The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-08-09
AFTER YEARS.

t-seems-to-me, Estelle," said
Ferdinand Essex after moment or two
Of grave observation, "that you're
about old enough to leave off playing
with dolls"
Playing with dolls, indeedl'' echoed
Estelle, drawing herself up. with inf
mite scorn expressed in the graceful
curves of her hssome shape. ~ playing
with dollsp
well, what are you doing then?'
"Why, am dressing 10 of them for
the church fairI' and Estelle held up
one completed fairy, gorgeous in pink
Grape and spangles, with floating sash
and ends Of gauze ribbon.
"The church fair p said Major Essex,
curling his lip. "Of all absurd nom
sense, devised to stir up quarrels among
the womankind and rob the men by
wholesale, that is the most ridiculousW
but you are going, Major Essex?'
"Goingi No, 1 should rather think
not"
"Why2"
Haven't just told you? Because I
disapprove of the whole thing"
Major Essex said Estelle, her
voice quivering with indignation and
two vivid scarlet spots starting out upon
her cheeks, 81 do believe it is just as
Aunt Marion saysl''
"And what does Aunt Marion say?''
demanded Essex, rather amused.
"She says that you are getting to be
selfish, narrow minded old bachelor'
81 can't be SO very old. 1 am not 80
until the New Yearp pleaded Essex
II call that very old indeed" said
Estelle haughtily. "And she says you
are settling down into set groove of
thought and feeling, and unless
"Stop. stop" said the major, whim
sically arching his eyebrows. "Don't
give too heavy doses of bitter medicine
Estelle. I've heard quite enough for
the present.
II don't suppose Aunt Marion meant
that 1t should be repeated to you" said
Estelle, sewing vigorously away at
dolls skirt and pricking her taper fin
gers mercilessly, "but believe it's ev-
cry word of it true"
"You believe it?"
Eyes, do, " nodded Estelle emphat-
ioally.
"That's hard on me. T" said Major Els
sex, with an attempt at pathos which
was oontradicted by the sparkle of his
mischievous brown eyes. DO you sup
pose could retrieve my character if
were to go to the church fair and buy
the biggest doll you have been dress
ingf'
Estelle was silent, but the compressed
lips and orimsoning cheeks betokened
her inward indignation.
Come, persisted Major Essex, half
lifting himself from the sofa to get
better view Of the young face In the
corner. lyon know I'm going away
next week, and I shall want some kind
of souvenir to remind me of you
when I'm away on the other side of the
habitable globe. Shall we say So for
that doll?''
II couldn't sell it to you for $780,"
broke out Estelle, with flashing eyes
and ooloring temples. Its just as
Aunt Marion says-you are disagree
able, cross, tormenting old bachelorl"
"Why, Stella, 1 thought we used to
be such good friendsr'
$50 we used, !" said Estelle, "but not
since you have begun to tease and tor
ment me"
The major watched her with languid,
half closed eyes.
"Estelle, believe you are crying"
81 am not cryingr' flashed Estelle,
and to hide the bright, gathering drops
she caught up all the pile of dolls,
satin, tarlatan and glittering ribbon
into her frock and darted out of the
room like an arrow
1.-THE little FREELY" laughed Major
Essex. "But I'll make it up with her
yet Stella and l mustn't part unrecon-
oiled. AS for Aunt Marion, who has
such very derogatory opinion of me,
it's hardly worth my while to attempt
to undeceive her. "
And Major Essex dragged the chintz
cushions into a heap directly under
meath his head and composed himself
for comfortable nap before dinner.
When the next week came, he packed
! his valise as nonchalantly as if he were
going to Baltimore or Philadelphia and
started for Calcutta, and when he re-
| turned the south had passed through
the terrible pangs of war. He went to
the old Dayton place. The velvet lawn
was plowed up and planted in rice. The
orange grove, where the hooking birds
used to sing their merry roundelays,
lay leveled to the ground, and only
ruinous stone chimney, half overgrown
with rank poison vine, remained of
the hospitable old mansion.
For a moment Essex gave way to
natural emotions. He sat down on the
ruined doorstep and wept.
And then he went back to Baltimore.
where his home was to be for the future,
all efforts to discover any trace of the
Dayton family having proved futile and
vain.
"By Jove, wish had staid in CAL
cutta,' he said to himself. Home is
not home with all these changes around
il.
Mrs. Colonel Changhley had returned
from India in the same vessel with him
"a plump, handsome widow, who had
lost her lamented colonel in a sepoy
mutiny among the jungles and was on
the qui vive for a successor to him
and Mrs. Colonel Ohanghley gave Major
Essex no peace of his life He must ride
with her. He must escort her hither
and yon. He must go with her to select
her new pony phaeton. In fact, she
found herself unable to transact the
conmonest item of business without
Major Essex.
So it happened that when she went
to buy set of ermine furs Major Essex
was her unwilling companion.
It's the last time, - thought the ma
jor to himself; sit must be the last
time or she will marry me before
know it..
Mrs. Changhley was very hard to suit
in the matter of furs, and when at last
she found set which she liked it proved
to be too small round the neck
1--WE can have it altered in a minute,
ma 'am," said the polite salesman.
Zone of our young women can fix it
while you wait Miss Carson-here--
send Estelle to mep'
And light, pretty little figure Gid
ed in, dressed in somewhat shabby
mourning. Major Essex sat by the win
dow, looking absently out into the
street, but as the work girl attempted
to remove the fur wrapping from Mrs.
Colonel Ohanghley's neck pin at her
wrist caught in the widow lace collar.
You awkward, clumsy thing!" al
most screamed Mrs. Colonel Changhley,
and then she checked herself abruptly,
remembering the presence of Major Es-
sex.