The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1900-07-17
!: A Happur Mistake
Observation-Disclosures,

ing worried to the verge of distraction.
At last | drew from him that The
Weekly Wag is wagging all the wrong
way and is bound to go to the wall
unless he can secure a few articles
from some comic writer of note. But,
though he has written to several with
that object, nothing has come Of it.
''In word, the paper has turned out
a ruinous investment for me-" he con-
Guided bitterly
AS | came up stairs, feeling utterly
miserable and depressed, a happy
thought darted into my mind. Men
don't like refusing request when
framed by feminine lips, SO perhaps l
may succeed where poor dad has
failed. At any rate, without a trial
there's no denial" and a recent Incl
dent opens the way for me to make
the trial
A few days ago, while aunt and
were Willing away an hour in the Brit
ish museum, she bowed to a librarian.
He responded to her recognition with
courtly bow, and a polite smile re-
Taxed for the moment his clean shaver,
inscrutable face
"That was the celebrated Mr.. Rut-
land, the writer of those clever arti-
cles, my dear. l met him last week
at Mrs. Pelham's," she explained as
we passed on into another room.
Seeing that she had turned as red as
peony, l concluded that he was a
celibate as well as a celebrity! But he
/ f~,I. 4; l., I1f4 7
ined him, for, strange to say, dad had
been speaking of him to me that same
morning, when he had enviously
pointed out an attractive announce
ment in a rival weekly to the effect
that a series of brilliant sketches from
the pen of the widely known humorist,
Rolf Rutland, would shortly appear in
it's columns. am very glad now that
we CHANGED to see him, since it paves
the way for me to call on him and ex-
plain in confidence the sad straits of
The Weekly Wag and beg of him to
contribute something to its pages.
Aunt mentioned that he lives at For
est Gate, in beautiful residence
known as Olive Lodge. So tomorrow
morning 1 shall take heart of grace
and start on this forlorn hope.
Sept. 5, 1897, ITO p. m.-What day
of days this has been 1 really ought
to have dated it in red ink. This morn
ing directly the DEAR unsuspecting dad
had started for the city, / put on nay
sailor hat and sailed forth on my Sc
cret mission.
About two hours later l mounted a
broad flight of steps to the threshold of
Olive Lodge, and l must confess that
while / waited admittance my courage
seemed to ooze out of my finger tips.
'You are a little simpleton, Rose Har-
vey, quaking and shaking as though
you were going to face an ogre instead
of w.t." l said angrily to myself as
boy In buttons ushered me into a large
drawing room, very handsomely fur
nished, but lacking in pretty trifies.
Giving the boy my card / subsidized
into an easy chair. AS I did so l
caught sight of myself in a pier glass,
and was relieved to see that I looked
perfectly self possessed-which 1 GER
tainly did not feel.
The next minute the curtained door
swung open, and ''the celebrated Mr..
Rutland" entered the room. Unless l
was much mistaken a CLEAN of relief
flashed from his steel gray eyes as they
alighted on me. Possibly, since my
aunt and bear the same names, he
had expected to see her. and of ''two
evils" would rather deal with the less
err! Producing the current number of
The Weekly Wag, l xplained-rather
abruptly, I'm afraid-the nature of my
visit.
While he listened his gaze of polite
attention became stare of unbounded
amazement, and, instead Of accepting
the proffered paper, he sprang to his
feet with an exasperated gesture.
"This is a most preposterous request,
young lady! 1t is utterly out Of the
question that any article from my pen
should appear through the medium of
The Weekly Wag."
The sighting emphasis with which
he named the poor little weekly, and
the whitening glance he cast on it,
made me tingle with rage and mortif-
cation.
'"Then there is nothing more to be
said except to apologize for having
troubled you with this 'preposterous
request" / said, rising to my feet.
And making him a stiff little bow, /
moved toward the door. He had the
pollteness to hasten to open 1t for me,
and passed out with all the dignity
could summon AT the same moment
the hall door was hastily opened, and a
tear blurred vision of a tall, straight
figure in cricketing fannels made me
-edouble my efforts to repress my In
.lination to burst out crying
Removing his cap the young fellow
held the door open for me, and keeping
my smarting eyes bent on the ground
hastily made my exit. Never in all the
10 years of my life had / felt so an
noyed and resentful.
$50 much for my happy thought! +"
1 reflected briefly, as l descended the
deep stairway into the station. Hay
ing ascertained that my train was not
due for 10 minutes, fell to pacing the
platform, where the Haunting posters
of many prosperous compeer OF the
luckless little weekly l still grasped
gave a yet keener edge to my disap-
pointment. Turning In my perambu-
lation l was surprised to see the fan
mel clad figure of my tear blurred
vision hurrying toward me.
1.-THE old bigwig has repented of his
insulting refusalv' l thought hopefully,
while 1 bowed in response to the young
fellows doff of cap.
Excuse me, Miss Harvey, but there
has been some unfortunate mistake,
and have followed you here in the
hope, Of Strengthening matters" he
said, his quick breathing and height
ened color testifying to the hot haste
he had made. II am the Rolf Rutland
who scribbles nonsense; my uncle is
savant, and only writes for the scien-
tific journals"
"a savant! No wonder he was so
annoyed at my requestp' l exclaimed,
blushing painfully But really, know
ing you write humor, he might have
guessed l had made some such mis-
take"
"Ah, but he did not know it until ten
minutes ago. have great expecta-
tons in that quarter, and have kept
my frivolous talent dead secret from
him." he replied, with whimsical
| smile.
"Then l hope you will have no rea-
soHtn rue this stupid blunder Of mine' )"