very fattering
The truth is that / was born blind
Until a couple of weeks ago l ha'
never seen any object. 1t was recent