The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-10-18

took sensible view of the situation.
He was not in love with her, and she
was wise enough to conceal from him
the secret that her own heart had been
revealing to her gradually for some
time past.
At dinner that evening she looked at
him and knew that she loved him. He
looked at Diana and thought of forgot
ten Audrey.
1t was the fault of the roses in the
drawing room.
The scent of them haunted him-fol-
lowed him home. Poor little Audrey |
What would she think? But near as he
had come to loving her, he had never
made love to her and had nothing to
reproaoh himself with, for which now
he was fervently thankful Yet he was
not quite happy as his hanson took him
to Charges street. A memory of some
thing that was wistful at times in Au-
drey's eyes stirred him. The thing was
absurd, uncomfortable. Her mother,
gentle as she was, was woman of the
world and had known that he "meant"
nothing. Audrey was child to caress
and pet. 1t was he who had suffered at
the parting. Her tears were the frank
tears of childhood and rolled down her
cheeks unconeealed.
His misgivings told him that he had
done we'll to go.
He thought of the restlessness that
had possessed him during the early days
of his travel 1t had sent him from
place to place. He had written letter
then that was never posted, and had re
Trained himself until time and distance
allowed him to write calmly. Presently
the need to write at all ceased and he
knew himself cured.
But tonight Audrey haunted him. He
could be thankful that he had not made
fool of himself The girl was not Of
his world, and he knew the folly of an
i'll assorted marriage, but she had been
very dear to him.
How fair she wasi Her face insinu-
ated itself persistently between him
and sleep. She must be grown up now
yes, Audrey must be 10. The curves
of her slender figure would be rounded
and many subtle changes mark the time
that had seen the crossing of the Dor
der line of womanhood, but she would
be the same Audrey that he had known
and had been so near to loving.
1t was late before he slept. Then
Audrey came to him in dreams that
had no definite shape. He tried vainly
afterward to remember in what guise
and to what accompanying circum-
stances she had appeared to him. He
only knew that she had been with
him, sleeping as waking, through the
night.
The air and the light of day, how
ever, cleared his brain. He spent a
morning with Diana, and by the time
she was sitting opposite to him at lunch
he could view the situation calmly and
see that his happiness lay in the direo-
ton he was taking Nor was he con-
sciously selfish.
He parted with Diana and walked
homeward. it was time of roses The
roses in flower shop caught his atten-
ton. They filled the window.
He found himself in the shop. He
had been attracted by red roses yet in
the end it was white roses he chose.
He believed that he made his choice by
hazard, though now he sometimes won
ders. 1t may be that some thought Of
Audrey's nature influenced him.
He took out a card and ,aused.
What to say? His love? He Lasitated
and wrote, For auld lang syne. Then
he gave his directions as to the sending
and left the shop.
Three days later a letter reached
him.
He opened it carelessly, not recognize
ing the handwriting. His fingers tight
ened suddenly upon the sheet.
II put your roses on her heart"
wrote her mother. loose, as they came.
She would have loved them So -
Lady's Realm.