The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1894-10-23

borne the distant sough of the waves
and whence she could see their sun
flecked crests far out beyond the Fork
rocks. Then she would turn to answer
some question put her by her little niece,
Mary-Abel's eldest daughter, rising
10"-who had orept into the siolxroom.
Presently the little maid fell to bah
bling, ohildlike of the doings and say
ings Of her school friends
Aye, but ye'ill be gettin fine
scholard Mary, said Hilda "Itwas a
guild thing for tho weans when t. parson
opened school wish it had been done
long sim, F"
10 was our Examination today, " re-
pliod Mary. eagor with fresh news.
Mr. Harvey heard mo read an patted
mo o tho head Out Of newspaper
hard v ords thoy was too. -
An maybe we can read writin,
Nary"
"Oh, yes, said she. nowifo disposed
TO belittle her attainments 'When you
got any letters, Aunt Hilda, I'll read
them all through TO you--oyery word.
Pm sure | could "
"Well, I'm going TO try ye." said
Hilda smilingly Now, open that
drawer No the second one. an bring
the little black box to me. Yes, that is
10. =
Tenderly picking out the flnery with
which tho box was filed, Hilda placed
the various articles by her side on the
bed Underneath, untouched since that
day, lay the very letter which had told
her it's sad tale through Andrews
mouth.
Nov, what names that?' said she,
pointing to the signature
Mary screwed her eyes into beads,
hung her head sapiently ON one side and
spelled the words under her breath.
BEN, Ben; Webb, Webb she
announced at last, with ring of tri-
umph Its ain bad writin, but
mo, nop' cried Hilda, rising excit-
eddy upon her elbow. Not Ben-Ben
Webb. Are you sure, Mary?"
Ben, Ben; Webb Webb, re-
peated her niece.
Hilda sent up a choking cry. HE
said it came fro Captain Worsley, she
calculated gaspingly. HE lied to me.
It's fro Ben. Ben isn't dead" Her
whole frame a-tremble, she turned to
Mary with: "Begin at the first. Read
it all to me- Can ye, can yep
Mary at all events was willing to try,
and although she Numbered often and
painfully under the task between them
they managed to piece the words into
sense.
Dear Hilda, it ran, 81 didn t mean
to say a word, but can't do it without
telling you first. Don't hate me, for J
did love you and do, more nor her. Any
ways you can't say didn't tell you all
about Polly Barclay-how we was to be
married and how it was broke off.
Well, me and her have made it up
again. Her uncle's dead and left her
everything-his three houses and G400
in the bank. You see, l didn't have a
free hand, so you can't blame me. Be
sides there's Andy Copley only too
glad to have you, and the banns has
been read twice in Grimsby church. l
think things are best left alone, and no
fuss made, especial as ! don't ask the
presents back, not
Mary had plodded through the letter
so far when Hilda, with loud shrek,
dropped back upon her pillow. Abel and
his wife FASTENED up stairs to find her
again sitting up in bed, round eyed and
gesticulating with her clinched fists.
81 might ha' won him back-I would
ha', F" she cried shrilly. "a lie, Andrew
Copley! 1t was hel'
In this fashion she raved all through
the night and long into the next day.
DR.. Radcliffe said it was brain fever,
and although he eventually brought her
back to bodily health her mind never
recovered its sanity.
Poor Hildal She knows not that for
the bread she eats, for the shelter above
her head, for the very clothes upon her
back, she is beholden to the man whom
she for 40 years past has daily exc
Grated
"She never sees me but she throws
them awful words i my face, said
Andrew to me- II thowt were actin
for t. best when 1 did as l did thowt
so truly"
81 suppose you have never met this
Ben Webb since?"
ooh, but / haze. / went to GriInsby
O. purpose to spoil his beauty. If he's
Twin now, he's Twin wi the nose o.
him all askew That prank cost me
week o. Jail. but I'd stand hundred
years O. lookup for the comfort that job
gave me- "-Chambers' Journal