The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1895-07-09


he done to his nice smooth hair?"
ooh, don't be an idiotp groaned
Jones. GIVE got the finest idea I ever
had in my life, and now I'm simply
stuck -
His wife's little face became grave
and important at once. She was fair,
pretty woman, with brown eyes and a
little chin that stuck out
''Tell me,' said she coaxingly, set
Ting on the arm of his big leather chair
Jones saw no warning shadow of COM
ing collaboration.
'I'll just give you an idea of my
plot, - he said, and proceeded to do SO.
The "idea" took three-quarters Of an
hour to give. His wife listened, at first
with preoccupied air. She could not
forget that an open jam pot stood on the
nursery table at baby's elbow. Soon,
however, the full beauty of the thing
burst upon her. She got down from the
arm of Jones' chair and embraced him
with fervor
"Talk of Stevenson indeed she said
compassionately, cor your Merediths
and Hardys and peoplei''
Come, come'' said Jones. He tried
to tell her dryly mot to be an idiot, =
but the words would not come as easily
as usual After all, real appreoiative-
ness is rare gift.
write it straight away off, dear, y
she begged write it, and get the mon
ey for it,
This brought. the fatal hitch back
upon Jones' consciousness in it's full bit
terness. He laid the case before his wife.
She at once suggested the only possible
way out of the difficulty.
"That would have occurred to me il
I'd thought a minute longer" said
! Jones.
Course it would, the clever boy r.
said his wife soothingly, and she began
to expand her plot Jones listened pa
tiently, sometimes vouchsafing encour-
agement, and she looked SO pretty, SC
flushed and eager over it, that he was
touched In demented moment he ut
tered the words that risked the happi-
ness of two lives.
why shouldn't we write it togeth-
er?'' he said
Once said, there was no unsaying it.
Without word his wife arose and went
straight to the nearest stationer's There
she bought ten reams of manuscript pa
per and shillings' worth of pens. All
the rest of the day she was remarkably
silent. Jones addressed her at the din
ner table with remark that had never
yet failed to please.
1T always like you in that dress" he
said. cts pretty idea, having those
sleeves one can see the arms through
It's called net, or tulle, or something,
isn't it?"
Zone moment, please, DEAR" an
swered his wife, and her lips moved
mutely, in visible composition.
Then Jones remarked that her hair
was arranged with less frivolity than
usual It showed more of her forehead,
which gave an intellectual look. This
was aided by a somewhat aggressive ink
stain on one of her fingers.
Jones felt much as he did toward his
baby boy when that infant played at
being grown up and dom like dadda !"
He patted his wife's cheek. She received
the advance with a touch of dignity.
Jones began to feel trifie irritated,
and he scraped his foot under the table
His wife started little deliberately, and
then resumed the silent movement of
her lips.
Next day, when he came back from
his Office, he found the plaster knocked
out of the wall in three places. Tram
pling feet were heard in his own sacred
study, and two finely developed young
men frop Shaplemann jostled him in
his agitafed progress up the stairs He
burst into his sanctum, to find it filled
by writing table. Near the abomina-
ton stood his wife, regarding it with
brown eyes full of pensive pride.
"What in the world is this thing do
ing here?" gasped Jones'
"Why, you couldn't write anything
decent without writing table and how
can you expect me tor" she inquired.
Her air was so important, yet withal SO
guilty, tlSkt Jones subdued his indigna-
tion and tried to laugh. When they had
poun left the room, he went back and
permitted himself the satisfaction Of
kicking the thing gently in several
places.
The evening saw them both estab-
lished at their desks. The horrid impos-
sibility of it all struck upon Jones only
too soon. He had written the opening
chapter In his best manner, and the
time came when he wanted to read it
out. To give her her due, his wife lis
tened eagerly, and did him full justice
when he ceased.
"And now listen to mine. /" she said
blithely.
Jones felt it to be his own act and
deed, and he resigned himself to listen.
Her chappter was really not badly writ
ten! Her style was evidently modelled
on his own. Jones put his finger tips to-
gether and smiled hopefully. But when
it came to her hero, alas not only had
be "a comb at the back of his head, F" as
Stevenson puts it, but he was altogether
impossible How to wipe him tenderly
out of the chapter without breaking of
hearts? Jones fidgeted distressfully
..'That's not quite the sort of thing a
man would say, DEAR" he suggested
mildly.
"Oh, isn't itp' she answered, with
derision GAS it happens, a man did say
it-those very words Do you imagine
you know how every kind of man talks
to woman when he's alone with herr"
Heaven Forbid" said Jones. "And
who said it to you, may I ask?''
81 didn't say it was said to me, " she
replied, with some haste. "How do you
like this endingp 1 think it's rather
neat, don't you? And when they had
both left the conservatory there was
something frail and pink lying on the
marble floor. 1t was moss rose bud. l
rather admire that sort of ending"
where is the point?" inquired Jones
ooh, well, if you want points to ev-
cry single sentence
"Well, but don't you see that unless
you mean something by it there's no
sense at all in the thing? It's simply
Family Herald business. should have
thought you'd have seen that.
cts matter of taste, and differ
from you, said his wife very coldly,
''and if we are to pick holes in each
others work allow me to tell you that
no lady would have behaved as your
heroine did in that hanson l'
why, that actually hap"-began
Jones unwarily.
81 knew itl''. cried his wife. overtprn-