The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1894-04-17
snow naa been opnterated.

the Medals shanty Lingo Dan gave a
sigh of admiration. The sun was max
ing million diamonds dance about the
crust of snow that stretched away over
the fields and on the higwhay. 1t was
like a rollicking cowboy shooting until
his victims dance for dear life. Clear
as crystal the air was intensely sensitive
to tone. A faroff ringing of sleighbells
sounded with distinctness that belied
distance. Out of the blue of the sky the
glitter of the sun and the fierce purity
of the snow there arose a splendid daz-
element that blinded unaccustomed
eyes.
1T would be pathetic, unused Lingo
Dan aloud after passing his hand over
his eyes to shut out the glare that began
to hurt him, "if we should find our OPP
portunity on such day. Look, Billy,
what a day it isl HIM, had not
thought this country capable of SO mag
nifcent an effect. And yet, do you
know, think it is going to snow again
before night?"
Billy offered no reply. He was en-
gagged in cleaning cut a rifle, and at in
tervals he contorted his face into a
squint SO that he might gauge the nicely
of the barrels internal polish.
'When / come to consider the mat
ter" Lingo Dan went on, Il begin tc
regret my harsh words anent that brake
man. He was, as l now see it, an in
strument of benign Providence. Provi-
dence is indeed singularly benign. What
could be handler to our purpose than
this cottage and its associations? Occu-
pied by harmless hermit, it takes or
all the innocuousness possible. Benign
Providence! This man Medals is alb
sent, leaving us his shanty and his
shooting irons. Benign Providencei
feel it in my veins, now tingling with
the excitation so beautiful a day hat
put me in, that there will presently
come some one whose necessity is moi
so great as ours In the interests of lib
erty and equality we must relieve his
person of its valuables ere we release
him. l trust he will not resist. sin
cerely trust So But if he does''-- He
looked at Billy's employment. us il
clean?"
'Slick as grease, was Billy's an
swer.
Benign Providencel'
It was as if in response to Lingo Dams
devout utterance that the eastern hilltop
became at this moment slightly clouded
with a fine powdery mist. Then the
forms of two persons on horseback ap
peared upon the slope. 1t was evident
that their ascent of the farther side had
been accomplished at a canter. Ever
at that distance, SO clear was the day,
the breath from the horses nostrils could
be seen rising about them like halo
At the first sight of them Lingo Dan,
smiling unctuously, said, "Ah, Billy
our prey approaches.
"One?"
mo, there are two of them. They
are riding. One is man; the other, {
woman. They are young. Judging by
their present lettering and the Interest
each exhibits in the other, l should say
they were lovers.
mo good; they ANTI" Billy gave
the rifle last vicious wipe and laid il
upon a shelf
Haste, my boy, is dangerous in
diligence. | beg to differ. | think we
are in particularly good luck. Sucf
slight observance of the ways of my kline
as l have been able to take has taught me
that in certain walks of life young
man never permits himself the company
of young lady without being sure thai
he has money in his pocket. Yondel
young man is of that walk in life
There are, you see, SO many possibili
ties, such contingencies, that to provide
ones self with money before providing
ones self with a companion is merely tc
prove ones appreciation of the world
we live in. This applies to ride of al
hour as we'll as to marriage for life.
Billy was apparently used to such
lengthy PHILOSOPHERS, for he replied al
if unconscious of the others wordy eff
forts, "Say, how about getting awayT
"Easy-ridicuously easy. After OBJ
tanning the reward of our exertions we
drift gently down the slope to the rail
way, and presently boarding a freight
turn our faces to the golden west.
have observed a ledge of rock from
which we can easily propel ourselves
onto the moving cars while the train ii
toiling up the steep grade of the cut
We will not be found, if we ever are
until many miles have been traversed
An alibi will be complete.
But our tracks from here to the
cut2"
BILLY, you are singularly slow. d.
you see that cloud on the horizonP Be
fore night it will snow. Our footmark
will be utterly wiped out.
Billy considered moment. Then h
said triumphantly: but the impress
sions will harden this surface. They !
get onto us if ever they sweep away tn
new fall of snow.
Lingo Dan shrugged his shoulders
Whence the inspiration of that remarl
! know not. / think you must hav
been reading Conan Doyle. Well, yo'
can be quite sure that there are no Sher
lock Holmeses in this part of the coun
try. Dear me!''
At this last exclamation Billy LOOKED
curious. What's up?" he asked.
For an instant or two Lingo Dal
made no reply. He was looking intent,
at the highway on which the two rider
were approaching. In point of fact, tn
occurrence that attracted his attention
was singular enough. AS they rode slow
ly side by side down the slope of tn
road that came to the shanty from tn
east the young mans left arm slowl,
disengaged itself from the reins of hi
horse and passed behind the waist 0
his human companion. Their bodie
and their heads came gently, CAREFUL.
together. The girls hand went up t
her chin, detaching the veil and relegat
ing it to her forehead, and then her arm
encircled the young man. Their face
met in kiss. The horses heads hum
down, and their feet ambled leisurely
Tired after their hill climbing canrer
they took this respite thankfully enough
II was kiss that lasted longer than d.
most kisses. The adventurous circum
stances and the perilous nature Of thei
position tended to fill both these rider
with the ACCESSIBILITY of making thu
most of bliss. To them the kiss was bu
an infinitesimal instant of happiness
To any one not concerned in it its length
would have seemed an eternity. Al
these things the watcher in the cottag
! observed
"sIt il evident. " he said presently
THAT this is no ordinary case. The.
are lovers, but they are also more-the.
are eloping This complexities matters
1t makes our booty greater, but 1t in
creases the-h 'm-the difficulty. Yes
am afraid this will be a-what did W
say in the QUADRANGLE mauvais quar-
d'heure?'
"What're you driving at?" Bill.
glowered at his companion in eviden