The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-07-30
AT CROSS
PURPOSES.
A Love Story That Ended at Sea
ON a Moonlight Night.

| Ronald Norton stood a moment, then
opened the door and went out, carrying
with him q wounded heart and leaving
| behind one too proud to acknowledge its
pain.
But Mabel Leigh found out her mis-
/ take. She did not extract the same
sweetness from life that she had since
knowing Ronald Norton. Its hours drag
| ged YEARLY along, uncheered by the hope
of his presence to tighten them. And,
worse than all, it was for no real cause
that they were separated.
A word-a ''trifle light as air"-had
| hoated between them at time when they
both took it up and were too proud to
own repentance.
| Ronald had never said the words that
| would have bound them together, but in
hundred different ways love had spoken.
| They knew each held the others happi-
ness and were content.
Ronald felt that the time had come
when he must tell Mabel of his hopes and
desires and secure the prize his heart COW
ted. For Mabel was prize. Her beau
! ty and accomplishments won many lover
wed.
No one would have envied him now as
! with a heavy heart he paced back and
| forth in his room, through the livelone
night, thinking only of the happiness
which had been within his grasp and then
suddenly failed him.
''He knew Mabel to be slow to anger,
but strong in her wrath when aroused
and he, on this night of all nights, had
unwittingly offended her by the strong
side he had taken in a discussion.
Love of argument had always been a
trait of Ronald's character, and he de-
Tended solely for this reason. Mabel sup
posed he was uttering his own sentiments
and her eyes flashed and her heart beat
angrily as she listened.
Could this be the man who was more
than friend to her? Could she honor q
man who cherished such sentiments as
she heard him speak?
Shaded from the light she leaned heI
head against the cushions of her chair
and thought while the gentlemen contin-
ued their discussion.
1t ended by her sudden rising and
laughing command to dismiss the subject
The gentlemen apologized and obeyed
| and after a short time of general CONVEX
sation one by one took their leave.
Ronald fingered among the last eager tc
secure a few moments to himself. Nerv-
4 ously he walked around the drawing
room looking at the pictures he had seer
a hundred times before, picking up and
laying down the elegant volumes and feel
! ing about as cool and collected as most
| men would under the circumstances.
now olili'ans niaDea aoo nSa+to5 LEI,
asainse TUG uDol' az .,s -, ~
young Syles' no" she couiq enuule suIl
popinJay was lnore ,nan eonalu III III
teli' ana mere sne WAS lausnins anu ea,A,
ing with MN as II 1sohalu was 'nousSnu
miles away; u.a .-,+h
1t certainly wasn't poiite 70 stanu VIII
ner pack 10 hlln' anu II NUS my pee &C..
for half an hour here Ronald puLleo ou'
ms "aIen. NO, II was only e eisn. ni,n
utes- what IN the worlo was Syles stay,
ing so iate TOT! ~ was very apsuiu ~
NADER 10 make nerseil so fascinating ~
everybody.
Poor Ronald IN MS excltenent, s.oou
giarlng at them IN utter olsregaro %
courtesy. Wen was II TOT MN tnae MA
Del dld NOT see MIN. mn
AT last SYKES bowed nimseiI OUT Ane
expectant moment mad come.
MaDel turned put ner Driiiiancy nau
vanished. instead OF tne slnlie WIN
which she was wont TO meet ronald nel
face was coid: instead OF SINKING on
! chair for tneir usual parting cnar sne
stood still ana looked at ner watcn.
mad no idea II was SO iate' sne re-
marked.
her was so sudden, so marked, he could
not understand.
But what could he say? To speak of
love at such a moment was impossible.
| But be could not go silently.
"Mabel-Miss Leigh" be began desper-
ately.
ssWell, sir" was the cool answer from
the cool belle.
"May THAT is, will you allow me to
speak Of myself"
''No, sir" came clear and short.
'Not now" said Norton hurriedly, to-
morrow-another timer
''Neither now nor ever!" was the reply
as she made motion to leave him.
Ronald felt chill like ice through his
heart. Mechanically he followed her,
took his hat in the hall and held out his
hand.
All. If she had but taken 1t, 1t never
would have let her go till she mad heard
his hearts message. But Mabel turned
with her formal "Goodby" and left him.
AS he passed the night hours IN grle1
ne thought OF her quietly slumoerlng'
careless OF the wound she mad maoe' IN
different to his fate.
But Manei Leigh was paying dearly Ior
n. hon ,,oos =, tho roor,
nel mol s 1n ner Ill, Ii d;n,,iSsod b;n,
81 -. Ias.5a "a rT-o,,+ h;+tor
sue "iu my a ael nanus anu ~ 49, - nd
lea.s dne nusn " a1 ~ mag eo sho had
~ IT'S s.eau a., 'enss ~ II, H. "r 'se onduro
uone anu tne soriow sue nus 1 N14as
.or Niapei me" .na' , a -: "A
loseu mer anu Ina. sne io'eu lille
| now al was at enu.
ner priue wouiu nol SUM- ~. ne. ~ l,s -
III NM nus wouiu no' NV nm " W. W.l IL
1ney nau sueu ~: u -. 4,,o,', 80
tue wave Vi tiiiie eNei piins 'Nein ~
geener AGAIN. 49,
Manei pore ner purueh LOT rev Jay ,
untli II pegan 10 zen upon her neaien anu
| splrlts. Tier cheeks anu heaVy eyes ie-
Vealed that something was wrong. o.,
what IS the matter with you' Maoel!
asked Etta SYKES, cropping III one uay.
you are put the ghost Oh your loriner
self.
on, don't Know answered Niape,
as careiessly as she couiu. oiiy nceu
enange' 1 SUPPOSE
Change! Weh' suppose you 20 VIII
MS to Australia.
Australia! A sudden Joy snot through
MabeIS heart. she nau Deen longing anu