The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-09-12
THEY MET BY CHANCE.
But Remained Together
Intentionally.

She didn't ask him in, and after paus-
ing a moment he said a regretful
Good night" and went on down the
road. She stood at the gate watching
his retreating figure. The walk home
had not been lively, for how could
Olive chat cheerily as usual, with her
cheeks burning and her heart beating
Indignantly at the recollection Of the
scrap of gossip? She was standing in
the vestibule waiting for him at his re-
quest when the words reached her
ears.
$50 schoolmarm's after the minister
now%
La, yes, and she's got the inside
track. Goes home from meeting with
him regular, and they do say he's
down there ev'ry week"
That was all, but it meant that she
was being watched and talked about,
and SO she stood there thinking. The
moonlight seemed to mock her. Every
object in the landscape was visible in
its brilliant rays, yet there was nothing
In 1t Of warmth or vitality. 1t struck
her that her sense of duty Illuminated
her path in life with similar cold pale
rays. She shivered in the fresh spring
scented air and turned to go in, but the
chill and sting of her new resolve went
with her and drove sleep away.
She had been so innocently happy.
Why could not prying eyes and
gossiping tongues have turned else
where for employment?
OF course he came home with her
Any gentleman would. He went her
way and knew that Mr.. and Mrs. Hon
per never came out nights. AS for the
weekly visits, they were nothing but
psychology lessons. A progressive
schoolma am, of course, must know it
and he had offered to assist. And she
must give it all up when she needed it
SO? She set her lips firmly She must
keep her position and couldn't afford
to be talked about. 1t made no differ
ence If neither had ever had thought
beyond the lessons, and no matter how
hard it was to give them up.
Its always well to stop before one
gets fond of anything" she reasoned,
land I'll give it all up and never speak
to him again"
She had no idea how she had depend
ed on the lessons until there were no
more to which to look forward. 'sWe,ll
talk it over at the psychology lesson"
had grown to be her habit of meeting
schoolroom puzzles, and now that there
was to be no such way of solving them
there were more puzzles to meet. The
following day was a hard one. Her
own sad and distraught manner was
not without it's effect upon the chill
dren. A full half hour of the noon re-
cess the school spent as prisoners, be-
cause it was found that some one had
broken off the knob OF the door, and it
could only be opened from the outside
And they were compelled to wait until
some one passing released them.
Four o'clock brought welcome relief.
"Its the embarrassment of writing to
the minister that ails me-" she told
herself. IF get that off my mind,
I'll be all right and forget about it,"
And diligently she set to work, but
each attempt was more unsatisfactory
than the last. The old folks had re-
tired, and the clock struck $50 just as
she signed and sealed the letter, and
then suddenly she remembered that
the school report must be made to the
commissioner on the morrow, and the
roll books were at school.
"I'll have to get them tonight" she
said to herself, late as it is. Serves
me right for being so careless"
Going to the kitchen shed, she took
down the lantern only to find it empty.
Supplying herself with matches, she
peered cautiously out upon the moonlit
road and then ran swiftly the short
distance to the sehoolhouse, not seeing
the gathering clouds behind her. By
the light of the moon she unlocked the
outer door, and, in order not to repeat
the experience of the morning, she took
up block of. wood and carefully plac-
edit in front of the inner door to keep
it from shutting.
The dingy lamp above her desk gave
scanty light, and the task heightened
itself out until muttering of thunder
and dash of rain upon the roof startled
her. Olive was not timid, as her trip
to an empty schoolhouse in the dark
would prove, but to be alone in thun-
derstorm was the one thing that TN
nerved her. Hastily rising, she looked
up at the lamp. 1t was nearly empty.
1t would be safe to leave it to burn out
of itself, and she could more easily find
her way to the door, but as she reach
ed it she came into violent collision
with the minister. He had come in
hurriedly, tripped upon the block In
the doorway, kicking it out Of his way,
and the door slammed shut behind
him.
Olive stepped back and stood trem-
bling She was astonished, glad and
sorry at his appearance, but more than
all was she dismayed at the predica-
ment in which he had placed her, and
under the impulse Of these conflicting
emotions she burst forth angrily:
'"There, now, you've shut the door.
What brought you here. anyway? L
said | would never speak to yea
again"
The minister stared at her in amaze
ment
81 was passing" he explained some
what stif1y, land took refuge on the
stoop from the rain. Finding the door
ajar, came in. | did not dream that
any one was here. l can go at once, of
course"
But he turned only to stand helpless
before the broken knob. At once he
understood the situation. An exclama-
ton of impatience escaped him, and
he crossed the room hastily and threw
open window and heavy outside
shutters, while Olive sat Imply down
and watched him. The lamp fiickered
out, but every few seconds he was visi-
bic in the lightning flashes, standing
up brave and strong and unaffrighted.
The girls strength was fast leaving
her, and when lurid flash danced up
on the floor and played mischievously
about among the benches she gave a
cry of terror.
The minister hastily closed the win
dow and CROPPED toward her SIS any
thing the matter?" he inquired anx-
iously.
Nothing, only Pm afraid-so afraid
of the Storm" she moaned.
His heart went out in pity for her in
her weakness, and, sitting down, he
put his arm protectingly about her, as
one would soothe frightened child,
and said tenderly, "Poor little one."
And Olive. as crash after crash ter
rorized her, chung to him and hid her
head on his shoulder and sobbed and
shiyered. And so they sat until the
storm had spent itself and the moon