The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-03-02
OUR DESERT ISLAND.

Ian Cameron in New York Tribune.
OUR DESERT ISLAND.
There was an ominous rattle upon the
handle of the door-a rattle needlessly
long and suspicious. 1t conveyed an al
together unworthy slur upon the pro-
ceedings of the inhabitants of the room,
and Cynthia laughed with amused resig-
nation
''It is Charlie, " she said. "He al
ways comes in like that. -
''We must do the same for him,
replied, when he arrives at years of
discretion and becomes engaged.
Cynthia's youngest brother stole into
the room rapidly and softly. Keeping
his eyes relgiously averted from the
sofa by the fireplace, he picked up
book from the table and departed. I
offered some casual observation, but he
took no notice, clearly thinking it
would be injudicious of him to be mixed
up in the business at all My innocent
position, which was two good yards
from Cynthia, courted observation, and
we both felt little injured
II wonder what he expects to see?'' 1
said, resuming my seat upon the sofa.
Augustus in the presence of Cleopatra
was not more careful to see nothing. Is
it a sense Of decorum or a feeling of
contempt that inspires his cautionY''
Never mind" answered Cynthia
LET us talk about ourselves. Are you
sureP Are you sure you are quite sure?'
This conundrum / had heard before,
and my answer was stereotyped. was
quite sure, and pressed her hand to
convince her.
And when, +" she continued when
did you first, You know? Was it at
the -
Any demonstration that I may have
been contemplating was rudely inter
rupted by further agitation of the
door. With a promptness bred of some
practice was again In an erect position
on the hearth rug, and Cynthia was read
ing book. 1t was a manservant with a
scuttle of quite unnecessary coal for the
fire. He poured on the fuel and brushed
the hearth with scrupulous care. The
operation seemed to take am enormously
long time.
Left once more to our tete-a-tete
Cynthia's impotence of these interludes
found words.
Il wish we lived on desert island -
she said. How delightful it would beI'
Indeed it would, " I agreed "Long
yellow sands and blue sea and palm
trees and solitude, with nothing to dis
turb our conversation We could talk
together from sunrise to sunset. "
$50 we could-or we could read to
gether .
"Or you could sing to me, - said.
Il should want an accompanied, " she
observed obviously, because you can't
play the piano"
1t would be most Elysian, 1 went
on. "We should have our house, our
books and our music. Far away from
any fellow creature we could idle away
the sunny summer afternoons together
and be totally happy. We would be in
visible to even the telescope of the pass
ing vessel.
Cynthia took up the parable and am
plifed it, ''The world would contain
for you one woman and for me one
man, and each would be ample company
for each other. -
"Amplei cried I confidently. We |
had only been engaged fortnight.
''Amplel" she maintained with sus-
picious emphasis, as if conscious that |
the statement needed repetition to rem
der it convincing.
For exercise, I continued, rashly
sketching in the details, I'VE would |
have lawn tennis court "
"You beat me so easily" she sighed. |
passed the compliment by and strok- |
ed her delightful hair. A tap resounded
on the window pane behind us and
made us jump dreadfully. 1t was my
uncle, man devoid of proper feeling,
and l knew he was about to make
shouted suggestion of stroll in the
garden, himself being the third, as
Thucydides used to put it. So shook |
my head firmly, and he waddled off |
with despairing wave of his hand
which he may have considered humor-
GUS, for I saw him smile as he went.
''How long, asked Cynthia, becom-
ing pink in the face, do you think2''
And she nodded guilty toward the |
window.
II wish knew was my answer.
1--WE ought to draw the curtain. -
''That would only make matters
worse. Besides, there is really nothing
to be ashamed of. "
Nothing whatever, . 1 said. "Still |
the island would be less painful to the /
nerves. +"
"You could play cricket on the
sandsP' cried Cynthia, rendered desper-
ate by the stings of conscience. amy
thing to be rid of these constant dis
fractions. .
II might at low tide, - said dubious
ly, "but you know prefer to play with
81 other men. T"
IF they were nice men, . said Cynthia
blandly, I'VE might allow them to
come. delight in watching cricket.
mice menu repeated with suspi-
cious severity. Recollect was new to
the character Of a passionate shepherd.
well, we could take our bicycles at |
any rate, said Cynthia automatically.
The roads would be exquisite; no hills
and no thorns in the road
cit would be fatal if we were punctur-
ed, . said 1--WE should want the nice
little man from the shop
So we should, and to clean them"
There was a pause, which we en-
ployed in contemplating the fire and
thinking of our island.
Perhaps it might be better, re-
marked, to put the bicycle man in an
other house about a mile away from
ours !"
"He might live with the accompa-
mist
"And, of course, we should require
servants. :"
$50 they could all live together be-
hind the wood that divides our half of
the island from theirs. "
with telephone laid on, muir
INJURED, but not ironically, though be-
gan to think our island was becoming
rather densely populated.
1.-THE very thingp cried Cynthia,
clapping her hands. "Only we should
want somebody to examine it when it
got out Of order"
$50 we should, " agreed. But per-
haps we could arrange for boatload of
technical assistance to visit our island
each week "
1.-THE tradesmen bringing the gro