The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-08-29
!. AN UNCONSCIOUS ALLY.
ALPS Fair In War and In Love,
Especially In Love.
sssssSsssasSssssssSsSHSses

l have always had remarkably
large number of friends of my own
sex. Lest this should lead people to
give me an undue amount of credit for
amiability and sweetness of disposition
l may as well state at oncethat have
manageable brother.
Being possessed also of a fair
amount of brains, l was never for a
moment deceived as to the nature OF
the affection lavished upon me by
most of my female friends. But when
my dearest chum, the girl really
thought loved me for myself alone,
told me she was engaged to be mar
ried to my brother Fred my grief and
anger knew no bounds.
l had gone over to stay all night
with Maud and had laid awake till 3
a. m. exchanging condolences, and all
the time the sneak never said word
about Fred. At last l dropped off to
sleep and was just in the midst of a
glorious dream, in which l was lead
ing the cotillon with magnificent
man with soulful eyes and bank ac-
count in seven figures, when Maud
suddenly threw her arms about my
neck, entirely shutting off my wind
and soaring me almost into nervous
prostration, and with a burst Of tears
confessed that she had been keeping
a secret from me for two whole days
and that we were to be really, truly
sisters, not Just sisters in affection, as
heretofore, etc.
managed to wriggle out from under
Mauds arm, and then sat up in bed
and said things. l don't remember
exactly what they were, but they must
have been pretty bad, for Fred didn't
speak to me for week (of course
Maud had to tell hlm), and Maud her
self went around looking like suffer
ing martyr whenever we CHANGED to be
under the same roof.
was convinced that / was the most
miserable girl in the world after that,
and the worst of it was that every
body, including Maud herself, thought
that l was only mad because she was
cASdkC0 AA6l5 ILL 1AhPdtoIAOA WAASA =
need not say was entirely unjust.
I'm sure could not see what Maud
had done that was so wonderful any
way. Fred is anything but brilliant,
and I never considered him even good
looking, while as long as mamma lives
he hasn't penny to his name except
his salary, which is by no means
princely.
But Maud You'd have thought
she'd landed a Vanderbilt or poet
laureate the way she acted.
/ pretended not to notice her airs
and nursed my grief in proud silence,
but l had no doubt that l was tho
most wronged and unhappy creature
that ever lived until subsequent events
taught me that our affairs are arrang-
ed by an all wise Providence In whom
we may safely trust, no matter how
dark our way may seem at the time.
shall never doubt the wisdom of
Providence again.
To begin with. / found l was likely
to get lot of amusement out Of this
engagement. Fred was madly jealous
of Maud all the time, though any one
could see with half an eye that she
was simply mad about him and in
deadly fear of losing him herself.
He would come home at least three
times week, pale, haggard and wild
eyed, man bereft of hope. The rest
of the time he was madly joyful and
talked about Maud as If she was sew
eral degrees higher than the seraphim.
1t was enough to make a ST Bernard
dog laugh just to see him.
I also found further consolation in
the fact that his state Of mind inter-
fered seriously with Fred's appetite,
that l got all the extra pudding and
things that had always fallen to his
share Cred was always a greedy
thing, and then Perceval Jones came
from abroad.
Perceval was a millionaire's son,
with face too beautiful for words
and a taste for Ibsen.
OF course all this made him desira-
BILE beyond most other men, but must
say the way the girls of Archerville
made different kinds of fools Of them
selves about him was enough to dis
gust even a woman's rights advocate
with her sex.
| need hardly say that was smart
enough to treat Mr. Jones with mark
ed GOODNESS. The first time l met him
my behavior seemed to puzzle the
pampered youth. The second time he
appeared distinctly grateful On the
third he asked permission to call, and
l went home at peace with all the
world, even Fred.
For five consecutive afternoons after
that | sat by the tea table in the back
drawing room, attired in my best
gown, expecting Perceval-in vain.
On the sixth he came.
What delightful SURPRISE" | said
gushingly. l was trifle nervous from
waiting so long.
"Ah, thanks" he remarked, looking
disappointed.
And then mamma came in and in
spite of my previous warnings finish
ed things by treating Mr. Jones as if
he were Albert Edward or Mark Han
ma or at least a royal duke Mamma
never could resist a millionaire.
Our visitor took his leave in less
than half an hour, and l knew that
unless l adopted desperate measures
Perceval Jones was lost to me forever.
But I'm not one to give up easily,
and after thinking hard thinks all
night | finally hit on plan and went
to sleep at daybreak and slept till
noon as sweetly and as innocently as
a child
Early in the afternoon l telephoned
to Maud and asked her to go with me
out to the golf links at o'clock. Then
l telephoned to Fred to meet us there
and proceeded to make a fetching
toilet with a light heart When we
reached the links, there was Mr.. Jones
Che had mentioned that he was going
the day before.
He was looking bored, as usual, but
cheered up when l treated him with
naughty GOODNESS.
l eluded his attempts at conversa-
ton, however, and threw Maud in his
way whenever l could
l was rewarded by seeing him seat
himself by Maud's side and commence
a disquisition on Ibsen as Fred came
around the hill on his bicycle.
No sooner did Fred's eye light on
the couple than he commenced to glare
like mailman, and in spite of my in
nocent efforts to keep him away he
wound up by being so outrageously
rude to Mr.. Jones that that gentleman
was COMPOUNDED, and Maud went home
in tears.
AS for mo I went tn he'd hannv NV