The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-10-26
A CONQUERING HERO.

1t was such pretty scene. The trees
had the abundance Of verdant foliage
that belongs to happy June. The grass
seemed more than usually rich and
green and the wild flowers more album
dant than ever before-there was rural
bridge over deep, rushing stream that
fed mill dam some distance beyond,
and roses clambered over the broken
rails Of the bridge and twined their
wild tendrils about an old tree near by,
against which was rustic seat. On the
rustic seat was another rosa very
sweet and fresh and lovely rose in white
muslin, with Marie Antoinette fichu
across her breast and knotted at the
waist, and wide leghorn hat on her
head that shaded her eyes so cleverly
that no beholder could guess that tears
were rising there from time to time and
dropping on the white null kerchief.
And this had happened SO often that
the rose might very we'll be said to be
washed in dew.
| Her name was Kate, and she was very
angry with herself because the tears
would fall despite all the indignant
things she was saying to herself in her
effort to stop their flow, till at last she
started to her feet in dreadful pet and
began to walk up and down, crushing
the wild flowers under her feet. But
that could not continue, for she was q
very sweet little woman and could not
even hurt a flower without regretting
it, and presently she bent her graceful
figure and pulled the wild anemones
and the few late violets and, having
reached the rustic seat, she added rose
or two and sat down.
Its perfectly lovely morning."
she murmured and pinned the flowers
among the folds of the null kerchief
81 wonder where she has taken the
child, because
She stopped and looked anxiously
about till she saw in the distance the
maid and the little boy rambling among
the trees and apparently absorbed in
gathering wild flowers and chasing but
terfiies, and the music of the child s
laughter was borne to her on the soft,
perfumed summer breeze 1t was a
heavenly sound-a sound to gladden.
any mothers heart, but Kate Selden
sighed and drew from her belt closely
crumpled piece of paper, which she had
thrust there in fierce impatience, and as
she looked at it the tears, which had
not retreated very far, again rose to her
eyes.
"Oh, I'm just a dreadful fool,'' she
thought. "a silly silly little simple
ton. And I'm glad he is late, for
wouldn't have him know for anything
in this world that l cared enough to
cry'- And smoothing out the crum-
pied paper, she began to read the writ
ten words once more, though she al
ready knew them by heart:
If you will see me ON Wednesday,
we can talk the matter over / have
spoken with my lawyer, and he has
consulted with yours, and separation
can be arranged without any public
scandal-at least, l hope SO. / would
call at the house, but know your
mother hates me worse than ever now,
and it would only cause a scene. So if
you will come to the old rustic seat
close by the bridge-you know where
we used to meet in the old, happy days
-ah, Kate, if you would only let me
tell you everything, you would find that
am not SO very much to blame. But 1
won't speak of that, because, of course,
l know you wish to leave me, and I
will make no defense. Yes, you shall
keep the boy,~thopgh l believe the law
would give him to me if chose to fight
for my right-no, in that I yield to you
entirely. I believe child belongs to
his mother first and before all others.
Therefore I give him to you without
asking what the law might say about
it, but I do ask that you will let me see
him as often as I may wish, for I love
him, dear-yes, though you may not
believe it, Kate, 1 love him next to his
mother, who is still the dearest on earth
to me- There, I didn t mean to say that,
but it is written, and let it stay so. I
will not offend you again, but be there
on Wednesday, any time before noon. 1
won't be later than IL, and we can ar
range all the business details-the law
yers will do the rest -
And by this time the tears were brim-
ming over, but she wiped them softly
away, and instead of crushing the paper,
as before, she folded it very smoothly
and slipped it inside her corsage, where
she could feel it rise and fall beneath
the hurried beating of her heart.
'Im glad he's late, she repeated
"I'm very glad he's late. And then
she looked at her watch and found it
was not quite half past TO- "Oh, he
isn't late, after all. l must have been
very early. will go and find Annette
was the cracking Of twig under a
hasty footstep, and Kate Selden stood
face to face with her husband He was
very pale, and his lips looked pallid
and drawn with the effort to keep from
trembling. She had flushed deeply when
their eyes met, but now the color ebbed
away from her girlish face, and she said
confusedly:
II am SO glad mean, not to keep
you waiting. You see am here first. %
"You are very good" he said, "but
you are always good. You got my let
terP''
'Oh, yes, or wouldn't have known
you were coming here She moved
backward a step and was very glad to
drop into the old rustic seat. 'sIt is
very generous of you, Sidney, to agree
to everything and particularly about
baby"
1T is all l can do now-to try to
please you," he answered weakly, and
the perspiration was like dew on his
brow. He took off his hat and stammer-
ed something about its being lawfully
hot. ;"
eyes, perhaps you have walked fast.
1t is very warm, and you look tired.
Won't you sit DOWN." She moved a lit
tie farther away to make room for him,
and he dropped into the place beside her.
I'VE used to say there was just room
enough for two," he added, with a
smile, and she turned her head away,
perhaps to pluck rose, for she snapped
one off short and then threw it away.
"Am 1 to see baby todayf'' he asked
after few minutes of awkward silence.
"Ihaven t seen him, you know, since
"Oh, yes" she answered hurriedly
and looking about "There they are, he
and Annette, yonder in the woods. They
are coming this way. Oh, Sidney" she
cried suddenly turning toward him,
chow could you? can never, never
! forgive you'll
81 could never dare to ask you"