The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1893-03-28
A HOPELESS CASE.
Why Eleanor Gave Up Her Search
for an Ideal Man.

for an Ideal Man.
The sunshine was dazzling that af-
ternoon, and in the golden November
air sweeping freshly down between the
rows of tall houses on either hand you
tasted at It's best that keenest of stimu-
lants-iced oxygen. 1t was day of the
gods, fit to put new life into the most
despairing soul, and It's invigorating eff
feet was plainly visible in the bearing
of carefully dressed, slightly rotund
gentleman of middle size and something
less than middle age as he came around
the corner Of the avenue and walked
briskly southwark. This plump, we'll
groomed gentleman was Mr. Anthony
Amory; his was not despairing soul,
however, in spite of the fact that he
was on his way to plead-for the last
time as he had resclved--what he felt
to be hopeless case.
He rang the bell at the last house in
the block, and was ushered into the IL
brary. AS he entered that remotest
and most individualized of the more
public apartments of the Winchester
house, he wondered, as he had often
wondered before, how 1t was that
Eleanor Winchester had impressed her
personality SO strongly upon it that the
room seemed alive around her. To his
mind, at least, even such stolid things
as the chairs, the rugs and the book
cases reflected something of that alert,
intense spirituality combined with a
dash Of chic which was her own especial
charm. Some one had said once that
Miss Winchester united New England
soul and New York style, and to his
apprehension the same piquant COM
bination was carried out in her sur
roundings
There had been other days, plenty Of
them, when he had also wondered how
it was that girl of this type had at
tracted Anthony Amory; he had, in
deed, supposed that he was safely past
the sentimental stage of life. Those
days, however, were long over. Now
that he had recovered from the first
shock of surprise at finding that he
was, If anything, worse hit than he
might have been ten years earlier, it
seemed as natural as the sunrise that
he should love her.
The present visit, although it was
the first time Mr.. Amory had seen Miss
Winchester since her return to town
the week before, was evidently not of
the nature of an ordinary call, and
after the first interchange of greetings
neither of them pretended to treat it as
such. She was sitting near the win
dow In an immensely puffy and COM
Portable chair, and when he had taken
his seat opposite her, where he had the
best light on her face, they surveyed
each other in expectant silence for
moment; then Mr.. Amory bent for
ward and picking up carved paper
cutter from the table scrutinized it at
tentively.
81 believe the time is up" he OBJ
served. Sin which you undertook to
formulate your objections to me. AS
you were saying last June"
''Of all the foolish things I said last
June that promise was the most fool
ishl'
because your objections are SO nu-
merous9"
''No. Because the formulation of
them is so hard. .
81 do not feel disposed to let you off
the contract" said Mr. Amory,
smoothly. still examining the paper
cutter.
Up 10 this point Miss Winchesterhad
been leaning back in the big chair;
now she held her 1.-THE figure erect,
crossed her hands in her lap and lifted
her eyes fearlessly. An adorable gray
ity settled down upon her face.
please notice that l have not asked
you to, " she said. II have decided to
tell you all about it. You know new
er have. The other times we have
talked about this we have not done it
seriously and calmly -"
II was serious enough" murmured
Mr.. Amory, but she ignored the inter
ruption.
ssYou have been excited. and am
afraid have not been just"
at is not justice l want ut your
hands" She waved this remark aside.
That first. she said
500 on, then. aud be just"
Apparently the task she had set her.
self was not an easy one.
II dare say am going to make some
impossible remarks, she began, uncer-
tainly.
Don't get nervous" said Amory
reassuringly, nothing that you say is
going to make any difference. you
know"
"You told me once" she said slowly,
casting about for her words, shat
was consumed by the passion for per-
lection; and every body admits that all
the world wants love"
'sWellp"
''Do you know--don't you think there
exists in every human heart an inap-
peasable thirst for perfect lover"
81 am net here to generalize about
humanity. / only know what myself
have felt, and that l have told you
already"
Miss Winchester passed her hand
quickly across her forehead, as il to
brush away the little frown that had
settled there.
"Other people have sometimes told
me that they had found it, she went
on, steadily Il may be unjust, but it
has seemed to me that usually they
were very easily satisfied and yet
there have been some Of them have
envied from the bottom of my heart.
Is 1t my fault that have not been able
70 be satisfied, too? You know | have
been more or less admired, but so far
1t has always happened that the admir-
alton l have received has seemed to
me too light thing to be serious with.
Can you imagine what II means 20
know--or think you do-exactly what
you want and to really wish for it,
and never to have IL come near you,
t...4 H. = = A I. Al 40