The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1896-05-19

whispered at last, and his voice sound
ed cold aud empty as the echo in a
vault.
$50 awayi' cried Ann Quinn. "And
take your wet hand off my ironing
The man moved and stared at the
piles of clothes on the table.
Ibid you do that?' he asked in low
voice. And are you tired?'
Eyes, I did it, and am tired, she
replied, stealing her way stealthily to-
ward the door.
As she moved, her terror lent new,
catlike grace to her awkward body. She
looked almost like another woman in
the swaying light-a woman with mar
row, wicked eyes and 1.-the motions.
The man stepped quickly before the door
and stood there, his clothes flooding the
black river water ON her clean floor.
''And all this time you have worked,
while / have had more, thousand
times more, than / could use. And we
have lived near each other here in the
same city and never knew it. He COW
cred his face with his hands and groan-
Oh. Oul clil-nndI was IL tHdb We
should reap such lonely years in punish
ment?" Then he moved toward her, his
arms outstretched: my love, my lost
Lowell Give me one kiss, my first since
that other grave closed over us.
Ann Quinn gulped, and her hair rose
softly. eff you touch me, I'll kill you I"
she said hoarsely, catching knife up
from the shelf behind her. The man
seemed not to hear her; he grasped her
in his arms and crushed his mouth on
hers, and his lips were wet and cold.
Ann Quinn leaped away from him and
buried the great knife in his heart. He
looked into her terrified eyes, and
shadow fell on his face.
"See," he said mournfully, "you
have stabbed me-again; but this time
it is to late. -
She looked, and there was no blood
gushing from that great slash-only the
drip, drip of the thick water. Then she
covered her face and prayed, for she saw
that the man was dead.
There was a long silence, broken by
the chime of a clock in the house behind
them. The man shivered. "An hour
more, dear God, only an hour more p
he pleaded, and he wrung his hands,
crying hurriedly: "How can / say it all |
How can make her underestimate He
seized Ann Quinn's arm and shook her
fiercely.
Remember, woman Try to remem-
10. 7 I OF
alone-waiting- you never Gamer"
She brushed her rough hand over her
eyes, something stirred in her torpid
brain. AS the summer lightning, thread
ing the sky, will show sudden pearly
perspective of unseen cloud mass, then
uash out, leaving the same blind night it
found, so the soul of Ann Quinn opened
for an instant beyond her wretched, work
ridden world, only to close again as
quickly. The man caught her look and
asked, his voice tense and quivering:
"Those faded lilies of the valley,
there in that cup, why did you keep
them only from the flowers you threw
-awas this morning?"
"They-they-smelled good, an
swered the woman, troubled, bewildered.
"Only that?''
Eyes, only that. "
"Have you never dreamed of some
one you loved, some one apart from this
miserable squalor find you ini''
The blood flooded her sallow face.
"What business is that of yours? Go
away, sayl' she added weakly, giving
him push and catching at the table to
save herself from falling.
"Tell me-" he pleaded, have you
never missed me, who was more to you
those few short years ago than life OF
honor?"
Ann Quinn looked into his eyes an6
laughed. There was no mirth in that
laugh, though, and he shielded himself
as if she had struck at him. Then ht
spoke again.
Listen" he said. Tonight in fal
land my soul will be born anew. Unit
then the veil is lifted. But we viii
cheat God and love and law-you ant
1 together. Soon my eyes will be blind
ed, and I shall not know you except b,
this. Take it and keep it always ovel
your heart, and though you be old ant
bent, and though you be little child
still shall know you. I"
He thrust his hand into his breast ant
drew out a leather case. He opened l
and pushed something toward her. Sh
looked. 1t was faded spray of lily o
the valley. Then he reached into hi