The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1894-11-27

ming could not have been more para
lyzed than l was for a moment by these
appalling words My heart stood still
l gasped for breath and chung to a rail
ing near by, or / should have fallen
PROSTATE Fortunately was unobserved
by Mr. Burroughs or his friend, who
walked ON, continuing their gossip, of
which l heard no more. But l had
heard enough-more than enough. Gin
ger, then, the detested Ginger, had
spoken the truth My father was about
to marry again, and should have a
stepmother Oh, now / must know the
worst Off / ran as fast as my trembling
legs could carry me to consult my dear
est and best friend, my good, kind god
mother, who lived with her bachelor
brother, a surgeon, in Harrington
square.
To whom in all the wide world could
l pour out my childish griefs If not to
her, so loved, so tender, so trusted? She
had been my mothers schoolmate, and
until the day the latter closed her eyes
forever they were bound together in the
most affectionate friendship. After my
mothers death all my dear godmother s
love and solicitude were given to the
orphan boy left to her devoted care. She
was blind to my FAULTS, and too often /
know I took an unworthy advantage of
| her weakness and indulgence.
Hurrying to the old house in the
square, with its vine covered balconies,
/ ran down the area steps, and finding
! the kitchen door ajar entered without
knocking and burst like a whirlwind
into the little room where l felt sure Of
finding my godmother engaged at her
mornings avocations. There she was
indeed, seated at the large French win
dow opening into the garden, busily
sewing. My sudden and abrupt appear
ance pale and out of breath, gave her
such a start that she dropped her work
on the floor, while my good friend jim
giles, the cat, who had been peacefully
doing in the wicker easy chair, gave
prodigious bound into the garden and
made good his escape to the top Of the
arbor, his tail swollen to prodigious
size and elevated at an acute angle. At
any other time / should have roared
with laughter at Jingles' terrified gym
nastics; but, alas, / was not then precise
" in the humor for merriment.
Goodness gracious, Harry, 'exolaim-
ed my godmother, "how you frightened
mel" Then, observing my evident dis
tress, she hastily added: why, Harry,
what is the matterP All, seel You
have been a naughty boy again, and
your master has punished you. Fie, fie
you wicked ohildp'
"Oh, godmother, . sobbed In broken
accents, you don't know how wretched
I am
"Why, what has happenedf" she
asked quickly.
''Oh, godmother, they tell me papa
is going to bring home new wifei /
shall have stepmother who will hate
me and beat me-. 4" burst into food
of tears, and flinging myself on my
knees hid my burning face in her lap.
There was a moments silence, and
then she raised me In her arms, kissed
my forehead and gently stroked my
hair, as she had so often done when l
was a little child. Wiping my tear
stained face, she said softly:
"Who told you that, Harry2'
Ginger said SO, days ago, l re-
piled. when l fought him at school. "
''How wrong, she interrupted, Ito
fight with your school compartment Be-
sides no doubt he only said it to tease
you. F"
"Ah, but just now in the street ]
overheard our neighbor, Mr.. Burroughs,
talking about it, so l came at once to
you, godmother, to ask if 1t is true.
Oh, say it isn't true, godmotherP'
Listen to me, my dear, " she said
soothingly. "Have you confidence in
my word?'
"oh. yes, godmother-you, SO good,
SO true.
"Well, then, !" she continued, "dry
your eyes, my darling. promise you
faithfully that you shall never, never
have stepmother. F"
Oh, the balm that these comforting
words poured into my heartl She spoke
so quietly, yet so firmly, that / believed
her ON the instant and left her quite re-
assured and perfectly happy kissed
her affectionately and ran off to school,
with smiling face, and from that mo-
ment my trouble left me like some hid
eous nightmare that fades away with
the light of returning day.
Soon after this came our annual ex,
aminations, the distribution Of prizes
and the breaking up of school for the
long autumn vacation. That same even
ing my father sent for me to the sur
gerry and informed me, with a benevo-
lent smile, that he was so pleased with
the progress / was making and felt SO
proud Of the nice prizes which had been
awarded to his boy that he had decided
to accept the kind invitation of broth
er doctor practicing at Worthing to let
me spend month Of my holidays at the
seaside. / need hardly say that receiv-
ed this delightful announcement with
boyish enthusiasm. 1 Rugged my father
with boisterous gratitude, and / verify
believe that in the exuberanoe of my
glee l would have even shaken hands
with Ginger had l CHANGED to meet
that uncongenial youth in any secluded
back street of the parish of ST. Pancras
where my condescension would be like
ly to pass unobserved by the world In
general.
And what grand month it was, and
how swiftly it melted away in the pref
ty little town by the seashore, with its
pebbly beach, and its boating, and its
picturesque excursions, and its trips to
Shoreham and Brighton and even to
Lewes and Eastbourne when the Worth
ing DOCTORS amiable wife visited her
friends in those places and kindly took
me with her. twas like an enchanting
dream, and like such dreams it ended
all too soon.
Toward the close of August l babe
goodby to my hospitable Worthing
hosts, and in a few hours l found my
self at the station in stuffy, smoky old
London, where Margaret met me at the
station and was good enough to express
her complete approval of the change in
my physical appearance effected by
months exposure to the health giving
air of the sea. And-ehf-oh, yes, IA
Their was we'll, very well indeed. Oh,
of course godmother was also quite
we'll Had she inquired about me?
How was enjoying my holidaysa Oh,
yes. certainly. When had Margaret
seen herr Humphl That very morning.
She had been away for-ahem-a
change, but had now returned and
would be pleased TO see me again, no
doubt.
Margaret was never at any time a
particularly loquacious person, and
these few items were all could extract
from her during our ride in a rickety
cab from London bridge to the Hamp-
stead road And here on our arrival at
my fathers door a genuine surprise
awaited me. Could 1t be possible2 Was
this coquettish looking mansion, bright
and shining from ton to bottom In all