Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-07-13
CHAPTER L.
AN W. EMF SIMMONS.

said Mr.. RIOS. e. and handed the papers
back to me. "Ill be mighty glad when
we get that off our hands,"
SO. l knew. would the whole force of
the office. for the case had been an
unusually irritating one. tangling itself
up in the most unexpected ways, until,
With petitions II counter-petitions
and answers and demurrers and what
not, we We're all heartily tired OF 1t.
| slipped the paper into an envelope
and shot them into a p~igeon-hole With
a sigh OF relief.
Il think thatll end it," said ~
don't See how there can be any further
delay"
NO." agreed our Junior, neither do
\. Are the papers in the Griffin case
ready??"
Not yet; doubt if they VIII be
ready before this afternoon"
We'll, they II wait" he said. and
glanced at his watch. Il want to catch
the tsn-ten for Elizabeth"
Tor Elizabeth o."
Yes. l 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; II seem to remember
the name"
Hes been one OF my best friends
for the past 10 years. 1 met him first
at Yale. and a liking sprang up be-
tween us. which grew stronger as time
Went on. l played a sort OF second fid-
die to him. then, for he was president
of the class in his senior year and
was voted the most popular nan in it.
He came to New York, as soon as he
was graduated, and got n place on the
construction staff of the Pennsylvania
'cad. He was assigned to one OF the
western divisions. and / didn't see any
thing of him for two or three years.
hItf fiy,o11u hn vy,nc ,aolln ~~i x.o ,,-NJ
TO hobnob at the University club. Since
my marriage, he comes around to
smoke a pipe with me occasionally and
talk over old times. He's a social fell
low, likes companionship, and, my wife
says. is just the man to make a wom-
an happy; so when he wrote me n note,
TWO months ago. announcing his en-
gagement. we were naturally curious
concerning h woman in the case
for his ideals We're high-too high. l
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 one evening last
winter" he went or at last. that Cur
tiss happened in and. as we sat smok-
Ing together. our talk somehow turned
to women. 1t was then I learned wha.
an idealist he was. The woman to win
his heart must be. accomplished. of
course; witty. knowing the world. and
yet unsoiled by it, 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. 1 pointed out that beautiful
women are seldom Intellectual. But he
was obdurate. He protested that he
would c%apitulate on no other terms. I
retorted that, in that case. he would
probably remain a bachelor"
But" I remarked, ~ seems to me
chat this friend of yours is a trifle ego
tisttcal. What has he to offer in ex-
change for such perfection"
We'll" said Mr.. Royce, slowly, at
would be a good bargain on both sides.
Given such a woman. I could fancy her
longing for such q man as CCrtiss, 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 he gets
days. he was rather too stout, too girl
~ish-looking. but hard work and contact
with the world have rubbed all that
away. George!" he added. the chill
dren of such q pair would be At for
Olympus!"
ious for the rest Of the story.
/. After I got his note" said my COM
panion. Il hunted him up at his apart
ments az soon rs I could. He let me
In himself. got out his cigars. n sat
down opposite me fairly beaming. l
looked him over-I had never before
seen a man who seemed so supremely
h' !!sc.. asked - last You've ,o,,n,
herr
yes he said; yes.
The woman you were looking for?'
The very woman
THAT impossible ideal?'
IAN ideal. yes: but not impossible,
since h exists in the flesh and I have
found her.
wen. you're a lucky dog I said.
Tell me about her.
"So he told me-quite a Laura Jean
Libbey story. h was everything. 1t
seemed. that could be desired in q
woman.
".And beautiful?' I asked him.
For reply. he brought out a photo
graph from his desk. I tell you. Les
ter. 1t fairly took my breath away. ]
felt az though I 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. It was like snatching O star
down out Of heaven.
Curtis. was leaning back in his chair
watching me. and he smiled as I looked
up.
We'll? he asked.
Il went over and shook hands with
him couldn't ma words to tell him
what I felt.
But whore has she been? I de.
manded. How does It happen she wa
left for your
"'she's been abroad for I'VE or si1
years. he explained.
That's no answer. I said. why
Isn't she q queen. then: or . duchess
NJ 1Aaates