The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-07-16
THE GIRL
HE MARRIED
IN SECRET.

t-NrS7S-S'N/N go - v - w . y v >
Along dreary country road, which
was half buried in the mud and slush OF
a warm winter, young woman hobbled
SO family and with such evident difficulty
that it seemed every moment as If hel
wearied frame would collapse and she
would sink to the ground, never to rise
again. She was poorly but neatly clad
and casual glance would not have sug-
gested extreme poverty, but second look
at the hollow, wasted cheeks, the wild
eyes, the shaking hands, indicated only
too clearly the demon of hunger and utter
exhaustion.
She was i'll, sick almost to death, but
with her chin slightly poised in the air,
with q kind of dumb resolution to strug-
gle forward somewhere, she half chung to
low wooden fence which ran along by
the public road. 1t seemed as If she had
exhausted her little stock Of endurance
Where she had come from, where she
was going, she had almost forgotten.
She was conscious of a dull, gnawine
pain, which was hunger, or, at any rate
an intense longing for food, without the
pleasure OF appetite, and an overmaster
ing desire to lie down and sleep.
Presently the dull crunch Of carriage
wheels and the dull thud of pair of high
stepping horses were heard on the road
but the lonely woman seemed not to hear
In the course of the day she had encoun-
tered hundreds of wayfarers, but not one
had noticed her plight, or, at any rate
offered to help. Some had glanced at her
almost with repulsion; others had not ap-
peared even to see her, being so wrapped
up in their own affairs. Consequently
she had long since ceased to indulge in a
vain hope of meeting with sympathy.
This carriage caught her up as others
had done. 1t contained young lady OF
about the same age perhaps as herself,
who was dressed In furs and sat up
straight in her carriage, the very type Of
unbending aristocratic pride. The car
riage passed her as all the others had
done, and the occupant glanced round at
the bent figure on the path, painting, tot
tering, stumbling along. Then clear,
harp voice said Stop"
That one word made all the difference.
1t was only spoken in an impulse, half of
kindness, half of curiosity, but no human
being will ever know how much influence
it had upon more than one life. The
lady alighted from the carriage and pick
ed her way carefully and daintily through
the mud, with her petticoats lifted so as
to avoid all possibility Of contamination,
and stood by the girls side. where are
you going, my good womanT' she inquir-
ed, somewhat severely.
In reply the young woman looked at
her with lackluster eyes. Her senses
nd cho onnld find mr. al
swer. Where was she going? How could
tanned were food, ''sleep," rest"
Mrs Stanton frowned. Evidently the
creature had been drinking, and she half
turned away in disgust. A second thought
prompted her, however, to try again.
"Can | do anything for you" she asked.
81 feel bad" said the girl in low
voice, and she chung to the fence little
tighter.
A frown appeared on Mrs. Stanton's
face.
"Are you trying to get to stowbridgeT'
she asked.
The girl nodded. She had no idea
where Stowbridge was, but 1t would
serve as well as any other place.
The footman had jumped off his seat
and stood by his mistress side. "Stow-
bridge is seven miles away, is it notr'
inquired Mrs. Stanton.
eyes, ma'am," said the man, touching
his heat.
'I'm afraid you will scarcely be able to
reach the town." she said in perplexity,
turning to the girl. In reply she gave a
short gasp and sank to the ground in a
heap. This seemed, on the whole, to
prove the truth of Mrs. Stanton's words,
and she looked more perplexed than ever.
There was perhaps half a minutes 81
lence; then she said, ''Help me put her in
the carriage"
The man seemed to be surprised, for no
one knew better than her servants Mrs.
Stanton's cold, Unconditional nature. That
she should deliberately pick up an IN
known wanderer and take her into her
carriage was almost as surprising as If
he had been invited to ride there him.
self. He had not yet learned that cold,
reserved manner does not always bespeak
lack of feeling.
Together they lifted the semiconscious
girl into the luxurious victoria. Mrs.
Stanton took her seat, and the footman
stood waiting for instructions.
"Where to. ma'am?" he asked.
Home" came the answer in quick,
clear voice.
He touched his hat again and tried not
to look surprised.
"Rummy go, isn't it?'' he whispered to
the coachman.
"The FUNNIEST go l ever saw" said
that functionary gravely.
"'Ow do you account for itY' whisper
ed the footman, as if he were discussing
a new form of influenza.
Don't know, I'm sure. I've noticed a
wonderful change ever since the captain
went to the war. Seems as If the missis
had got bit MOI humanlike."
First time she's known trouble, sup
pose"
THAT'S it," said the coachman phil
osophically, land trouble does people a
power of good. Makes the heart beat
faster"
A few minutes later and the carriage
swept up the handsome avenue that led
to Newark house.
Mrs. Stanton's orders were, as usual,
both prompt and decided. The house
keeper was to see the young woman put
comfortably to bed She herself fetched
brandy for her. The footman was to ride
off for DIR. Lang6eld and if possible bring
him back.
All this was carried out with the swift
ness that money can procure. The doc
tor, after visiting his queer patient, who
had not spoken a word since being In
stalled in her comfortable quarters, purs
ed his lips curiously. "This young WON
an is very ill, Mrs. Stanton" he said. =
recommend you to send her to the work
house at once"
Mrs. Stanton frowned slightly. "WoulC
It be safe to move her?" she asked.
"Well-er-hardly, said the medica
man, ''but if you don't get rid Of her yot
may have her on your hands for month
or two"
For a moment Mrs. Stanton hesitated
~ cannot help it." she said, with sudder
decision. Here she is, and here she mus
remain"
The doctor shrugged his shoulders ant
smiled cynically. you know nothing
about her, my dear Mrs. Stanton" HI
said. Isn't 1t rather eccentric to taxi
a strange woman from the road into you
house like this? Why do you do it2'
~ hardly know" said Mrs. Stanton
''Perhaps 1t was q mad impulse; perhaps
it was an inspiration. was wondering
what Fred was doing now, whether h
was in any danger. Then began t
hum the 'Absentminded Beggar,' and
now, don't laugh, doctor, because fee
very serious about it-just as l got t.
the line, The girl he married secret m!
eyes fell on that poor creature, and
thought to myself, Suppose she is tn
wife of some poor soldier and isn't OIL
the strength of the regiment, and some
howl couldn't help bringing her home.
The doctor looked rather amused, bu
when Mrs. Stanton suddenly burst int
tears he pronounced 1t hysteria and rec
commended port wine and quinine.
However, the unknown wanderer wa
tenderly nursed and cared for, and few
weeks later another little life was borl
into the world and with much difficult,
nourished and coaxed into active exist
| ence.
Then at last the white faced womal
| told her story.