The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-02-09

lmmOlat1ng nor OF the cOnceallng sort.
Having lost her heart, she lost her head,
and Charming was in much danger Of
having his methods exposed.
His captain advised him. Charming,
you'd better take a leave and get out
for bit. -
"Why?'
''Well, it's a delicate subject, but
Morton's an old friend of mine, and /
don want to see his wife disgrace him. .
"But what have done? | am as in
nocent as baby, and besides, think
you are mistaken"
"We all exonerate you. It's not your
fault, but I'm not mistaken. It's evil
dent to the whole post. Take my advice
and go see your mother, like dutiful
son. -
Charming was flattered, but he was
also frightened; nevertheless, he was
undecided.
There was hop that same night.
Mrs. Morton was there, and it was her
actions that determined Charming to
take Captain Lytton's counsel. She was
already in the hoproom talking to the
latter when Charming appeared, and the
moment she saw him, standing tall and
graceful and Indifferent in the doorway,
she grew SO white that the whole room
noticed it, and she trembled visibly.
She realized her paleness and knew that
Captain Lytton's quick movement to
put himself between her and the watch
ing eyes had been unavailing.
Her own soft eyes filed as she raised
them piteously. "You see what spec
tacle am making of myself. can't
help it. I've tried hard. There's moth
ing for it but to go away or break
down.
"Poor little grill Come away, then.
IF you will just take me home and
tell Dan p She stopped, losing the
thread of her words. for Charming was
approaching.
Captain Lytton offered her his arm.
"Come quickly" he said.
Just wait minute, please-just till
tell Mr.. Charming can't stay for our
dance"
She had flushed up, and her eyes were
brilliant She put out her hand to Chan
ming, drew it back and again stretched
it forth confusedly.
He took it and pressed it--yes, she
was sure he pressed it almost. "The
third you promised me, wasn't it?'
Yes, think SO, she answered.
Captain Lytton turned on his heel
and walked away.
At the end of the third dance, while
they strolled together up and down the
| line, Charming experimental to see how
far she would go. To his CONSERVATION,
he found that she would stop at nothing
short of blazoning her infatuation from
the house tops. A scandal was not what
Charming wanted. He was very gentle
with her, but she wept and said all man
ner of foolish things until Captain Lyt-
ton came upon them and took her home.
Very soon after this the lieutenant
went on to visit his mother. She was a
Virginian of the conventional poor but
proud order, and she lived on what had
once been the kitchen garden of the
family estate. Quite as often as not she
was on the point of hunger, when there
was no demand for the needlework of
her quivering old fingers. Her son did
not contribute to her support. "All of
my beggarly pay and more, too, goes to
keep up appearances. My regiment is
great on esprit de corps. I'd like awful
ly well to help you, mother, but 1 must
hold up my end of the row. / am
Charming" And she loved him all the
better.
While he was with her in the sum-
mer of 1885 through sheer lack of ex-
element he became enamored of a GER
tain Anna Trafford. He asked her to
marry him, quite the last thing he would
have expected himself to do-and she,
being completely fascinated, consented
without even decent amount of hest
tation. 1t was arranged that in the late
fall she should join Charming at the
town nearest his post and there be mar
ried.
In September, the unhappy Mrs. Nor
ton having gone hopelessly away to an
other garrison, the lieutenant rejoined
his regiment. He mentioned the fact of
his engagement to no one, but proceeded
promptly to lure on another woman, a
girl of gorgeous beauty, hot blooded
brunette, with the eyes Of Jael, the
brow of Madonna, and a sensitive,
well made mouth. She was the only
daughter of Colonel Ross, motherless
and betrothed to one Lieutenant Haw-
thorne, who had loved her since they
had been babies making mud pies to-
gether on the sun blasted parade ground
of Camp Thomas. She broke her en-
gagement, and she broke young Haw-
thorne's heart. But her own turn was to
come.
In November, giving way ungracious-
ly enough to Anna Trafford' s pleadings,
Charming granted her permission to
join him at the railroad town. She was
very poor. Generally she was consider
ate and self sacrificing. Now she clam
ored and would not be quieted until a
mortgage was raised on the wretched
little house that was all in the world
her mother and crippled sister owned.
She bought her ticket with the money,
and ten days after the receipt of Chan
ning's letter she was at the meeting
place-alone.
She spent day and two nights in
the mean little depot hotel, very nearly
out of her mind with loneliness, fright
and at last an acknowledged distrust.
Then Channing's mother arrived, and
an officer met them with an ambulance.
Charming was dying of fever, the
mother told her. The doctor had tele-
graphed for her without her sons knowl-
edge the day after the girl had left the
village. Then Anna reproached herself
for her suspicious with unreasoning bit
terness
The drive to the post took two days.
1t was horrible experience for the Off
Ger. The road stretched on, on, on,
across desert and bad lands, where even
the greasewood and mesquite was burn
ed by the terrible sun. The old woman
sank from the dust and the heat into an
almost senseless state. The girl, being
young and strong and alive, fought with
the strangling dust, gasped, twisted her
small hands and bit into her lips in a
perfectly silent struggle Sometimes, as
the lieutenant sat opposite them, he
wished that they would cry or make
some sound.