The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-03-23

| wasn't Absalom's way. He might "a
walked tibet fur to git warm. But to
speak to girl? Neverl Oncet he called
to her, but she was bashful an hung
her head an walked on the faster
Nance, SEE he to his sister thet
night at supper, Tive kinder a notion
fer Annie May Crimmel, he SEE.
'Hev you'll sez she, lookin sur
prised, though of course she know'd it,
an fer weeks he'd ben a-wonderin what
'u'd become of her.
An perhaps, sez he, you wouldn t
mind steppin over there tomorrer an
tellin her.
'UmphP she SEE, perkin up her
nose. You'll see me a-gaddin round the
valley settin up with girls fer your
He set thinkin piece. Then he seq
trem lous like, Nance, how fur is it to
Crimmels'?'
A mile to an inch, seq she.
''He jest give groand an went off to
bed ag'in
They say tibet next day toward even
in Absalom was seen to rise from his
OAehA4y W ACS1lllCy W cGb OOMu, &1b
ag in an begin movin toward the road.
He got to the gate, pushed it half open
an leaned on it. Tell sunset he stood
there, again wistfullike toward Grim
mel's place. Then he give groand an
went to supper.
Winter drove the lazy felly inter the
house. All day long he'd stay by the
windy watchin fer Annie May Grim
mel, an as she passed he'd smile soft
like. When she was gone, he'd look sol
emn ag'in. An all the time he KEEP git
tin fatter an fatter an more an more on
rastless
''The winter broke March come an
went. April was fine, warm day,
so Absalom took his cheer out on the
porch an set there lookin down the ridge
into the valley, where the men was
a-plowin fer oats. All at oncet he heard
a creakin of wheels an rattle of gears
tibet caused him to turn his eyes up the
road Outer the woods come wagon,
piled high with furnitur' 1t was a
filth, the Crimmels' filth, as he
know'd when he seen Andy a-drivin
an the missus an Annie May settin on
the horses. Bunkel was stunned-clean-
ed stunned. The fittin went creakin
past the house. him jest settin there
starin. He know'd what it meant to
him. He know'd it was fer him the
same as the death of Annie May, but
he couldn't do nothin. The wagon
swung round the bend below the house
an was outer sight.
"When he seen the last of the red
bonnet flashin in the sun, he th'owed
his hands to his head like they was a
pain there. Sudden be jumped from his
chair an run toward the road yellin:
Hey, heyI Annie Mayp
He tore throo the gate, down the
road an round the bend. They was in
sight agin.
Annie Mayp he called. Annie
Mayl'
"The wagon stopped The girl climb
ed often the horse an run toward him
When he seen her comm, he set right
down to wait fer her She stood still.
Annie May, he called, come here.
I've somethin to tell you.
"But she turned round an walked,
with hangin head, back to the wagon.
He jumped up an begin runnin after
her ag'in. She heard his calm, an
throwed out her hands am started to-
ward him, cryin, 'Absalom, Absalomp
"But Absalom Bunkel never spoke
his mind to Annie May Crimmel Afore
he reached her he stopped sudden, kinder
hesitated, then fell for ard, face down
ward, inter the road. The girl went to
him, but found him dead-dead from
overexertin. New York Sun.