The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1902-09-02

pend on. l don't care how independ-
ent a woman is. She gets kind of lone
some once in awhile"
There's knock" said Miss Bangs,
deliberately folding up her work and
rising.
Mr.. Hamiltonp said the maid of all
work, throwing open the door.
Miss Alethea stood still for a mo-
ment. dullness settling down upon her.
Then she sank into chair.
The man before her was gray. He
wore glasses. There was q stoop in his
shoulders, so that he was not as tall
as he had been. In that dreadful mo-
ment of revulsion she cried desolately
within herself. HE Is old-oh, he Is
oldw
II would never have known you"
she cried involuntarily In her great be-
wilderment. How you have changedw
He had been staring at her, but now
he passed his hand across his brow.
II was about to say the same of
you," he said 1.-THE years have not
stood still with you"
She scarcely heard him. She was
slowly realizing that the man with
whom she had been corresponding Of
late months was a stranger to her.
Il believe women change more rap
idly than men," he was saying when
she fastened her attention on him
again. st is on account of their in
door life, l suppose | am just about
rs strong and active as ever was"
Miss Alethea sat still and looked at
the floor.
THE weather's quite cold out, isn't
1t, Mr.-Mr. Hamilton?" she asked,
with a manifest effort
mot so cold as it was yesterday" he
replied, with an effort on his own part
"Of course you will take dinner with
usf" she said.
'Well, don't know that l cam" he
replied, with his embarrassed eyes on
fhe doorknob. Il put up at the hotel,
bnd-they'll expect me back to dinner"
And the absurdity of this was so evil
dent that she threw up her head and
laughed at it. He caught sight of the
motion in fieeting glance. That had
been one of the ways of her girlhood
charming little way when the head
was crowned with a wealth of brown
hair and the blue eyes sparkled and
the lips were red. Then he dropped
his head with a groan.
81 must go, Miss Alethea." he said.
Il viii be In town several days, and
I'll see you again."
"Wen," said the confidential friend
who had happened to come with him
to the hotel, did you see your fame
Of the olden timer"
Eyes; l saw her." he retorted irrita-
bly,, turning his face away. "And /
am going to leave town this evening.
cannot see her again"
whats the matter?" questioned the
friend in amazement.
"Why, man, she's DID," said Mr..
Hamilton, recklessly finging his be-
longings back into the trunk which he
had fatuously brought with him in the
expectation of remaining many days.
well, it's my opinion that you're no
schoolboy yourself" said the friend
rudely, after which it will be readily
understood that the two quarreled and
that the friend took himself off with
out delay.
''WelT questioned Miss Bangs cross
ly. Mr.. Hamilton had been gone a
long time, but Miss Alethea had just
come in, complaining that the glare of
the sun In the window had hurt her
eyes.
"Well," said Miss Alethea, with her
face turned away, Il found Mr.. Ham
| tlton looking changed. He's-he's look
ing much older and more broken than
! expected to see him. l don't care to
meet him again. 1 think I'll go up to
springville this evening and spend a
week with Jeremiahs folks"
A tall, gray man with a little stoop
In his shoulders paused beside the only
seat In the car that had but one occu-
pant
as this seat taken, ma'am7' he
asked, and when she shook her head be
sat down. He had been there several
moments ana the Train was well unuel
way before he noticed the thin. white
little hand that lay upon the top of a
satchel in her lap, and a small, old
fashioned ring on one of the fingers
Then his eyes leaped, startled. to her
face. She recognized him at the same
moment.
"JimmieP' she cried, the old name
slipping out before she could think.
"Aletheaw he said, and a thrill Of
warmth and color swept suddenly
back over both hearts.
Il had to take little run up the
road-oD business" he said menda
ciously. LET me lower this shade: til.