The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-10-05
he should be obliged to marry Mrs. AL

! he should be obliged to marry Mrs. AL
batross
The moment came. 1t was in the lit
tie sitting room up stairs.
Something had happened. DR. Jasper
saw that plainly enough.
The lady was flushed and excited,
and he missed the usual confidential
hand squeeze.
Il wanted to see you, she said
and paused "Notli has come to your
ears, SUPPOSED"
The doctor looked inquiringly
'Well. then, I'm dreadfully troubled,
annoyed beyond measure, put out. Of
course, you know my maid, Susan. She
has been with me ten years and is not
gossip
what on earth do you mean? Do be
plain Surely with me you might be
quite plain. And he moved little
nearer, feeling at that moment curious
kind of attraction which almost com
PEELED him to lay his hand upon her
arm and force her to be quite honest.
Don't keep me on tenterhooks, he
| oaAO OuSSL4J. 4S11 4uSl
81 will, said the lady. 81 feel l
can tell you anything. / don't think
have any other friend in the world-at
least, not like you No one understands
me, no one has helped me as you have.
and we've got to part. That is alp
eWhat ON earth, said Jasper, really
shaken and troubled-he had never seen
her grow pale like that or her lips
culver like that, and she was not of
the crying sort, and she did not cry now
what-what has Susan been say
ingp'
"Only that it's all over the place,
and that she thought at last she ought
to tell me-
"You don mean, you dom mean
He oouldn't quite say it.
Yes, do" she said. And she rose
and walked up and down the room full
of a sort of angry vexation, mingled
evidently with conflict of passionate
feeling she could neither conceal nor
subdue.
"Sit down. he said He had risen
He took her arm. She was positively
trembling He led her to the sofa by
the fire.
II shall have to leave this place, /"
she said in sort of hard voice. The
angry tears came into her eyes. He had
never seen her weep. This was the
nearest approach to it.
II know what you are going to say.
Don't say it No. you shan't go. You
are useful. The people trust you 1t is
your sphere. | am the marplot.
"Why should you go?" said Jasper,
hardly measuring his words. 'Why
should either of us go? Why not stay
and stay-stay together"
"You don't mean it?" Men at such
times are more fools than knaves
Yes, yes-I-do -
Jasper had taken her hand The wo-
man with the iron will, the keen intel
lect, the nature self contained, which
seemed at times as hard as nails, turned
toward him and in another moment fell
crying and laughing Historically into
his arms At that moment, as ill luck
would have it, Phemie, hearing unusual
sounds and thinking some one needed
assistance, entered.
go and fetch some sal volatile. Your
mother is not very we'll. F." Indeed, at
that moment Mrs. Albatross seemed to
have really tainted away, Whether she
tainted or not no one will ever know
The doctor himself was doubtful
Jasper never entered the house again.
He went home, packed up his things,
wrote a hurried note in a disguised
hand to Phemie, who on the following
day would be 81 years old and come
into $500 year, which had been left
her, to the disgust of her mother, by
her fond father-and Jasper went to
bed
He must have risen early No one at
his lodgings saw him go out. His hot
water was brought up at 8 O'Clock His
boots had not been put out over night
The servant knocked again at 8 The
door was not locked. She entered She
saw boxes packed and labeled Left
till called for " The bed was empty.
The station was mile off. There
were only two passengers by the early
train.
Wfhn Mrs. Albatross came down to
breakfast she inquired for Phemie.
Phemie was gone. Sketch.