The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-08-06

strong, and he yielded. II believe you
mean it, and if you do I'm going to take
you with me-, though | won't elope.
won't steal you away as though we were
ashamed How can |, though, unless
Bangs brings more than / think he will 7"
"Dixie is my own, too" Elsie ventured
timidly. "Why not sell her? And as for
stealing away with me, no one cares
where l go or would bother to come and
see us married except my chum, Nellie
Grant I'll fix it all right at home.
know it isn't the right or usual thing for
me to urge you to take me, but l have
only you, Bert"
She hung her pretty head and cried a
little, SO Bert agreed to take both horses
| to town, make all arrangements and meet
Elsie and Nellie at o'clock.
Then they rode back to Elsie's home
and she told the groom who came out to
meet her that Mr.. Drew was going to
take Dixie over to Nellie Grants for her
to ride in the afternoon. Miss Grants
horse is lame" she finished glibly.
Bert looked at her in some astonish-
ment. He could have told the neces-
sary lie, but the unnecessary embellish-
! ment was beyond him. He did not know
women very well. Elsie ran up stairs
with a careless "goodby," Bert rode
away, leading Dixie.
Elsie changed her riding habit for
tailor made gown, filed small hand bag
with small necessities and rang for a
maid.
81 don't want to go down to luncheon.
Bring me up something light and ask
Porter if father or his wife say anything
about my absence at the table,"
When the girl came up for the dishes,
she brought the report that master had
| said, SIS Elsie cut to lunch?" and mis-
tress had said, Il suppose she is at Nell
lies"
"Much they care where / am" NUT
tered the girl. Marie, bring me my
writing tablet" she said aloud. Then she
penned the following bitter little note:
Dear Father-I was not at Nellies at lunch
time; but as you seem to care so little where
lunch / think will lunch tomorrow on the Chi
cago limited. In fact, am going to be married
tonight to Herbert Drew. l am not clipping with
him, as his father knows are to be married.
We have sold our ponies, and Herbert has good
position in Denver you need not trouble your
| self even to provide an allowance for me here
after know it will be relief to you to have
me out of the way and provided for. ELSIE.
Having written this cold little note
Elsie cried bitterly and would very likely
have torn it up had not the sound of
wheels drawn her attention to the win
dow. There was her handsome father
CALAMITY handing his young wife into the
| carriage. He even kissed her hand as he
sat down beside her, and a loving look
passed between them. That settled it,
and she placed the note in a conspicuous
place on her desk.
Then new thought struck her. "Why
should she go without her clothes% So
she dragged out small steamer trunk
and hastily packed 1t with clothing. Then
she summoned John, the gardener, and
said she had trunk Of clothes she want
ed to send west and would he trundle it
down to the station for her, and she
would go later and attend to the express.
John was stupid and willing, so she had
no trouble, and she soon followed him out
of the house and made her way to her
friend, Nellie Grant.
Nellie was younger and more indiscreet
than Elsie, and she entered very readily
into her plans, and the two accordingly
met Bert at the appointed time and place.
Bert was radiantly happy. he had obtain
ed an advance of $3.50 on the two ponies,
he had his license and already felt sure
success and happiness were all the future
had for them.
They were married by a justice of the
peace, whose wife and daughters with
Nellie Grant made plenty of witnesses,
and the two young people started away
with care free hearts, sure that love and
pluck were to make them the happiest of
young couples.
eve may get more money from the
ponies, dear. You see, l had to leave
them, and there is no auction till tomor-
row, but Mr.. Buckley is. an old friend OF
fathers, and he gave me the advance
willingly He looked little sharply at
Dixie, but | could not tell whether he
recognized her or not. She was bought
there, you know. Well. never mind, dear
Here we are together for all time and
free to go where we like and make our
own life."
A week later, when they were comfort
ably settled in a modest but homelike
boarding house in Denver, two letters
came for Elsie over which she cried her
first tears since she became Mrs. Drew.
But the tears washed away all the bitter
ness of her heart and left her quite hap
py. These were the letters:
Ny Dear Daughter-You have quite misunder-
stood my wife and myself in regard to our feel
ings toward you. We thought you resented ouI
marriage and that the best course to pursue was
to let you entirely alone. We mis-
take and that appeared to you entirely selfish.
We hope the new life will bring you great happi-
ness and that you will write and tell us how you
are getting on. will do as you wish about not
sending your allowance, but will place it in the
bank at your account, and if it should ever be
that you need it you can call on it. / attended
Buckeyes auction last Wednesday and bought two
ponies that answer to the names of Bangs and
Dixie. Mrs. Evans has convinced me that | am
not too old to ride, and we propose to use them
till their former owners east again. They
are rubbing noses now down in the small pasture
and no doubt wondering where you and Bert are.
Tell your husband, my dear, to write and ask me
to forgive him for stealing you | will do it,
though would rather have made 1t a gift. Your
loving father.
Dear Elsie-I have cried over your note many
times. Oh, dear little girl, il you only knew how
much | wished you would love me and be like a
sister to mel never expected to be your mother.
Why, there is only three years difference in our
ages. But you fasteners are SO cold never could
seem to get you and your father always
laughed when told him about it and said, Well,
Elsie is odd, but she will come round'' And you
never told me of your engagement should have
liked to plan your wedding, and il 1t had had to
| be In hurry because of that cross old dad Of
Bert's you could have had my veil and things.
But never mind that Sometimes marriages like
yours turn out the happiest. hope yours will
and that you will soon come home to visit US.
Your loving friend. AMEIIE EVANS.