The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-08-22
| An ACCIDENTAL

bit pig headed. as 1 often told her.
But no one could help loving her, in
spite of her little touch of Dutch OBJ
stinacy. least of all myself for Of all
the provoking little women that were
ever created for the express purpose of
charming and tormenting their fellow
men Margery was the most deliciously
dear, and I loved her so well could
forgive her anything-that is. anything
but the way she treated Jack Beasley.
The dance she led that poor fellow
was something to move even bearded
Turk to pity. For whole year she had
kept him dangling after her as abjectly
as dancing doll at the end of string,
and yet, as far as we could see, he had
made no progress whatever in her way
ward affections.
We had been talking things over.
Jack, Ned and |, in Margery's absence
Il never dared mention Jack to Mar
gerry for fear of still further exciting
that famous obstinacy of hers), and
even Ned, the most hopeful of mortals,
had had to admit Jacks chances looked
blue. Ned. be it known, was the daring
youth who had undertaken to guide my
New England enterprise and other vir-
tues (too numerous to mention) through
life's pilgrimage
He and Jack were partners in law
office and occupied the fiat on the top
floor, where they INDUCED in certain
mysterious rites they called light house
keeping, while Margery and taught
music and Delsarte and practiced the
modest virtues of hospitality in the fat
below
Nothing, therefore, could have been
more fit, suitable and otherwise to be
desired than to have Margery and Jack
fall in love with each other. even as
Ned and had done Jack was willing
enough, poor boy, but Margery baked.
1t was too provoking
As said before, we three had been
talking it over the day before while
Margery was absent teaching the luck
less children of rich soap manufac-
turer to play Wagner on the piano and
had all agreed that the situation looked
hopeless.
Jack had been in the depths of de-
spair because the tenor of the choir for
which Margery played the organ had
called three times that week, and,
though / didn't believe she cared pin
for the tenor, / had never known naugh-
ty Margery TO appear more willfully re-
CARELESS of Jacks feelings.
We had parted, therefore, gloomily
enough, after a fruitless conference,
and had relieved my mind by being
especially cross to Margery all day,
though | must own she didn't seem to
mind much.
1t was an awful day, raining cats
and dogs, and in the afternoon / got
tired of being cross all by myself and
proposed that we should shampoo our
hair and dry it on the parlor radiator,
the only one in the fiat large enough for
the purpose OF course Margery object
ed. Visitors might come, she said, and
then who would let them INF l secuted
the idea Of visitors on such day I'M
less, | observed with sarcasm. she was
expecting the tenor again.
She didn't notice this stab, so pro-
ceeded to say that as the radiator was
in the corner we could pull our big Jap
anese screen up in front of it and, Sc
cure in our hiding place, let our entire
visiting acquaintance including mes
senger boys and duns knock at the
door till they got tired and then de-
part, blissfully unaware of our proxim-
ity
Accordingly it wasn't long before we
were snugly ensconced on a pile Of sofa
pillows on the parlor floor. wrapped in
our bathrobes and with our wet locks
streaming out behind us across the ra-
diator. over which we had stretched a
steamer rug We were armed with
novel apiece, hut soon got to talking
girl fashion and were deep in discus
sion of Amos Judd when there came a
loud knock at the door.
''Great Scottr' l exclaimed in q
stage whisper, the rosy advantages Of
my plan suddenly fading in the cold
light Of reality.
''There. | told you soi cried Mar
gerry ungeuerously, sitting up abruptly
so that her hair fell all about her in a
great shining. coppery shower
"Sh-shut. upr' whispered, reach
ing out with an agitated stockinged toe
for the bedroom slipper I had carelessly
kicked off moment before.
Again the knock came, this time
more imperative.
what, in heavens name, shall we
dol gasped Margery.
Keep still. said soto voce
Then the door handle TUNED. and we
heard Ned's voice saying There's mo-
body home. Let's come in and wait for
them.
"All right, was the reply in Jacks
bass tones. "Maybe it's not the proper
thing, BUT we might as well risk it. .
And we heard the door close as our Wis
itors entered and took possession of our
apartment.
1t was too ridiculous I'd have had
to laugh if our lives had been at stake,
and in spite Of the imminent danger Of
discovery in this mortifying plight !
stuffed all of a sofa pillow that would
go into my mouth and shook tin my
sides ached.
1t was the expression on Margery s
face that recalled me to myself at last
CHANGING to glance up from behind a
corner Of the cushion was trying to
swallow. caught her listening with
strained attention to something that
was being said on the other side Of the
screen, with every bit of color gone out
of her face and a look in her eyes I'd
never seen there before
eyes, Jack was saying, eff they
don't hurry, I'll have to go without
saying goodby. My train leaves at Z.
and I've lots to do
Ned lighted his pipe before he re-
piled. Dear Ned, I believe he would
smoke in heaven if Peter didn't take
the precaution to search him before he
let him in.
81 guess it'll surprise them some,
he remarked at last. Especially when
they hear You re never coming back. "
nudged Margery violently at this.
but she didn't look at me- the MINK
and then Jack went on dolefully;
ooh, they won't care very much.
I'm afraidl''
"Of course they will, protested Ned,
putting away Sand / will anyway
Must you go, old boy e.