The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-11-13
HIS BLIGHTED
ROMANCE
BY RICHARD


ID ELMORE COWLEY stopped hi
L ear. He stopped 1t expertly
with one m%anicured hand on the brake
He stopped it with a devil-may-car'
nonchalance. His features wore al
aloof, superior smile his manner, as
he surveyed his car, was slightly bored
and had a touch of hauteur about 1t
1t was P. EImore Cowley's imitation OF
an English duke as played by a motion
picture actor reared in a barber shop.
In his minds eye his car was a costly
limousine Of foreign extraction, q roar
ing, throbbing bull of a car, with racy,
rakish lines. Actually 1t was an ele-
vator in a big Sixth avenue depart
ment store.
Daily now, for three years, P. Ell
more Cowley had piloted the elevator
up and down, down and up. He was a
youngish, plumpish, blondish man If
he had but half an inch more chin he
could have posed for collar advertise
ments. In the tone of a lord of the
manor addressing his tenants, he said,
crisply:
"Going upl Step to the rear of the
car. Don't crowd, madam. There are
other cars. Going upl'
Again he brought his car to a stop.
In swift, mechanical accents he an
noinced;
second flood! Mems and boys
clothing. groceries. fishing tackle,
mops, l~ampshades, punching-bags, toys,
laces and bathing suits. Anybody want
second? Going upl Step to the rear
of the car, please
Up he went. He stood very erect
and stern at the throttle. In his minds
eye he was a colonel in the red and
gold uniform of his majesty's Royal
Lancers; actually his uniform was
gray and bore on its sleeve the mono
gram S. & K, which stood for Stein &
Katz, who owned the store. He stopped
the car so abruptly that a lady passen-
ger almost swallowed her artificial
teeth.
Third floor" he chanted. Ladies'
shoes and blouses, children's hats and
wraps, art goods, hardware, negligees,
hair goods, clocks, hats, books, stoves,
furs and pianos. Going up! Step to
the rear of the car, pleased"
The elevator slid skyward. Mentally
P. Gilmore was cruising up Fifth ave
nue. in his roadster, an heiress by his
side he was wearing white spats and
smelled of Partisan perfume this was
his constant day dream. The figure
"a" painted on the floor jerked him
back to real life, caused him, by habit,
to stop his car and automatically call
out;
Fourth f1oorl Ladies' and misses
cloaks, suits and evening gowns, phono-
graphs, toilet goods, underwear, tires,
corsets and rugs! Going up! Step to
the real of the car, please"
P. Gilmore Cowley was worldly. He
coveted things Of the fesh-limousines,
monogrammed cigarettes, silk pajamas,
caviar for breakfast, a duplex apart
ment on Park avenue, and no work. 1t
struck him that the easiest way TO at
tain this bliss was 10 marry an heiress
who would support him in the style to
which he was unaccustomed. He felt
sure that he was the mental equal of
any heiress; he had once read a book.
But how could he meet an heiress?
vas the problem. No doubt he
had carried many dollar ~princesses In
his car; but an elevator is a poor place
to start a romance,
P. Gilmore went about 1t scientifcai-
ly. He saved his money; he purchased
(second hand) a dinner jacket and a
pair of white flannels. He invested his
savings in a weekend at q fashionable
summer hotel. There he contrived to
Introduce himself to Eloise Lubbock.
laughter of the fiypaper king, rated at
.hree million. p. Elmore made sure
II that, first of all. Eloise was plain
md rather bulky, but it was the figure
n her bank book that captivated P.
He worked fast. One word
ed to another. She invited him to
isit her in the fall at her parents
partment on Riverside drive. Then
e returned to town-and the store.
lie was sorry he could not linger; but.
e explained, Wall street needed him. !
Fall came. p. Elmore Cowley. in a ;
happy suit, set forth to conquer. He /
'ok Miss Lubbock to the theater. He )
Did her all about the book he had /
cad; he dropped hints about directors I
lettings, and big deals In oil and 3
lgar; he mentioned running into :
eggie VANDERBILT at the club, he ex.
'essed regret that his town car and
'adster were both out of commission
I'd a~pologized for bringing her home '
a vulgar taxicab. Toward midnight e
and Miss Lubbock returned to the :
fly apartment house where dweIt
r parents. :
But I'm sure we met before" she
IS saying. There's something so ia
liar about your face"
Perhaps we me at the Piping Rock
Int club" he suggested, cor at some
at fhp Ritz mr. Sharrvfc Or a