The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1902-07-29


book, flung it across the room and
clutched Carola's shoulder. Angry
tears stood in her eyes. but still they
snapped viciously. You'll be the death
Of me yetr' she gasped out. Lord,
Lord, If l only had known what trou-
BILE you'd be l never would have had
you here, never in this worldw
"You mean really that you brought
me here SO you could make trouble for
both of u.s." Garcia said, standing up
and edging away from her aunt's
grasp. "You know you would find
heaven dull If you had not griev-
ance."
''Stopl l won't hear such sacrilegew
Aunt Sarah cried, shaking Garcia hard
II thought l knew what ingratitude
was-after all I've done for you-but
this caps the climax
"You have done-many things" Ca
rola said, setting her teeth hard. First
you gave me a name l hate and shall
hate till die. You thought it sounded
finer than the name of any other baby
around. Right there you struck the
keynote-of everything. You are so
tyranically vain you want to show
everybody how much better you can
do everything. That is why you have
pitched on johnson Blakely for my
husband. Poor fool! l should be al
most as sorry for him as for myself If
he had not mans strength and a
mans chance to run away. He does
not really want me. Peggy McMann
suits him ever and ever so much better
But you got him under your thumb be-
fore he left off roustabouts. He's
worse afraid of you than death or the
Judgment, if he is six feet two and big
as an OK
johnson loves me like a mother.
He's good looking, as moral as-as a
baby-and will have 100000 when his
old uncle dies" Aunt Sarah broke in,
her eyes swapping harder. And any
yes, every other girl around would
jump at the chance Of him. while
you
"Have had to be locked up for two
months to keep me from marrying
somebody else" Garcia supplemented
as Aunt Sarah, otherwise Mrs Wilson,
paused for breath johnson knows all
about it." she ran on. mice, chival-
rous Johnson, to want wife who says
to his face: 4 hate you. | agree to
have the wedding day set only because
am tired of prison life If there was
one grain of manliness in all his hulk
ing height, he would not take me-he
knows how helpless | am--with you
for guardian and not penny of my
own"
"Yet you want to turn your back on
good husband and a rich one and
throw yourself away on a beggarly
lawyer who has never had a case since
he hung out his shingle year ago."
Aunt Sarah snapped. Garcia laughed
a short, hard laugh.
Mrs. Wilson knew her neighbors.
They did come piling in before the
clock struck i. Carola's love affairs
had been the gossip of the countryside
for six months past Naturally there
was edged expectation of some uncom-
mon climax to what had been so
strange. To the bucolic mind it was
wholly unhearu of that johnson Blake
ly had been cut out by a sprig of
lawyer with hardly a second coat to
his back. The most part stanchly up
held Mrs. Wilson's strenuousness in
keeping her niece from so throwing
herself away. Still there were a few
softer souls who shook the head, say
ing girl, as you might say, driven in
to double harness would be mighty apt
before long to kick over the traces and
small blame to her If she did.
Everybody wondered at the setting
out of a wedding feast and calling In
wedding guests. simple marriage,
with only legal witnesses, seemed to
| fit the cases complications better. A
few understood, but wisely held their
peace The wedding was Mrs. VIII
sons triumph. She would not forego
| showing to her world that in this her
hardest battle she had prevailed But
even this wise few were something
amazed at one thing-she had invited
among the rest Jack Harrison, the
| lawyer lover whom two months ear
lier she had forbidden the place.
He would not come, of course, but
by o'clock everybody else was on
hand, minister and bridegroom includ-
ed. Aunt Sarah was for setting for
ward the wedding ceremony There
was not the least use in waiting an
hour, with everything ready That
brought on very pretty quarrel with
Garcia. You'll come to the judgment
bar an hour ahead of time" she said
70 Aunt Sarah. but you won't be able
20 hurry ST. Peter, and for once l mean
20 act the saint"
! Storming did no good. Garcia was
,ecklessly gay. She had grown very
white. but her hands did not tremble
as she put Oh her veil and set-a knot
IF loose lelfod white roses at the
throat OF her white frOck. She did ev-
erything for herself, yet, oddly enough,
made no objection to the presence of
half a dozen young women, each of
whom thrilled with unconscious envy
of the bride. She even laughed out
right when one of them peeped into
the hall and said hushedly over her
shoulder, ''Oh, my, Johnson has got on
full dress suit and does look so hand
somep'
Its bad luck, laughin' in your wed
din frock. Don't you know thatY' an
other demanded Garcia laughed
again, laugh both hooking and mer-
ry.
All things earthly end, even an hour
of waiting upon an ungrateful brides
caprice When the clock marked five
minutes past 4, Garcia stood exactly
in the middle of the big square parlor,
feeling herself the target of all eyes.
She looked taller, more slender, more
wraithlike than ever. Though her hand
lay on the bridegroom's. 1t was in suf-
ferance only. She did not even steady
herself by the mass of his wholesome
bulk. He was very red, his vacuous
moon face beaded, his big hands bulg-
ing over the tops of his new white
gloves. Garcia had not spoken to him.
She had met him just outside the par
1or door, He had a sense of sinking
or wanting to run away, if the truth
must be told, to cry as he had cried in
the times of boyish fights. Invariably
he lost the fights and somehow felt
that he was likewise to lose this.
The minister was speaking. His
words fell meaningless upon poor
Johnson's ears. Garcia was tensely
alert She held her head high and
kept her eyes fast upon the door. AS
the minister began to say, IF any can