The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1902-08-26

WOULD YOU MIND WEARING THIs2" BIZ
| ASKED.
matte school, and her playing in the
one act comedy which marked her con
tribution to the graduation exercises
had attracted the attention of a ia
nous stage manager and dramatist.
The latter's praise had induced Joe
Sholt to engage ner for his San Fran
cisco stock company.
II will pay fares" he told her when
the contract had been signed, but
from Chicago you viii have to go west
with Guy Crawford. my new leading
man.
Eunice murmured some polite little
speech about it being nice to have
some one to look after her, thereby In
creasing the confusion which was al
ready crimsoning Sholt's face.
'Well-you see," he began awkward
Iy, Crawford is not the worst part OF
the job. He's a great boy, big heart
ed, tender as a woman and as-as de
cent as actors ever come, but it's this
Crawford has friends in the railroad
Offices in Chicago, and he's got passes
clear through to the coast for himself
and wife. Now, you can save me a
lot Of money if you will travel as his
wife,
Sholt awkwardly lit his cigar to
cover his embarrassment. By no means
had he a reputation for bashfulness
but this novice might not understand
the situation.
Eunice blushed more rosily than he
had done, and there was tremble in
her voice as she spoke. Il suppose you
mean all right, Mr.. Sholt," she said
''but I'm already engaged, and you
really can't expect me to break my
word and marry another man for the
sake of few dollars. Why-why, I'd
rather pay it myself"
Sholt's laugh made the windows
rattle, but seeing that his companion
was on the verge of tears he sudden
ly sat up. my dear child," he ex.
planned, you don't have to actually
get married. All you have to do is to
act as though you had known Craw.
ford for few years; no honeymoon
you know-just pure business, and only
the porter and the conductor will know
you as Mrs. G. You are Mrs. Craw-
ford from Chicago to Oakland You
enter Frisco as Miss Vanceton."
So it had been arranged, and though
her fance objected Eunice convinced
him that it was no worse than being
mans wife on the stage, and Jack
Hamilton was even disposed to joke
about it as he saw her off in the Erie
station. Remember" he cried as he
waved adieu, tits only a wife pre-
temp
Here in the Chicago and Northwest
ern station it was something of q
shock to look up at the tall, handsome
fellow and to realize that she would
be Mrs. Crawford for the ensuing three
days. But she followed the man to
the train rather pleased that her com.
panion should do such credit to bel
supposed taste.
1t was late in the afternoon when
the train pulled out The Lake Shore
train was late in getting in, and the
western train was held Finally the
heavy laded cars swung slowly out
of the station and, gathering speed,
started on the three day run Eunice
was tired and Immediately after sup
per had her berth made down, and she
saw little of Guy until she stepped of
the car at Omaha the next morning to
take short stroll on the platform.
Guy was already out, and he has
tened up. Good morning. Eunice,''
was MS greeung, ana, noting her start
he continued: Il will have to call you
Eunice and you must call me Guy to
keep the conductors from taking UT
that pass. The G. and N. W. man
came to me last night after you had
retired and made me prove identity
because, for one thing, you had no ring
on. He was a bit suspicious. l had
letters that fixed me up all right, and
l explained that actresses seldom wore
their rings-that sort At the same
time, to save the pass, would you mind
wearing this? 1t was my mothers u
And he drew from his finger a plair
gold band.
She slipped it on her hand, wonder
ing what Jack would say, but the mo
ment after she had forgotten young
Hamilton in the charm of Crawford'i
conversation.
Like most actors of the better sort
Crawford was a capital talker, ever
ready to amuse and careful to use the
personal pronoun sparingly. The long
dusty trip, ordinarily so tedious, passed
rapidly, and by the time Ogden was
reached Hamilton was forgotten, and
that night more than once Eunict
caught herself looking at the wedding
ring with more interest than she had q
right to feel
The next morning the spell was com
pleted. They were in the snowsheds
and her first glimpses of the Sierras
strongly moved this city bred girl
There was a grandeur in the scenery
that the Catskills lacked, and when
the sheds were passed she sat on the
steps of passenger coach with Craw.
ford at her side to explain everything
until her somewhat hysterical temper
ament was thrilled by a strange sense
of exaltation, in which the Sierras and
her companion were sadly jumbled.
Even when dusk closed in and Craw
ford led her back to their own gar she
was strangely silent and at dinner an
swered his laughing remarks in mono
syllables.
How could he be so merry when II
would all end in a few hours? she
asked herself.
At last it did end. The train pulled
on to the wharf at Oakland, late, as
Southern Pacific trains usually are
and they boarded the ferry for San
Francisco: 1t was a perfect Califor.
MIA night, the blue sky studded with
stars. From Alcatraz a few lights
were reflected on the water, while to
the west Mount Tammaplais doomed