The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1902-10-14

e1
THEY LEFT BEss soBBINa AND LAUGHING
TOGETHER ON HER AUNTs SHOULDER.
ma could not be improved upon. It's
Interpretation by Beaconsville's Bern
hardt was a surprise even to her most
ardent admirers"
The sensation produced by his sweet
heart filled Bert's mind with uneasi
ness and stified his pride in her accom-
plishments. 1t filled the mind of T.
Haworth Burnside with new schemes
and ambitions.
T. Haworth Burnside's card in the
dramatic papers announced that he
was 'at liberty" They did not add
that the company with which be had
opened the season had stranded at
Morgan. the county seat. twenty miles
from Beaconsville. Those of it's mem
bers who had the fare to Chicago
counted themselves blessed and start
ed at once for the midwest haven.
Those who lacked the price, Burnside
among them, fell back upon their wits
and wrote to their nearest friends for
assistance.
1t was just at this time that the
Beaconsville Dramatic society had de-
termined to produce Lorna" Burn
side, with well feigned reluctance,
agreed to postpone his engagement
with a Chicago stock company to
coach the amateur Thespians of Bea-
consville. This would pay his board
a few weeks. and then perhaps some
thing better might turn up.
The inspiration came with Bess
Ainsworth's success. He again post
poned his start for Chicago and cult
waited the acquaintance of his "star"
and her unsophisticated aunt. He
fascinated them with his experiences
on the road and his acquaintance with
great men and women of his profess
sion and kept Bess well supplied with
dramatic publications He coached her
SO assiduously that she had no time for
walks through the autumn woods with
Bert or for long talks in the front
room. with its embroidered tides and
wax fruit. She lost interest in the
pile of household linen which had
been slowly gathering for year. and
when Bert talked about the little cot
tage she replied with quotations from
Shakespeare.
In the meantime Burnside had writ
ten to the manager Of a repertory
| follows:
If you can make room in your company
for good light comedian and an ingenue,
can fill the bill for you. You know me
The girl is a darned pretty amateur,
bit gawky. but is improving under coach
ing, and she's got a tidy bit of money,
which would come in handy If we struck
hard lines UP in Wisconsin Let me hear
from you
And from the manager came this:
| Never mind II she is a bit gawky If she
has the dough. Grey has been playing
| light comedies for me- but as he's been
hitting the pipe again I'll give him two
weeks notice, and you and the girl join
us at Morgan. We play there one night.
| the 18th.
Burnside naturally did not read the
letter to Bess He told her that he
had an opening in view for her. hold
ing Off the truth until the 10TH when
he laid the proposition before her. or
course. If she were going on the stage
she must do 1t in the most romantic
fashion. She should run away. and
the papers would ring with her story.
1t was the only way
They left the next morning. Bess
sobbing and laughing together at the
last moment on her aunt's shoulder
and leaving a hysterical message for
Bert. When she was famous. he should
come to her in New York-Paris per-
haps-and they would be married and
live happy ever after Bert listened to
the message gr1miy, said some bitter
things to the now thoroughly frighten-
ed aunt and stormed back to his stuffy
shop.
or one thing he was convinced-Bess
cared nothing for the crafty Burnside.
And with Burnside 1t was Bess and
Bert knew this somehow, though he
/ had never seen a line of the CORE
spondenee between Burnside and the
manager. His little sweetheart's head
was turned, but her heart was loyal to
him.
And, having thus settled the question
in his own mind, Bert was quick tC
act. Trains to Morgan? Just one a
day, and the runaways had boarded
that. Livery rig? A fierce storm had
arisen, the first of the year, and the
| phlegmatic proprietor of the Palace
stables refused to rent a team. Good
horsefiesh was not to be risked in the
| face of such a storm.
Bert was desperate. He rushed up
the street, and the keen wind from the
east struck him full In the face With
it came an idea-he would skate up the
river to Morgan. The furious eastern
gale would fairly carry him to his be-
loved.
Three hours later a strange figure,
swathed in fur coat edged with small
icicles and hung with sleet, staggered
into the Ashland hotel at Morgan.
''Is Miss Bess Ainsworth stopping
hereY came to the clerk in gasping
tones. The astonished man nodded.
81 want to see her right away"
He strobe up to the parlor. and when
Bess entered he stood shivering and
haggard in the dim light
Bert she exclaimed, then stop
ped awkwardly.
He seized her hands.
Il had to come, Bess. to save you
from life you would hate. I've
I've risked my life to do it, Bess. and
/ you won't refuse to go back with
meY
She hesitated, then stretched out
+ both hands,
Bert, dear. I'm-glad-you came"
! But 1t was not until they had been
hurriedly married by the nearest JUS
tice and had taken apartments at a ho-
tel far removed from the stopping
place of the Empire Comedy company
that Ress opened her heart to her hus-
band.
-Oh, Bert. it wasn't at all what ex-