The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1893-07-04


looked up into his jolly face with an
expression of confidence and trust.
Hank Hester came over to me with q
puzzled look.
He's a-makin' love to Susie fit to
KILL said he, land she seems to like 1t.
1t 'ud be awful tough If he was to cut
Sim Ridgely outen her. They're en-
gagged, you know"
He pointed out very miserable and
demonstrating young man who
was narrowly watching Susie and Tom,
with the remark that "Sim pears to be
a-takin 1t purity hard already"
When the dance was over, / heard
Tom whisper to Susie and ask if he
might walk home with her. look OF
pleasure swept over her earnest face.
II came with Sim-I mean Sim Ridge
ly," she said half alphabetically, ''and
he'd be mad If I left him Next time
you may go, and won't you come
round? We live about half way tween
the Hesters and the station" Tom
promised that he would be around, and
as we walked home that night he was
in jubilant spirits and told me that he
would have picnic now, that he had
found his mountain maiden.
The next day we saw Susie at church,
looking even more charming than on
the night before; and Tom walked home
with her, much to the evident discom-
fort of Sam Ridgely.
After making Susie's acquaintance
the days seemed to pass easier for Tom.
He was with her nearly every day.
managing in his ingenious way to find
an opportunity to call or meet her some
where. Tom has the happy faculty OF
making himself the friend of nearly
everybody with whom he is thrown,
and he was soon a friend of the Rick
etts family and welcome and priv
LEGGED visitor at their home. Every
night Tom would tell me of the prog
ress he was making in his suit for
Susie's favor.
II haven't got to the point of propos-
ing yet" he told me. But you just
give me time and I'll do it. I'll just
make Mr.. Simeon Ridgely sorry he ever
was born, and then well go quietly
away, and soon after we are gone she'll
forget me and marry Simeon and live
happy ever afterward. It's some diver
sion, anyway"
The picnic at Haunt's Bend was the
event of our summers stay in that sec
ton People gossiped a great deal
when Tom disappeared with Susie and
I heard many such remarks as ''that
dudish town Teller hev laid Sim Ridgely
in the shade with Susie" Tom didn't
give the wretched Ridgely a single mo
ment at Susie's side during the entire
day, and the poor fellow could not con
ceal his jealousy and disappointment.
That night he called on Susie and be
gan to chide her for her tickleness. She
flushed up and made a sharp reply
Simeon, very much hurt and quite
heartbroken, said:
s'All right, Susie, go an marry the
Teller from town You're tired of me,
an / kin see ii. Don't let me stand in
the way, Susie. You amt mine, an
haint been since you seed him, but I'll
be always your friend"
And SO they parted. Susie was toe
happy to shed single tear, but poor
Simeon wept copiously on his pillow
that night, and. after dropping into g
ftful sleep, dreamed that it was not SC
at all, and that Susie was the same tc
him as she had been before she saw
Tom Sanderson. Susie told Tom, AND
the night after that he came in rather
late, laughing:
'sI've done the grand act, old boy" he
said, beaming at me as happily as fell
low might who had made love con
tract which he intended to keep. ''I've
proposed to Susie, and she wilted right
away and fell into my arms She told
me afterwards that she knew | loved
her the first time / saw her. It's funny,
amt it, how little it takes to fool q
woman" We had many a hearty laugh
over Toms engagement, and roared
when we thought of the rare stories we
would have to tell the boys about it:
A few days later felt twinges of re-
morse of conscience when | saw Susie
and Tom together and noticed her alb
so1ute faith in him. | saw then that
Toms diversion, as he called it, would
have lasting results SO far as Susie was
concerned. She loved Tom. That night
| cautioned Tom of the seriousness OF
his position and advised him to give
it up.
81 thought it was very funny, like
you,'' l said to him, "but with Susie it
is frightfully real You'd better stop.
Tom"
"PshawI'' laughed Tom; you are
foolish; she viii soon forget when ! am
gone. Women are quick to forget.
Anyway, you suggested the joke, and
since l have begun it am going to car
ry 1t through"
l told him it would be sad thing to
break a girls heart, just for idle pas
time, and painted very graphic pic
ture of Susie all alone, weeping her
very eyes out for him His face grew
shade more serious.
1T would be bad, mean, wicked TO
really break her heart" he said.
'.Susie is good little girl. She's not
like the rest of them up here-shes
different. If / thought she really cared
| would leave here tomorrow. But
will wait and hope that she will get
over it all right"
conversation he had had with Susie.
She told him that her friends feared
that he was only fooling her and did
not intend to marry her at all Il
don't think that at all" she said. Il
never doubted you, Tom. But wanted
to ask you since we've set day for our
wedding and all has been fixed, that
you buy the marriage license so can
tell them and they won't doubt you
any more"
Like a fool to humor her bought
the license. There can't be any harm,
can there?" Tom went on. People
are not obliged to use licenses when
they buy them, are they?"
The Joke had indeed grown serious.
Tom had not only appointed day for
the wedding, but had purchased the
license, and we had not yet been in the
mountains five weeks. And the worst
Of 1t was that the wedding was to oc-
cur on the following Wednesday even
ing of seven o'clock. 1t took but little
argument from me to convince Tom
that he would have to leave the noun
tains before that time. ''Of course, we II
slip out quietly on that very day. Susie
will soon forget"
Toms wedding day came around re-
markably quick, it appeared to me. /
made all the arrangements with Hank
Hester for our baggage to be carried to
the station late that afternoon and eau
toned him to say nothing of our in
tended departure. Tom went over to
see Susie the last time, while ! was
packing the trunks.
s.Phil," said he, coming in just at
twilight, ''it's tougher than had any
idea it could be. Susie is thinking OF
nothing else but the-to-night. She
has all her things ready and would put
on her dress for me to see. 1t gave me
the cold chills. kissed the little girl