The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1905-11-28

marry anything eligible, provided there
was u good, substantial bank account
As far as his physical appearance
went John Selwyn did fairly we'll He
was deep chested and broad shoulder
ed and a bit above medium height. His
chin was firm, his mouth was sensitive
and his eyes were dark and quiet. In
big, practical things, In the financial
world, in mines and stock markets be
was at home. In the arena of more
circumscribed things society with a
capital 5 and the infinite trifles that
make up form and manners in that
arena-he humbly acknowledged that
he was out of place
As for Greta Weston-well, the
young creature whom God permitted
him to call wife was to John being
from world he had never knOwnl
She was rather pretty girl and cul-
tured, but to him she was fairer than
lilies, sweeter than roses, more pre-
cious than all rare gems. Her lovely,
delicate face was to him the face of an
angel and his love for her was mute
idolatry. In all his life, not even on
the dear old New England farm, had
he known anything like it.
When John paid off the mortgage
and settled princely few hundred
thousands on Greta, Mrs. Weston saw
no reason why the patrician feelings Of
herself and daughter should longer be
repressed.
IF | may make suggestion" she re-
marked haughtily one morning at
breakfast, the morning following a din
ner at which Johns ignorance of table
etiquette had marked him as an I'M
speakable kind of SKINNED milk
among the social cream, when you
have finished course 1t is customary
to lay your knife and fork on your
plate side by side
so sorry. But you see I'm not much
used began John humbly.
"Oh, we know" observed Mrs. Yves
ton Jelly, but Wen do what we can to
polish you, at least to save you from
being ridiculous And then, with his
permission, she began to point out to
him his remissnesses Of the night be-
fore. For example, 1t appeared that he
had offered the wrong arm to the lady
whom he took In to dinner; he had
shaken hands when he should nod and
failed to shake when he should; he
hadn't taken the right seat In the car
riage; he hadn't risen when the ladies'
left the table. In fact, he had been a
bull in the china shop from beginning
to last.
Give me little time. dear" he said
to Greta trife sadly, completely ig-
noring her mother-'just little time
and I'll promise you won't be ashamed
of me-
If during this scene the man ap-
peared undigniGed and weak 1t must
be remembered that he was idolatrous-
ly in love with his wife. But that very
idolatry helped him in other ways, for
love is a famous school mistress He
had mastered big, practical problems
In life, and he WIS quite confident that
he could conquer these smaller ones.
Pathetically enough, however, his
noticed in the eyes of his young wife,
She grew prettier and prettier, her
cheeks more exquisitely pink, her eyes
brighter But likewise she grew more
and more capricious and manifested
Increased annoyance at his presence
At first he wondered helplessly Little
by little the scales began to fall from
his eyes.
There was copy of SichePs Ma
donna and Child" which hung directly
over the hall mantel. John had bought
the picture because he fancied the Ma
donna resembled Greta One evening,
following his wife into dinner, the fan
cied likeness struck him with renewed
force-she was SO richly colored and
beautiful! Absentmindedly he stepped
on her train and ripped the waist seam
ever so slightly. She turned on him
contemptuously when he apologized.
with an anger born of her condition:
do you mean to keep on begging
pardon all your life?"
ut was little accident, dear. l
wouldn't get angry" he demonstrated
soothingly, at heart very sorry and
very much annoyed at himself
Don't call me my dearr" she flashed
back. Il despise you! l might as well
tell you first as lastl p
"Greta, Gretap' cried Mrs. Weston
warningly. But Greta, for the first
time in her life, was beyond the con-
troll of expediency.
II can't bear you! l never, never,
never loved you. and now-I can't even
breathe where you are! Oh, if l could
never see you again, If l could never
see you again. She began to cry and
sob violently, and her mother led her
upstairs.
When Mrs. Weston came down
half hour later the dinner table, bril-
liantly lighted, cleaning with damask
and silver, was still untouched John,
who sat bowed in surprise and crushed
grief slowly raised his head There
was a pause. The thought that occur
red to Mrs Weston was that he was
sitting while she was standings dis
tinct violation Of etiquette As for
him-well, be was thinking Of other
things. BewIlderedly, he brushed away
heavy lock that had fallen over his
forehead
"She said'-he stopped. his voice was
nusKy-"she said she'd never cared for
me-" He swallowed hard again. "Nev-
er-is that t.ue?'
The woman was frightened She felt
the sudden iron of his will and was
speeches..
Answer me. Is It'll" His command
rang out like a pistol shot, and dan
gerous CLEAN lay level in his eyes.
Yes she admitted, utterly thrown
off her guard
''At least" he said finally, and his
voice sounded miles and miles away,
Eve have the truth at last. Now we
may understand each other
From that time on Greta was as
completely ignored as If she had been
the bisque shepherdess on the drawing
room cabinet. From being everything
in the house she and her mother had
suddenly become nothing 1t was al
most as IL they were remaining there
like the maids on two weeks notice.
One morning they told him that his
wife was calling for him. They led him
into a cool. dim room. When he be-
came accustomed to the half light ne
saw that Greta, the pink rose, had
turned to an exquisite white lily. He
spoke to her gently, considerably, as
the physician had babe him, but as to
feeling-had not she herself killed 1t?
But all the damned up love in the
mans nature went Immediately out to
the human trifie in blue ribbons and
lace which the nurse held on a pillow
for his inspection
Johns son and heir grew and thriYed