The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1902-12-09


BUNDLE UNDER HIS ARM.
thing as stated, and for three days /
was as happy as the fish that escaped
my hook. Then came something like
shadow. l had noticed in a general
way that the barmaid was a good
looking girl, but had given the matter
no thought 1t is barmaid's business
to be good looking 1t was only after
had got settled that l discovered this
barmaid of the Oak and Ivy had small
hands, small feet, a graceful form,
refined air, was educated and alto
gether superior to her class. The shad-
ow came because as soon as l recog-
nized this barmaid's superiority 1 some
how felt it my duty to appreciate it
and encourage her. The idea of falling
In love with a barmaid, either common
or superior, was absurd, but the idea
of showing my appreciation of her
mental and physical graces resolved
itself into duty.
l began my labors at once. 1t really
was an effort on my part to flatter and
compliment, but / was somewhat con-
soled on realizing that my work was
not in vain. Ethel, as the young lady
was named, blushed in a delightful
way and made no secret of the fact
that she was pleased. She ought to
have been. was a good looking man,
possessed of a longish purse, stood well
with society and the world and was In
every sense a fair catch. Even though
had not the remotest intention of
letting the affair drift beyond paternal
compliments, it was her duty to be
thankful. There were yokels who
stood ready to fall in love with Ethel,
but l drove them away. There were
two or three counter jumpers in town
who were full of compliments, but
they fed before me. In a week had
the field all to myself
Please understand me fully when l
say that it was purely platonic and
paternal on my part. Having found
a superior barmaid in that little out of
the way village, 1 felt it my bounden
duty to encourage her to better things.
/ smiled at her across the bar as l left
the inn to work havoc among the
fishes. 1 broadened the smile when 1
returned. We strolledetegether in the
twilight; we sat together in the star
light. Some folks might have called
1t case of love, but we did not.
had been at the Oak and Ivy two
weeks when one night, being unable
to sleep, l arose. dressed and left the
inn for a stroll. Just why l was un-
able to sleep | could not say, but | am
sure that love had nothing to do with
1t. l had probably overfished during
the day. l was leaning against q
shade tree on the commons and won
dering why this superior barmaid had
not married lord or duke long be-
fore when a young man passed me
and disappeared in the hotel grounds.
He was short and slim and had a bun
die under his arm, and as the hour
was past midnight had a momentary
curiosity. The next day l learned that
the shop of the village ieweler had
been looted the previous night, but the
news did not interest me.
Three nights later l was again seized
with insomnia. | think the words OF
The landlord had something to do with
1t. He threw out a pretty strong hint
that he had employed this superior bar
maid to attract custom to his bar and
that my attentions to her had caused
a great falling off in receipts. l should
have argued the case with him, giving
him to understand my paternal inter
est, but as he was not remarkably in
telligent l passed him over sovereign
to make good his losses and said moth
ing. 1t was 2 o'clock in the morning
when sat at an open window to smoke
my pipe. and l had not been rumlnat-
ing for more than quarter of an hour
when the young man l had seen three
nights before came tiptoeing along the
street under my window and made for
the rear entrance of the hotel. My Gu
riosity was considerably aroused, but
there was no way of satisfying it. The
next day L learned that a residence
had been robbed of quite large sum
In cash and jewelry by a porch climb
er. Officers were scurrying around aft
er a clew, but the matter was of no
to me.
The next evening, as l walked with
the superior barmaid in the twilight,
having tipped the landlord another
sovereign to cover prospective loss, l
tried to make my position plain to her,
and l quite succeeded. Indeed 1t real
ly surprised me to see how promptly
she grasped the idea of my paternal
position. She was willing to take all
my good advice to heart and act on 1t.
and she had not permitted herself to
build any castles because of my mark
ed attentions If 1 remember Alright, l
was somewhat disappointed and cha
grined, but a man who will not swal-
low his own philosophy has no bust
ness to complain.
-Four days more passed l contin-
ued to be paternal and the barmaid
continued to be sensible Then | went
out one night to spear fish by torch
light The landlord had become 20