The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-04-20
A LOVE STORY.

n LII IL dun l..
The house in which this little story
came to pass was one of the smallest and
humblest in the whole village. The lin
den tree in the yard was tall enough to
spread its protecting arms over the low
single roof. moss grown with age. On
der the caves and in the ingles good
fairies had taken up their quarters, and
stable and granary, field and meadow,
were blessed with prosperity and
growth.
1t had always been that way since
Hubert and Kathrine came there to live.
They brought with them but little more
for dowry than courage and health
and strong, willing, working hands, for
the little farm was not their own. They
had leased it for term of years. From
season to season they prospered, and
material bliss came with overlooking
hands when a little dark haired girl
was added to the f1axen headed young
ster. The girl hadn't come in the usual
way, like the boy, whose arrival the
stork had heralded from the housetop,
but suddenly and Unexpectedly. In the
adjoining parish distant relative of
Kathrine's had died, and fearing no re-
fusal had left her dark eyed baby girl
to Hubert and his wife. They were as
tonished, to be sure, when one morning
the mail carrier lifted out of his small
country wagon bundle wrapped in
red checked pillow, with letter from
the dead woman aoquainting them with
the tiny strangers mission. Mistress
Kathrine was not long at a loss what
to do, and she soon persuaded her hus-
band, who shook his head little doubt
fully at first. Their own boy, John. was
almost 5 years old. No, the undertaking
was not such momentous one after all,
and the old pine cradle that had been
slowed away in the garrett was brought
down into the bedroom of Hubert and
his wife.
Thus was little Liz's entrance made.
She grew out of the cradle and into
short clothes, and soon her little, quick
] feet battered over Mother Kathrine's
clean kitchen floor and over garden and
| field. Her long, dark braids few in the
wind, and her bright, brown eyes stole
their way into every ones heart John
kept good company with the little sister.
In summer they hunted for berries to-
gether in the woods, and when the win
ter came they coasted down the hillside
on little sled the boy had himself
built. They climbed the trees and pick
ed the apples from the branches that
would not give them up to Hubert Wig
orous shaking. When other youngsters
troubled the child or made her cry, John
came to the rescue and proved an able
| champion.
The years sped on, and the prosperity
| and good fortune Of the farm grew on
apace. The homespun linen in the cup
! board was piled up high, and the pen
MES in the trunk were first turned into
silver and then into gold. When the
lease ran out, the farm became Hubert's
property. He bought adjoining acres
and planted them with grain, and the
COWS and calves in his stables augmented
beyond his hope.
1.-The strange child has brought us
luok," Mother Kathrine was won't to
say, until she forgot altogether that Liz
+! was not her own flesh and blood.
John must have the advantage of a
better education than / had," declared
Hubert, when the lad was Is years old
"I'll send him to a good commercial
college, and I'll keep him there as long
as he can find anything to learn. y
So John was sent away a good many
hundred miles from home. The farm
er's boy should see the world. He
shouldn't choose his vocation ignorant
of its ways, and if he found anything
that gratified his tastes better than the
simple farm life, Hubert was willing to
| make the sacrifice and set him up in
| business.
After three years John came back,
ready to settle down and live and work
on the farm like his father. He found
Liz as much changed as she found him.
man. Self consciousness was in the seri-
GUS face, and the sprouting mustaohe
suited it well. The half grown girl he
remembered had blossomed into beau
tiful maiden.
Soon after Johns return Hubert and
Kathrine wondered why their boy and
girl, who had been the best of friends
all their lives, no longer got along we'll
together. There were little chickering's
and differences all the time. When Liz
was gay, John was mad, and when he
leased her she resented it. When, as
was often the case at first, he sat down
for quiet, confidential chat with her,
she snubbed him and gave him crusty
answers, and when he ordered her about,
rs men like to do with their women
iolk, she few into rage. Out Of their
| insignificant quarrels came serious diff
oulties Mother Kathrine, who in all
the years of her married life had been
accustomed to even, quiet ways, was
distressed over the breaking up of her
peaceful household. She mediated, ad-
monished, pleaded. It was all in vain.
Father Hubert lost his patience and
threatened to box his sons ears and
drive him from home if he could
not get along with the girl One morn
ing, after another turbulent scene the
night before, Liz came with fearful eyes
and pale cheeks to her foster mother.
Mother" she began, II have been
thinking that father should not have
cause to send John away on my account.
Let me go out to service myself"
At first Mother Kathrine objected.
Then she sat down and studied over her
daughters proposition. Perhaps the
child was right. 1t might do her good
to eat the bread of strangers, for a little
while at any rate.
1t did not take Liz long to carry out
her plan. The pretty, we'll behaved girl
found service in small summer resort
in the neighborhood. The male guests
took bit more freedom with the pretty
lassie than she liked, and the cook pro-
posed to her about once a week. She re-
fused him peremptorily every time, but
at last, tired of his persistence, she de-
cided to go home on Sunday to consult
with Mother Kathrine about changing
her place. How much inconsistencies had
part in this resolution Liz would not
own to herself.
Meanwhile John had been unham-
| oh fho