The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1900-08-21
LOVERS SCHEME
BY M. QUAD.
COPYRIGHT, 1900, BY c. B. LEWIS.

= COPYRIGHT, 1900, BY c. B. LEWIS.
A#A*A%~*%*~*~*~*~*~*~*~x~*>
/ had been in Athens three or four
days when the steamer from Brindisi
brought In an English tourist named
Burns and an American gentleman
named Wallace and his daughter. Mr.
Wallace, as | soon came to understand
was gentleman of wealth and leisure
and his daughter was as handsome q
girl as ever landed in the country OF
tombs, fleas, beggars and brigands.
AS for Burns, believe he was some
sort of civil service employee on
leave, but he had some money and
greater expectations. The three had be-
come acquainted while doing Italy.
More than that, Burns had fallen head
over heels In love with Miss Wallace.
/ am inclined to think she was bit Of
coquette and that she encouraged
him out of a spirit of adventure. The
father was a dignifed, quiet spoken
man, who probably had his own plans
for his daughter and trusted her not to
go too far with the Englishman. While
he treated Burns In a courteous man
ner, there was reserve which the lat
ter did not dare approach too closely.
/ thought / saw through the whole
thing at glance. 1t was love and
dollars on the Englishman's part and
on the part of the girl a desire for
Irritation and half hope that the man
would make a fool Of himself.
We all became acquainted in days
time, and after the expiration Of an
other day young Burns gave me his
confidence. He was In love for the
first time in his life. He had never
dreamed that there were angels on
earth until he met Miss Wallace. The
man who charged him with mer-
cenary feeling wronged him In the
most terrible manner. He had somehow
heard that her father was worth S5,-
100000 and that she was an only child,
but he begged me to understand that
he was loving her with his whole soul
before that news reached him. be-
heved him, and he added:
''And now comes the blooming Ques-
ton, Does Miss Wallace love me in re-
turn? There are times when l think
she does, and my heels lift off the
ground, begad, and there are other
times when 1 doubt it, and feel as If
q house had fallen on me-"
''Why not ask herY l suggested.
''I'm afraid it's too soon," he replied,
uopd +y,or +bn oId rop+Iornon comoh0ru
always manages to show up just as we
get sentimental l don't think he ap-
preciates me. If I'd go to him and say
/ loved his daughter, | believe he'd
keep right on reading his newspaper
and smoking his internal black cigar
egad, do! If / only had some one to
sound him for me-"
''You ought to do something heroic to
win the girls admiration and love and
the fathers gratitude and esteem" l
said after a long while.
"Bless my blooming eyes, but will!'
he promptly replied-"that is, l would
If there was show. | was ready to
save them both If the steamer went
down, doncher know, but she simply
rolled about like a dog in pond and
refused to sink when prayed for 1t"
"But there may be other opportuni-
ties"
"How can there be unless to keep the
fleas and beggars off? Bless me, but
suffer-
didn't see how could help him ex-
cept to advise him to learn his fate on
the morrow and have it over with and
then go up to Marathon and see the
ruins and the tombs and get out OF
Greece. Loverlike, he went out into
the balmy evening to commit suicide,
and saw him no more until next aft
ernoon. He not only still lived, but
there was look of happiness on his
face as l saw him talking to man
would not have cared to meet mile
out of town at MONDAY. That evening
Mr.. Wallace Informed me that he and
his daughter and Burns were going
over to Marathon by rail next day to
be gone for couple of days, and at a
later hour the lover sat down beside
me to say:
give got blooming game on foot,
doncher known
Going to become heroT asked.
eff l don't. then you may call me a
donkey. Yes sir, I've taken your ad-
vice, and you'll hear something drop,
as you Yankees say, within a day or
two Thanks. awfully, for the hint.
| hope to come back arm in arm with
kho oI5 cont oD1 70 hove n1oftnrq all
settled with the daughter, doncher
know"
AS | had been at Marathon l had
declined to make one of the party.
They got off in good season next morn
ing, and Burns was in high spirits and
acting like a young man who felt solid
ground beneath his feet. To my sur
prise, Mr. Wallace and his daughter
returned on the evening train, and they
had an adventure to relate. From
Marathon you make tour of the
tombs on the backs Of donkeys, and II
is a rough road and full of ambushes'
The trio had started out by them
selves and made fair progress when a
couple of picturesque villains suddenly
bounced out upon them. The escort
Of man and his two boys fed at once
and the villains were about to lead the
donkeys up into the hills when Burns
came to the rescue. He alone was
armed. He descended from his saddle
| and began shooting, and after tum-
bling over themselves the scoundrels
left him in possession of the battle
field He had saved the party, and he
was a hero, entitled to admiration and
gratitude, but before the father could
pat him on the head or the daughter
announce that his love was returned
something else happened. Shots were
fired from behind ruin, and the don
keys ridden by father and daughter
started off on a gallop, followed by
the others. Burns was not hit, but II
hero of one moment became the cap
tive Of the next. When the others haC
reached place of safety, they learned
that their savior had fallen into thu
hands of regular brigands, headed by
old Beppo, and, though show of pur
| suit was made by a detail of soldiers
the fellows were not overhauled.
AS soon as | had heard the story
saw the little scheme Burns had work
ed. He had hired couple of rascal'
| In Athens to go over to Marathon ant
play brigands for him, but after becom
ing hero a gang of the genuine article
swooped down ON him and carried hin
off. The only man in Marathon or Ath
ems who was at all disturbed over thu
matter was the landlord of the hotel
who feared he might not get his bill
Mr.. Wallace and his daughter seemes