The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1900-11-06
She Came and Saw and Conquered

ing him to manage that our young peo-
pie may become acquainted. He writes
that his daughter will pass through
Chicago tomorrow, on the way to New
York, and will spend few days with
us. He says he wishes one of my fam
lily would meet her. Bless my soul,
here's the letter after allw He put on
his spectacles and read aloud: You
can't mistake her. She's curly head
ed little girl in a gray gown and hat
with gray feathers. She's nice child,
and I'll be glad to have her meet your
youngsters. Therew
"a childp' groaned Ralph, who was
% and studious.
He swallowed his cafe noir at gulp
and rose disgustedly.
youngsters, indeed? cried Dick dis
painfully. Does he take us for kim
dergartners?"
Ross, who was the eldest, smiled In
quite superior and disinterested fash
ion. He boosted a fourishing mus
tache. He was studying law. Plainly
the subject had no interest for him.
But one of you must meet the
childr' cried the head Of the house.
you'll go, Ralph?"
"Can't, sir. Pm doing an article on
the architecture of the tenth century.
1t takes a lot of research. I'll be all
morning in the Newberry library"
Henry Stafford, huge of girth, roseate
of visage and twinkling of eye, turned
his face imploringly toward his young
est son.
"You, DickY
'Got a golf match on. Can't make 1t,
SIR"
Dear, dear! If your sister were only
at home
Shell be back tomorrow afternoon"
put in Mrs. Stafford.
"But the little girl gets here in the
morning. She must be met. She is
from comparatively small town. She
would be quite bewildered were she to
find herself alone in Chicago"
He sent the good looking young fell
low with the mustache an appealing
glance.
81 wonder now, Ross, If YOU
Ross laughed leniently. "You poor
perplexed old chap! Yes, I'll see that
the child gets here all right!
"Goodv' said Henry Stafford, with a
sigh of relief. "Goodw
But when the western train disgorg-
ed it's jostling multitude in the Union
depot the following morning Ross STAFF
ford, standing close by the iron gates,
found that he had undertaken task of
greater magnitude than he had at the
time imagined. There was such crush
of people, stout and thin, tall and short.
big and little. There were children
professions of them. But they all
seemed to belong to the folks who hur-
ried them along Never glimpse could
he catch of a curly headed little girl
In gray gown, wearing a hat with
gray feathers. Or was the dress brown?
By Jove! He wasn't even sure of that.
The last laggard group trickled away
Ross knew the conductor of the Den
yer train and spoke to him as he came
hurrying along.
sAll off your train, Brigham?
"Surew
'There was a little girl coming to
Chicago-had curly hair, a blue dress,
a green hat = blest if l remembers!
Wasn't she on"
"Alone, was sheT'
eyes"
"No, sir. Didn't come. Sure? Course
l am"
Ross wheeled around. well. I'll tel
ephone the folks that she wasn't on.
Dad can wire her people and find out
beg your pardonw
And he suddenly found himself bow
ing profoundly, hat in hand. before q
young woman with whom he had al
most collided in his haste, a slender
young woman, a graceful young wom-
an, lovely young woman, as his sus-
ceptible heart instantly acknowledged.
She accepted his apology with a
slight bend of the head and a vivid
blush. Half way up the stairs he
glanced back and saw her standing
where be had left her. He hesitated
and went back.
"You are waiting for some one? Can
l be of serviceT
THANK your What a sweet voice.
81 am afraid there has been mistake.
No one has come to meet me. May
ask you to call cabY"
And when he had done so. when She
had thanked him, when he stood bare
headed on the curbstone as the vehicle
rolled away, he recollected that he had
not listened to the address she had CIV
en- the driver, and he walked off In
towering rage at his own imbecility.
Never was there so dreary day, al
though the late August sunshine found
its way into his office; never had the
reading of the law seemed such duh
and tiresome drudgery; never before
had the pages blurred into mass Of
meaningless black marks, but, then,
never before had a bewitching young
face come between him and his books,
q face with reddish gold ringlets clus-
tered around white forehead and shy
eyes the color of woodland violets.
He leaped from his seat as bright
thought struck him. He could hunt up
the cabman. That was the thing to
do! But, although he hung around the
depot for two whole hours and ques-
toned every jehu within reach, he
could not find the man he sought. 1t
was evidently that particular cabman's
busy day.
Tired and Disguised, Ross Stafford
took u plunge at the athletic club, got
himself home, shrugged himself into
his evening clothes, for he was going
out after dinner, and went down to the
parlor to find himself face to face with
the divinity of the red gold ringlets
and the violet eyes!
''Ross, my DEAR" cooed Mrs. Stat
ford, 'let me introduce you to Miss
Chester, whom somehow you managed
to miss this morning. Why, you
For they were smiling at each other
-merrily, spontaneously.
Indeed, no, motherv' Perhaps he
held the pretty hand she gave him q
little longer than was necessary. q
met Miss Chester this morning. Die
she not tell you put her In cabi'
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