The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1905-09-19
THEIR MAY
FITTING
By FRANK H. SWEET
Copyright, 1906, by Frank H. s,osst

Elizabeth Browns eyes flashed, and
she threw the note from her angrily,
then picked it up at the inquiring look
Of her mother
Read thatr she commanded hotiy.
Mrs. Brown took the letter and read
1t meekly. 1t was brief:
Ny Dear Miss Betty-I have Just left
the house. 1t is down in the country and
near the seashore and has piazzas and an
apple orchard-in short. is an ideal home
for young married couple VIII call to-
morrow and go into details more fully.
Faithfully yours. JAMES GRAHAM.
Mrs. Brown looked up with pleased
dutter.
Il didn't know it had-had gone SO
far, Elizabeth" she said eagerly, that
you were engaged. When
I'VE are not engaged" sharply, land
never will be. / have thought Mr..
Graham a very pleasant man and have
liked him, and he has called on us
quite often lately, but there has never
been word of-of love spoken, and
now this motel 1t is positively Insult
ing! Mother. we must commence pack
ing at once and move this very after
noon.v
why, child, we can't" In startled
dismay. ut will take a week at least
You know
II know we shall be out of this house
before nighty vehemently. II shall
go and engage moving van at once to
carry our goods to the station, and l
will have them taken to the little sta
ton just beyond the limits of the town.
1t will cost a few dollars more, but 1t
will hide all trace of our whereabouts.
Mr. Graham will be here tomorrow to
go Into details-the presumptuous
wretch! I'm sorry ever spoke to him
about our plans to hire quiet pla g
for the summer. Now, mother, you
go and be packing your clothes and
valuables. l shall tell the van man
to be here In an hour, and we must
be ready"
Eyes, dear" meekly. but where
shall we goY'
why, Toto Oh, anywhere! 1t
doesn't really matter. Suppose we try
LAAb ANtAC PAdCC nACAC VIC AAQ lWO
weeks outing last summer-Orchard-
Vile, you know. It's real country
there with solitary walks and gardens
In every yard and country people COM
ing In with things to sell. Rent must
be cheap there, and by offering enough
we can get some sort of house, or, If
we can't We'll hire part of one or
rooms. Anyway we haven't time to
engage one ahead now"
"Orchardville is where we first met
Mr.. Graham, isn't itY'
rs it? Why. yes. i believe you are
right, mother, but, you know, he told
US he was just down there for a few
days fishing and that he didn't get
bite, so, of course. we wouldn't meet
him again. Men never go fishing twice
to the same place when they have bad
luck. Now, please hurry, mother"
The next afternoon they were stand
ing on the front porch of a pretty
vine covered cottage experimenting
the removal of their goods from the
local delivery wagon. The indignation
still burned in Elizabeth's eyes. Mrs
Brown looked tired and plaintive
Il do hope we can stay here, Eliza
BETH" she sighed, "but the postmaster
seemed slow in giving up the key and
wouldn't promise US the house sure"
Wen stay all right, mother; don't
you worry. The house was to rent
and the key left with the postmaster
for prospective tenants What if the
owner did write to him about an old
maid who was looking after a place
for some young friends and that he
would have her come down and see
this. She hasn't put In an appear
ance yet, nor her young friends, and
we were the first real applicants. Be
sides, we are in actual possession, and
l was shrewd enough to force an ad-
vance rent into the poStmaster's
hands. Now help me swing this ham
mock on the piazza here and then you
lie down in it for an hours rest"
Two days later they were settled and
the furniture was all arranged Mrs.
Brown was lying in the hammock be-
hind the screen of vines, gazing pen
sively at Elizabeth, who had stopped
reading and was now contemplating
the closed book In her lap with unsee-
ing eyes. There were solitary walks
about this village, many OF them, and
the young girl was facing the fact that
the walks represented the social condi-
ton of the place. The previous sum-
mer's outing had been pleasant, but
there had been companionsnip to make
| 1t so.
The gate latch clicked, and Mrs.
Brown was aroused by a stified ex-
clamation from Elizabeth. Coming up
the walk was James Graham, and be-
side him was an angular, middle aged
woman who was apparently refusing
to be convinced.
"'Tain't the kind of house l want,
Mr. Graham" she was saying shrilly,
mot In any way. There must be bay
winder in the end for Delias plants
| an willers In front for her an Tommy
to set under She said l needn't even
look at place without the willers."
'But let me show you through the
house, Miss Brown" urged Graham.
81 am sure you will like the arrange
ment, and there is fine willow in the
back yard which the young people can
| sit under. There wasn't time to go to
my agent after the key. but can get
In one of the windows and open the
back door from the inside I'm sure
But the woman stopped short, turned
and started back toward the gate.
"Willers in front" she repeated ag-
gressively. "Them's the last words
Della said. It's no use, Mr.. Graham.
! doR't want it."
Graham watched her through the
gate and up the sidewalk toward the
station and then turned again to the
house.
Might as well run through it while
I'm here" they heard him say, then:
why, hellol Looks as IL somebody
dows, and" as he came few steps
nearer, "hammocks swung on the
piazza, and Great Scott! Elizabeth
Miss Brown. You here! WE'LL WE'LL
This Is luck"
Elizabeth was at the head of the
steps now, an odd light in her face.
"Who was that woman, Mr.. Ora
hamY' she demanded.
Belle Brown, queer stick, who is
looking after house. A friend recon-
mended her to me as a joke and l de-
termined to retaliate by actually rent
ing her the house. You have noticed
how l failed. But is it really possible
that you have rented my house from
the postmaster
I'VE really have" Elizabeth an
swered smilingly, though we did not
dream it was yours"
AN uncle gave it to me several
months ago, and you are my first ten