The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-10-19
THEIR SURPRISE.

THEIR SURPRISE.
Sue Bertram was always delicate
girl Her father, the rich Mr.. Hiram
Bertram of Albany Heights, proved an
overindulgent parent, who gratifled
every whim of his only child Her
mother had died when she was an in
FAINT, and servants and goyerness stood
in mortal awe Of the little tyrant, who
ruled the household while she yet lay
in the cradle.
AS Sue grew into girlhood she turned
out to be a frail young thing, whose
slightest wishes were never crossed.
She was pretty, after a fashion, as far
as ethereal blends can lay claim to
beauty Her hair was like spun gold.
Her face was small and white as lily.
Just tall enough to accentuate her ex-
ceeding slenderness, people took her to
be sickly Nevertheless Sue was lively
as any girl of her age and desperately
in love with Jules Leroux, young
westerner whom she had met at Jer-
sey watering place.
Jules was the superintendent of an
eastern railway, with every chance to
rise to the highest place in the gift Of
the company His duties frequently
brought him to Albany. He had moth
ing beyond his salary, which was ade-
quate to support family, but Mr.. Ber-
tram, the banker, looked favorably
upon his union with his adored daugh-
ter. He had never denied her anything,
and he would not cross her now that
her heart had spoken, though he might
have desired more suitable parti for
his only daughter. Besides, young Le-
roux was handsome fellow, of unques-
toned integrity and excellent character
The marriage day had been set for the
late autumn, and meanwhile Jules was
to spend long vacation ON the Jersey
coast with his betrothed and her father.
The particular little resort was popular
with the West Point officers and cadets,
and this fact caused the young people
of the vicinage to flock there in great
numbers.
One day there appeared at the princi-
pal hotel handsome, dashing brunette,
accompanied by her mother. Marga
Vandermeulen was all that the bankers
daughter lacked She was ravishingly
beautiful, charmingly vivacious. The
brilliant color of her cheeks We'd in
richness with the sparkle of her dark
brown eyes and raven tresses- On the
evening of her arrival Jules Leroux met
her on the hotel veranda. She was &C.
companied by young West Point cadet,
former classmate of Leroux's. He
greeted his friend and was introduced
to the stylish beauty Sue Bertram was
Just then confined to her room with a
slight illness, and the overanxious IA
Their had enjoined the physician to keep
his daughter indoors longer than 1t was
necessary. This gave Jules more oppor-
tunity than was good for him to bask
In the enchanting smiles Of the new
star Jules was not in love with Marga,
but he was fascinated by her beauty and
eager to do her homage. He had never
professed deep love for his betrothed,
and, while he was not fortune hunter,
he had allowed Sue, the willful, spoiled
child, to do the counting, and the en-
gagement came about in a way about
which Leroux was not clear to this day.
Meanwhile he forgot in the presence Of
the captivating brunette that he was
bound to Sue, remembering all the time,
however, that the dashing Marga was
as poor as he.
When Sue recovered, he withdrew
from Marga Vandermeulen and once
more devoted himself to his betrothed
The latter was not ignorant of her low
er's worship at the shrine of another.
Servants and friends had gossiped about
the hotel, and the silly talk found its
way to the sick girl She felt instinc-
lively that her dowry was the point ON
which Jules affection turned, and with
that tenacity peculiar to people Of deli
cate constitution she chung to life, de-
termined to snatch few years of hap
piness as the wife of the man she ador-
ed He might marry Marga after she
had gone hence. but now she intended
to possess him.
The marriage took place in the fall,
as had been planned The young people
went on long bridal journey, and
when they finally returned to Albany
Heights it was found that Sue was
completely restored to health and
bloomed like rose. But with health
had not come happiness Mr.. and Mrs.
Leroux got along peacefully enough,
but they were almost like strangers tC
each other. They maintained strictly
the conventionalities of married life,
they entertained lavishly and were en-
tertained in turn, but nobody ever saw
a warm, affectionate glance pass from
wife to husband nor heard a tender
word between the two. The searching
eye of the doting father soon saw that
all was not right with his beloved child.
He had no fault to find with Jules, who
was attentive to his business and abso
lutely correct in his habits, but he
wanted his daughter to be adored by
her husband, as he had adored hel
mother and herself from the time she
was laid in his arms a wee babe His
sole object I'm life was to bring them
together, and so he planned sojourn
for them on the Jersey coast, where
they had first met
The young people went there because
Mr.. Bertram wished it. If they were al
all sentimental about the locality, they
said nothing. One morning, while prom
enading on the board walk, they met, tC
their great surprise, Marga Vandermeu
len and her mother. The dashing Marge
was as vivacious as ever. She embraced
Sue, shook hands with Jules and an
nounced her engagement to Lieutenant
Tomkins, the cadet with whom young
Leroux had first met her.
"How beautiful you are, she blurt
ed out, examining Sue from head tt
foot. "You were sickly thing when
first knew you.
She suggested a sail on the ocean
and Jules and Sue were forced to acqui
esce. The morning went by quickly
but Mr. and Mrs Leroux were not viii
livelier than they had been before meet
ing the chatty, clever Marga. All dur
ing their sail Sue was tortured by tn
thought, "If the boat should be cap
sized, which one would he rescue, Mar
ga or me, his wife9"
Sue was passionately In love with he
husband His presence was as necessar,
to her as the air She could have hsse'
his hand with humblest devotion whel
he passed it gently over her blond hair
She was ecstatically happy when h
talked with her on the most Indifferent
subjects
She had banished every thought c
death. She had suddenly become a
egoist. She craved the love he had Civ
en- to Marga and pinned her faith 1
the ultimate fulfllment Of her arden
a..;..s -. 1;A&Io ri crrnr that saarnad 70 he