The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1905-01-17
ADAM
Blu KEITH GORDON
Copyright, 1904. BY Frances Wilson.

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erything in life except that and the
Engineering Journal, which lay In his
lap.
He was her brothers best friend,
and she had known him for years, not
with much satisfaction, it must be con-
fessed since he was VIGOROUSLY a
mans man." living in mans world
and regarding the rustic of feminine
skirts with something of the same feel
ing that he did the humming of mos
quito.
But he was good to look upon-so
good that a sudden, quick resentment
shot through her heart at his indiffer-
sonal affront, sort of insult to her
sex. 1t would serve him right if some
girl would just make up her mind to
marry him and do it, too, before he
knew what he was about
Meanwhile he had tossed away the
match and picked up the Journal again
as imperturbably as If he were alone,
pair of half indignant eyes watching
him with combination of pique and
amusement
1t certainly would serve him right,
her thoughts ran on If some lady
would just wind him round and round
her finger, make him fetch and carry
at her beck and call, reduce him to
perfect mush of sentiment Something
In her steady gaze caused him to move
uneasily, then look up.
did you speak?"
He had the perfunctory manner Of a
person who knows he must keep guard
over himself or he will be guilty Of
some remissness. A heroic resolution
to do his duty was visible in his face
mo" she drawled, 81 didn't speak.
But If you don't mind very much l
think l will I'd like to ask you, for
instance, if you have ever had a la
dies dayY
"a ladies' dayT he repeated help
lessly, shaking off his eyeglasses with
characteristic movement, while his
tormentor watched him as if he had
been some sort of a specimen that she
had impaled upon pin. Then a light
dawned upon him.
You mean such as they have at the
clubs-a day when the place is given
up to your sex and other matters go
to the wall? Well, no. l don't know
that ever have had"
Don't you think it is timer she
ventured.
Possibly" he admitted, but he still
held the Journal in way that sug-
gested a well nigh unconquerable de-
sire to return to it. She stretched out
her hand. Reluctantly he handed it
over
did it ever occur to you," she asked
blandly, that the creature who tempt
ed Adam so successfully, who is at
the bottom of everything, as it were,
must be as-as intricate as your old
engineering problems"
II have always considered Adam
weak-very weak" was his evasive an
swer. Men aren't like that nova
days"
At these boastful words resolution
that had been taking form in her mind
became full fiedged She was inspired
with the sense Of a mission. her
neglected sex should find an avenger
in her.
you think you wouldn't have eaten
Of the apple, then"
There was new note In her voice.
1t was at the same time challenge
and an appeal.
As If It were something absolutely
new 1t came to his mind that girls were
delicate helpless creatures, and wave
of tenderness for the sex swept over
him. Still he was very positive that he
wouldn't have eaten the apple, and
something In the soft, babyish, yet de
pendent way In which she looked at
him caused him to explain at great
length why.
HAS talked fifteen minutes by the
clock" she was thinking In high glee,
but outward'y she was all deferential,
honey sweet attention.
I'm sure he wouldn't have yielded
If he'd been like your was her earnest
comment when he finished speaking,
and at the words he was conscious Of
a pleasant expansiveness, caressing
sense of satisfaction as delightful as it
was unusual. 1t was as If he were
growing taller, broader and more Sc
verely strong before her very eyes.
go back to your reading. I'm not
going to bother you another minute"
She jumped up and, laying her hand on
his arm, finished ingenuously: you
don't mind my bothering you, do you?
A girl gets so tired of woman talk A
chat like this is like plunge in a cold
stream" And she vanished into tho
house and scurried to her room, where
she threw a kiss to her image in the
mirror, with the remark, You're doing
well for beginner, my love-"
Down on the broad piazza the man
had returned to the closely printed col
umns before him, but after half hour
he gave up.
I'm stale.' he murmured, throwing
the paper ON the table. wonder
where's she gone? Never before real
lied how interesting she is-for a girl
Had / ever had ladies' day? Umphi
That was funnyv' And he smiled at
the recollection of it.
For the next two or three days she
avoided him as much as possible.
II must give him plenty of line" she
decided craftily, land never let him
suspect that he's taken the bait"
On the third day he proposed long
tramp to her.
you don't want a silly thing like
| h.
depreciation Il can't talk about
bridges and buttresses and caissons
and all those interesting things that
you know about. / shall only bore
you"
"What was it you said the other day
about the creature that tempted Ad-
ann? was his laughing reply. per
haps want to take up a new line Of
study"
81 just made him think l was the
most dependent thing that ever lived"
she confided shamelessly to her mir
ror that night. my timid little feet
could scarcely get over the ground
without help, and as for climbing
fences
She went off into a peal Of laughter
as she remembered how solicitous he
had been about her getting over a
fence that was in their way-and she
who could turn a handspring as well
as either of her brothers.
"Of course couldn't do it II l really
liked him." she murmured Then the
girl in the mirror averted her face
quickly. "pm just going to give him 8