The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1900-03-06

iodger, an old bachelor and heart
whole man-that is to say, he was all
three until the day. considerably past
his fortieth birthday, that special
fate took him in hand and brought
him face to face with the younger OF
two ladies who had recently come to
live in one of the houses opposite.
They were evidently mother and
daughter. Both were comely, and the
last named of the two had one Of the
sweetest faces it had ever been Mr..
Oddie's luck to behold. She happened
to drop a small parcel while walking
along their mutual road, and he hur-
ried after her with it. The smile with
which she received it went straight
through Mr.. Oddie's somewhat anti
quated waistcoat.
All the evening he thought of that
smile. When he went to bed, he en-
deavored, with the aid of three can
dies, to get an impartial view Of that
region on the top Of his head where
the hair ought to have been, but now,
alas, was not. That bald spot had not
troubled him much up to that time.
Now he regarded it with mistrust.
Mr.. Oddie had led an amiable, pune
tual uneventful existence, going to
and returning from the city every week
day with regularity and dispatch-the
kind of person who is never asked for
his season ticket. He was comforta-
bly, off and had no one dependent up
on him. The few relatives he pos
sessed lived in the shires.
Mr.. Oddie had remained a bachelor
all these years possibly because no
body had set to work to marry him.
1t was not that he objected to women.
On the contrary, he admired the fair
sex, as a whole, quite unreservedly.
But he had never given his heart to
any one particular woman, and his
landlady looked upon him as fixture.
The returning Of that apparently in
nocent looking parcel marked an ep-
och. Life was never the same again
to the little old bachelor. He had not
watched Miss Hexham's gentle face
and well developed but graceful figure
for ten days before he became con-
vinced that 1t was not good for corn
dealer to live alone.
"a man wanted softening influences
about him"-here he hurled a piece of
fried ham to the cat-"he needed
gentle hand to guide and restrain him."
Mr.. Oddie at this point discovered that
he had forgotten to wind his watch up
the night before.
The truth was he was in love and
with a young woman with whom he
had never exchanged syllable. He
learned her name from his landlady,
an austere person, whose mind was
set upon curious form of religion and
who did not take much thought about
frivolous worldly matters.
Questioned discreetly by her ledger,
this worthy but depressing person
could tell him little regarding the two
ladies who were now the objects OF
such tender interest to him. They
were a Mrs. and Miss Hexham, so she
had heard, and Mrs. Hickman was ell
Their deaf or dumb, or it might be
both, for her daughter talked on her
fingers to her, and she answered back
in the same way.
Mr.. Oddie's courtship was a very de-
corous affair. In Spain, despite his
years, he would doubtless have adopt
ed the role of an 'iron eater" as the
youth who goes counting undo. his
ladylove's balcony is styled.
But in sober, unromantic England
the sutton does not eat iron or sere-
made the queen of his heart on the
guitar. He has to be properly intro
duced, and the little corn dealer, know
ing this respectable custom, would
have given anything for an introduce
ton which would have allowed him to
call and establish friendly relations.
The months passed, and still he could
not get that thin but necessary end of
the wedge In. The mother and daugh-
ter seemed to have very few friends
and never went out, probably on &C
count of Mrs. Hexham's affection. 1t
was hard upon the daughter, Mr.. Cd
die thought, but he admired her all the
more for her self sacrifice.
Miss Hexham became aware of his
devotion, Of that Mr.. Oddie was con-
vinced. When they met-and he took
care that they did meet pretty often
he ventured to raise his hat. and smiles
were exchanged. But there the affair
halted, to the poor little mans fire.
Quent despair. He could get no for
RAIDER"
Once. when he attempted to speak,
Miss Hexham turned the color of a red
rose and promptly hurried away.
81 have never been properly intro
duced. that is why" was Mr.. Oddie's
anguished reflection. "She must have
been exquisitely brought up, the very
pink of propriety."
Something will have to be doneT
cried the poor man desperately on the
day that he went to the city without
tie, and an unfeeling acquaintance jeer-
ed at him and inquired If his liver were
out of order. His liverl Perish the
thought 1t was his heart.
He decided at length that, like Heze-
kiah, he would ask for a sign from
heaven. He would send the object Of
his alteration bouquet, an anonymous
bouquet of the choicest. She would
surely guess from whom 1t came. II
she placed 1t In the window, he would
write to Mrs. Hexham, explain him
self and his intentions and request
soorrniccion f0 call
Mr. Oddie took holiday the day the
bouquet was sent off from Covent Gar
den. To sit still in his Office was a
thing impossible. He went for a long
walk, but where his neat little legs
took him he was never able to say.
The next day the agony increased.
There was no sign. Mr.. Oddie fell
plump into the depths of despair and
was convinced that he had offended
his ladylove. He had not been proper
~ introduced. The phrase became a
perfect nightmare to him.
But the second day there was the
bouquet In the window in all Its glory,
ond u,oroovor Miss HaxhaD1 was