The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1902-09-16
BY William Macleod Ralne

TOTO lake trouble, III can only gain
my end"
She murmured something about hop
Ing she would be able to congratulate
him soon.
His big eyes covered her steadily
do you really hope so?'
"Of course. But do tell me about the
war. I'm just dying to know all about
how it feels to be in battle"
There's nothing much to TELL" he
answered, somehow feeling bafled
without quite knowing why. Its
awfully hot and dusty, and once In a
while some poor fellow gets knocked
over. There isn't anything much to
see. One gets throat like a limekiln;
no trouble at all to raise a thirst
That's about all. But there's something
else I'd rather talk about"
"Oh, yes-the charges against the
government about the feeding and care
Of the soldiers" she acquiesced hastily.
Hang the charges! Pm not worry
ing about them at all. It's this girl
want to talk about"
''Oh, that girl again."
Eyes; I'm interested in her."
"Is she niceT
II think SOL
"And good lookingY'
well, her looks make a hit with
me-"
Doubtless she would be gratified to
know it."
"I'm not so sure about that" he an
swered, looking at her swiftly. I'm
point of fact she knows it already, only
she pretends not to. I can't seem to
find out where stand with her. When
get ready to tell her, she laughs at
me with the gravest face imaginable.
One can't grow sentimental when a
girl is making game Of one. you know"
mo, suppose not" she assented de-
murely.
He took a grip on himself and decid-
ed that the time had come to storm
this fortress, to which the run up San
Juan hill appeared mere bagatelle.
There was once young fellow at
the Point" he began nervously. NAT
urally he thought himself In love, but
the curious thing is that he was in
love. Fact is he didn't know any more
about girls than you do about the
native jargon of the Hindoo. He
never had been with them. But once
well, the sister of a classmate came
visiting at the Point, and after that
she was the only woman in the world
that counted"
She settled herself more comfortably
in the chair and smiled dazzlingly at
him. Never a maiden more uncon-
scious Of his Interior meaning.
How charmingly romantic! Do go
on. hope there will be immense diff
culties In the way-another lover, OBJ
durate parent, heartrending separation,
mutual vows of undying fealty."
mo; there wasn't any obdurate par
ent. So far as ! could find out her IA
Their hadn't any objections to my-to
this young fellow-marrying his daugh-
ter. There were separations enough.
He had to play hide and seek with
the Apaches In Arizona for d year or
two, but / never discovered that her
heart was rent"
Perhaps it was loaned or even given
away" she dubbed.
| he paid no attention to this sally,
though he appreciated it.
There was another lover" he con-
| tinued eyes full on hers HE was a
man of good deal Of force. had made
his own way In the world and was on
the road to wealth. He could give her
all the things that this lieutenant
couldn't give her. the luxuries she had
been used to all her life"
"Oh, see. He could feed her on
bonbons." This most innocently.
He could provide for her as she
ought to be provided for"
"Stin 1t is just conceivable that even
girl might weary of eating sweets
the nyelong year in and year out, isn't
itY' she asked. with a touch Of asper
ity.
I'm not talking about CONNECTIONS
exactly, but there are decencies to be
observed. A fellow can't ask young
| woman of a wealthy family to come
and share nothing with him."
"Oh, no. Much better leave her to
her digestion of the CONNECTIONS and
other toys you mentioned"
ARIZONA is not exactly place where
society girl would care to live"
"Of course he asked her whether she
would like to go there. He didn't go
away without giving her chance,
suppose"
The lieutenant flushed. HE simply
couldn't ask her. The thing was I'M
thinkable He would have deserved to
he shot If he had taken her ont there
to die of loneliness away from home"
$50 he left her to her bonbons. He
can't have thought much Of her. She
was probably only fancy of the mo-
ment"
"But you are quite wrong. He did.
Don't you see that 1t was because he
cared so much for her that he could
not ask her to share lot like that
with him? He went away and bore
his hurt silently"
"That was very generous Of him."
she admitted cordially. But you must
be wrong about the officer. Lieutenant
Weston. He couldn't have really be-
lieved in the girl If he thought these
Injuries were more to her than the man
she loved. If he had thought her a
true woman he would not have hesi-
tated to give her the choice. 1t would
not have been fair to her to go away
without word. He must have thought
her 9 butterfly"