The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-08-22
By waIter E. crogan.

red and tall in the rustling wheat The
hedges are starred with blossoms and
powdered with dust. for the highways
are the roads of many.
Half way down the,steep hill is a lit
tie hostel, a roadside inn 1t has a face
OF flowers and is pleasant; it smiles
with the welcome,of courteous native
to the casual stranger; it invites in
specsion, it suggests refreshmeut and it
DISCUSSES the materialistic form of its
refreshment with the glamour Of roses
and a rusticlporch
The day was hot, and I hesitated at
the porch. The room inside looked cool /;
it had stone floor and latticed win
dow, which was thrust open. Then I
saw the fiutter of a pink gown and a
silvery laugh came tome. had a mar
ried sister waiting for me at Pourville,
and was already late, but then,
argued, | always had married sister,
and she was generally waiting for me
somewhere, for | am invariably late,
and pink gown. in conjunction with
so silvery a laugh, was alluring. l went
in. The sunlight outside was very
bright. the half light in the room was
dim. and stepped upon dog-a pug
dog, ! afterward discovered-which re-
sented my familiarity with his teeth.
That destroyed the effect of my en-
trance. 1t produced hurried exclama-
ton and a half laugh, translated into
a cough. The exclamation came from
me. I apologized profusely to the lady
who had been indeterminate as to laugh
or cough. She was. l saw, divinely
small, cool, sweet, innocent face,
with mischief, however, lurking in the
eyes; figure slight, willowly; an air
OF command and dress inconceivable
to an insular understanding-a mere
dream of light frills, soft silks and color.
She drew herself up with some hau-
teur to the full extent of her feet A
inches, from which l deducted two
inches in consequence Of a glance at
her shoes In the labor Of buttoning a
long glove, she spoke.
Monsieur, I, too. must apologize. 1t
was i'll of Fido. 1t is pardonable that,
in the heat of such a surprise, a man
should say-should say what you said. ;"
"Yet to me it is grief, . protested.
81. " she went on, buttoning her
glove, with her eyes fixed ON me under
the curtain of their long lashes. 81
thought you were some one else
hate to be taken for anybody else
but myself. like to keep the fiatter-
ing hope that am unique. was
piqued.
MADAME. !" answered. 81 am sorry
that was not the other person.
She looked at me for quite awhile,
which made me feel uncomfortable. At
such moments have always a misgiv-
ing that my tie has wriggled. Then she
smiled. The smile began in her eyes,
spread to her lips and finally took ref
uge in her teeth. l smiled, too-from
sympathy partly, and partly to show
her that l bore her no i'll will for her
mistake.
Does monsieur generally enter an
inn to tread upon little dogs?' l be-
came aware that had not summoned
the landlord. l was also aware that
did not wish to summon the landlord.
II heard you laugh" said The
fact seemed all eloquent to me; it APP
peared SO to her.
~ was expecting some one. We had
quarreled, she made reply.
HE was to blame3''
IT have not said that it was man. :"
1T was unnecessary. You were good
enough not to think me devoid Of com
mon senee.
"He departed in anger :"
"a most i'll tempered man.
"If were In the wrong
(Which is supposition very much
strained.
81 should be miserable, but as it is
laugh"
''And when you laugh the world
stops at your window.
Monsieur is pleased to regard him
self in very fattering lightr'
"And I, as the only tangible object
of the world. entered.
"Ahr'
She played short solo upon the stone
floor with the tap Of her shoe-it was
crescendo. Her brow-it was as marble
for whiteness and as soft as rose leaves
-wrinkled in thought, her lips-I
hardly knew whether to bless the gods
for permitting me sight, or curse
them for the hot puckered
She was evidently bordering.
at is. . she said at length, ''an I'M
ceremonious entrance.
at is an unceremonious introduc-
ton, corrected 1.-THE entrance was
not unceremonious'
"Unless to Fido /" She laughed a
little, and | began to find her laugh
rather irritating-at times. "But the
worst Of it is there has been no intro
duction =
Does that matterH" asked. For
my part I was willing to forego such
trivialitiea
II do not know your name"
''Nor yours go that is a bond Of
sympathy Let us, went on in a
glow of inspiration. "imagine that we
have been introduced at dance. One
never knows the names in such cases. !"
''He was certainly to blame.
Certainly. If a man willingly walks
out of Paradise, he must be either a
fool or
HE will come back
''In that case began, rising and
taking up my hat from the chair.
Really she answered. "a man
who willingly walks out Of
''But ] don't, objected II go
with the greatest reluctance. %
ut is very hot in the sun. mon
sieur. y
MADAME, ! greatly fear sunstroke
It is disease which has had remarka-
BILE fatality for my family"
Ireplaced my hat upon the chair on
which ! had previously seated myself,
and seated myself upon the chair on
which / had previously placed my hat.
That chair was nearer to madame by
over foot.
Monsieur is prudent, she said and
smiled. I should have been perfectly
happy if her gaze did not so often wan
der through the window frame and seeA
the sunshine outside
may, ! fear murmured, looking
at her ardently, ''impudent.
''That is hardly in the nature of q
compliment. :
because, went on boldly, Sin
the joy Of moment, minute, an hour,
l peril my future peace.
She beat another solo upon the fool
and AGAIN lookad into the sunahine Mx