The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1902-01-07
The Story of a Cruel Deception.


hack any minute"
Fill up all round at my expense" said
the stranger, "and let's ear it."
The landlord complied and, leaning over
the bar, commenced his narrative.
ELI, as you know, drives the bus be-
tween this village and the town of Hop
ston, and one night e came down with a
good lookin' young woman Of about twen-
ty-six sittin' on one side of i'm on the
box and Pete Miller's lad the other side.
Eli and the lady got into conversation,
and Tim Miller KEEP is ears open. OF
course Tim admit oughter ave listened,
but then, the way some parents bring up
their offspring is scandalous.
"'Coach drivin' these days amt the job
it was, is it?' asks the lady.
"'Suits me well enough ses Eli.
'''Couldn't make fortune at 1t,
though, she remarks.
"'No, s'pose not
"'Drivers never put any money by, so
/ ear
"'Don't they though ses Eli, getting
excited, for e was very proud of lis savin'
abilities.
"'No. do theyT
at wouldn't mind bettin' / can show
yer a bankin' account the right side Of
f20.'
ELI was always ready for a wager in
them days when e felt pretty certain Of
winnin'
"'Sir.' says the lady 'autily. I don't
bet
I'm sure beg yer pardon ses Eli
humbly.
at 'aven't taken offense.' she replies,
smilin'. And, accordin to Tim Miller
she made 'erself wonderful nice to Eli
after that
"She told i'm she'd come down to Wilt
ham for a few weeks for 'er health and
that she'd got to find lodgin's somewhere.
Eli said e knew just the place as would
suit 'er, and when the bus got in e took
Ter to is aunt's, old Wilder Mullins.
well. after that, it was surprisin' 'ow
anxious Eli became about lis aunt's
'ealth. Until Miss Walters Wal
tiers was the young woman's Nance
didn't go near Wilder Mullins three
times in year, but after she came If you
asked Eli to sit down and ave a chat
ed say, I should like to, but, yer see, my
poor aunt's gettin' very old and deeripit-
like, and it's my dooty to look after FER.
Booty first, my boy; dooty first
'Well, the natural result was that one
day, about fortnight after Miss Wal
ters' arrival, 'er and Eli got engaged. e
came in ere after e left 'er that night
and was that excited e couldn't 'elp tell
in us all about it.
"'Whens the weddin'g l asks.
"'Three weeks from today ses e.
"'That's early l ventures.
"'Not too early e replies.
"'Means to make sure of yer, Eli fool
ishly remarks Ben Upper.
"At that Eli got in rage. an pickin'
Ben up as though ed been feather, he
began to dust the glasses and things off
the tables with i'm.
1--WE Gained i'm at last, but after what
lad 'appened it seemed risky on the part
of Mr.. Robert Cookson. a tofish young
man, who, like Miss Walters, 'ad come
down for lis 'ealth, to offer to bet Eli
Benson as Miss Walters wouldn't become
Mrs. Benson on or before the date ed
named.
"Doner SEES Eli 'otly. 'wot's the
amountF
"'Oh. anything yer liker replied Mr..
Cookson.
"'Say f20,' SEES Eli with a sneer, for
e didn't think the stranger possessed that
much. Everybody looked at Cookson.
expectin' i'm to draw in. but, to our sur
prise, e pulled out is pocketbook and
takin' from it four five pound notes laid
'em on the table in front of i'm.
eli turned pale and said e must ave
time to think it over. He got up and
walked out. Just outside the door who
should e meet but Miss Walters 'erself.
"'Wot's the matterY we card 'er say
as she noticed is red face. e told Ter
wot lad 'appened.
"'Why didn't yer betY ses she. us
EGO and yours would just come in andy
to furnish a decent 'ome.'
But ses Eli. astonished. I thought
bettin' was agenst yer principles. That's
why wouldn't take i'm on
"She laughed and said: Why, yer silly
goose, said | never bet myself, but
didn't say We wasn't to. But there.
see yot it is, ye can't trust me. Ye're
afraid | shall jilt yer and she began to
whimper
ELI protested strongly, and, 'avin'
dried 'er eyes. marched back into the bar
and, lookin' straight at Mr.. Cookson. ses
proudly: 4 shall be pleased to take yer
on, sir. I'll draw ego from the bank in
the mornin', and tomorrow evenin' we'll
both deposit that amount with the land
lord 'ere-that is, unless ye'd like to turn
tail now-the f40 to be paid by i'm to the
winner three weeks from tomorrow
"Sure enough. the next night they both
turned up and 'anded me EDO each-Cook
sons in notes and Ellis in gold.
after the money 'ad been paid over
Eli was took bad-at least that was wot
e said though nobody could see any
thing the matter with i'm. Anyhow. e
arranged with is assistant to drive the
coach and said ED have a week or two at
'ome.
up to the day before that fixed for the
weddin' e never let Miss Walters out Of
is sight-yer see, e was afraid Cookson
might try to kidnap 'er so as to prevent
the weddin-but that day Eli and is in
tended 'ad bit of tiff about Ellis eye,
she sayin' she could never marry man
with one eye-Eh admit got glass eye
then.
"'Wot yer mean?' SEES Eli. Why didn't
yer think of that before? Yer can't throw
me over now just because Of that
Yer silly SEES she, don't want to
throw yer over. l only want yer to get
glass eye put in yer ed.
"'Well, won't SEES Eli, obstinatelike.
"'Then yer won't marry me- she re-
plies. And wot's more. you'll lose yer
f20.
1.-The upshot was Eli decided TO go to
Hopston that afternoon-the day before
the weddin'. remember-and buy the glass
eye, but e was in a bit Of fix about
leavin' the CELL unprotected. 'Owever, e
set is brain to work and soon it on a
plan.
"'E come il. ERE and made 'imself
very agreeablelike to Cookson and then
asked i'm if ed care to go round and
ave look at the 'orses. Cookson,
wishin' to be civil, sed e would. So off
they went. and when they got inside the
stable and Cookson was criticism the
horse1esh, Eli slipped out and locked the
door. Cookson then began to make din,
but Eli went and found the stable boy,
and, givin' i'm tanner, ses, with nod
toward the stable door:
Remember, ye're deaf today, joe
''Joe winked and sed I am
ELI went up to town on the next bus.
AS it 'appened, so did Tim Miller, and
when Eli went into the optishun's shop
Tim stood outside the door listenin'-it
don't say much for Tins bringin' up,
but I'm obliged to record the facts.
Il want a glass eye put in to match
this one, ses Eli, pointin' to Is only eye.
"'yes.-sir SEES the shopmau. reachin'