The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-05-04
ESTABLISHED 1879.

uoIr l woui0 II could, but 1 can'tF
Nor That's rather impolite, and he
reaIly-well, one mustn't be kissed and
tell. Twas SO long ago too. You see,
ladies, how devoted my lovers all are
But have won my bet All, here is an
other; one more polite refusall Mol 'Of
course l am honored, /" she read. A
crimson flush of shame spread over the
girls laughing face. THAT chivalrous
OF him, she said, trying to hide her
embarrassment. And now to invent a
polite refusal to my own proposal.
Horace Sands was in chambers when
Miss Maisie's telegram-reply paid
arrived. He was smoking cigarette
with Max Welby. They generally smok-
ed together after lunch in a kind of
sympathetic silence. He read it slowly,
then went out of the room. On return
ing his friend noticed an expression
OF most pathetic woe upon his placid
features, and such hangdog look that
he refrained from putting any questions
from fear OF intruding on private mat
tiers. Horace, however, after some fidget-
ing, said, ''You know after all it's a
dreadful thing, but what could a fellow
DOR She's a charming girl of course, but
dldn't think of exactly-in fact, 1 am
not marrying man, You know never
thought OF marTying-don't know any
thing about it. -
If you II explain what you are talk
ing about, may be able to understand
Well, the fact is, Miss Maisie wired
and asked me, don't you know, and 1,
Of course
asked you what?"
Wen, l suppose oughtn't to say
ne said, suddenly flushing crimson.
Did she propose to you?'' asked
Welby with an incredulous look of
amusement. ANSWER paid too. The
devil she did, And You have accepted?S
What else would you have me doG''
returned Sands stolidly.
For the next few days Horace Sands
experienced a general sense of bewilder-
ng depression. He was an engaged
man-to very lovely girl, it was true,
but nevertheless he was engaged, tied
up, as 1t were-somebody's property.
He must buy presents and rings and
think Of furniture Never In hts life had
he thought about furniture. Even al
college he had not, as many Of the men
did, troubled how his digK4ngs were ar
ranged.
he passed man in the street carry
Inc - 11.. d
what a safe was meant for and realized
that they would certainly have to have
safe. Some perambulators in a great
shop caught his eye, and he blushed and
looked obstinately ON the other side Of
the road. He had postponed calling-he
had not dared yet. He would never sum-
mon courage to behave as lover should
to such a wonderful piece of femininity.
He remembered now that her eyes
were gray and serious and laughing ali
at once; that she had delightful, pet
ulant mouth. The thought of her was
sweet. The reality at present was terri
flying. He could not yet face his betroth-
ed. He must have time to get used to
himself under these new conditions.
Another day passed. On the fourth he
dressed himself in frock coat, adorned
his buttonhole with bouquet and start
ed for her house.
When he arrived as far as the street
in which she lived, he turned round and
went to the club. There was q note
from her-three days old. Again he
flushed and thrust it into his pocket.
He went out and in the busy traffic of
the streets read his first love letter from
Maisie
DEAR Mr.. SANDs-How chivalrous and nice
of you'll 1t was bet, you know.
He did not read any more. but strobe
homeward. He had been pretty kind
of fool anyhow-a vain ass too. AS if
beautiful girl like that-then he began
to laugh. At any rate, he was free again
-freel But somehow he wasn't quite
sure that he wanted to be so very free.
The furniture had begun to interest
him.
They met the next evening at Lady
Vaughan's. She received him with a
very bright smile, and they danced.
They danced several times, and then he
said at the end, II suppose you couldn't
care for me, could you?'' And she col
ored all over and said, "Oh, no, 1
couldn' mot anyhow in the worldp'
Fate threw them together. They con-
stantly met She tried to avoid him,
but he would not let her, and she ceased
at last to try. At the end of three
months he again asked her to be his
wife. The tears crept into her eyes then,
and she said, You are very kind and
chivalrous, and am very grateful, but
can 't-indeed / cen'tpp So that he
went away conscious that there was
barrier between them he could not
break down. He went abroad with
Welby and proved a preposterously dull
companion.
she will never have me, he said
one day irrelevantly. Il believe it's all
because of that COMPOUNDED telegram "
"Most likely"
"What shall do?''
Forget her. "
"That's what 1 have been trying to
do, but she's crept somehow into my
heart, and can't"
Wire, thenp'
"WhatP"
WAdb 6no Wlr6O 10 you.
Maisie was sitting with Mrs. Hamlin,
and her pretty face was even paler than
on the memorable occasion of the send
ing of the kilograms "Ah, " she said,
sit is pityl / care for him so much
so much-and it could never be nowl
Could itP''
tits rather difficult" said Mrs.
Hamlin. How mad Of us all to have
let you do it We didn't realize till the
things were gone. Your spirits carried
us away. He's abroad, isn't he?''
Eyes, and can't bear it, but must.
That's life, isn't it?" she said, with a
little sad smile. 1--WE all manage to
bear what we can't" And then a tele-
gram came, reply paid.
"What is it2" said Mrs. Hamlin.
''He has wired. Lookl''
'And what are you going to say2''
The girl sat down upon her heels upon
the floor and looked first into the fire
and then at Mrs. Hamlin. II think
ought to be polite Don't your" she
said. "He was to me. +"
''Yes," said Mrs. Hamhn, 81 think
you should be polite. I"
And Miss Maisie was. -Westminster
Budget
For Summer Lounging.
Just now, with summer on its way,