The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1905-08-15
ALoyaf Mummy
By IZOLA FORESTER
Copyright, 1905. by P. @ Eastment

lAld Su1uinSI. IL SOule one QOeBn In
terfere 1t may go on forever. And he's
splendid boy"
Better than me?"
WELL" said Peggie kindly. every
one is a type unto himself 1 don't
think your type clashes with Had
leigh's."
You darling
mot on the veranda, Billie"
'We're engaged"
II don't care If we're engaged hun
dred times; you can't grab me like that
on hotel veranda in broad daylight"
There you go. You take up Had
leigh and his troubles and never con-
slider for an instant the way you treat
me. We've been engaged four years.
mot all the time Six times sepa-
rately"
well, you ought to be ashamed of
yourself You're as bad as Betty
Wayne. and yet you turn around and
sympathize with Hadleigh. Sympa-
thize with me-"
II won't And I'm not as bad as
Betty. It's ever so much better being
engaged six times separately to one
than 1t is six times separately to six,
isn't itY'
Billie took refuge In moody silence In
the hammock. Through its meshes he
could get good view of the figure
seated on the yeranda railing. 1t was
a lissome. girlish figure In pongee and
turquoise blue, and he shut one eye
nrf 70 EMIL % !
against the background of blue sky
and sea.
Betty really thinks the world of
him, only she doesn't know it." Peggie !
announced suddenly after some refiec-
ton. "And he considers her so per-
fectly hopeless that he doesn't dare do !
a thing but trot around after her like |
pet mummy
"Mummles can't trot"
well, don't care! He trots around
as one would trot If 1t could trot. Billie
Ballister, If you treated me like that
I'd never marry you in this world"
do you think you ever willT'
Some day" said Peggie hopefully !
"All Hadleigh needs is appreciation
A4C tdS6Cd aAOQl0 alIcl DClll 81 lOilH
that no other girl will look at him."
Don't appreciate too strenuously. |
Hadleigh might not see the point"
"Oh, no. he won't" Peggie's scorn
rose superior to discretion. IF treat |
ed you like a stray telegraph pole all |
the time or C. o. D. express pack
age to be held till called for, wouldn't |
you see the point II some other girl
took you up and delicately and diplo- |
matically intimated to you that you
were altogether just right?"
II wish had the chance" said Billie |
gloomily. What do do while you're
delicately and automatically intimat-
ing to HadleighY'
Glover" retorted Peggie sweetly;
stalk and glover and look Jealous.
Then We'll make up and be engaged |
for the seventh time Anyway, Hadleigh |
won't make love to me- l shall merely
act as diversion for the good of the
cause"
1t was three weeks later that the di- |
version ceased. 1t had been a most
successful diversion. Even Billie In his |
desolation adlSitted that. So did Had |
leigh. From being an engaged nonen-
tity he suddenly became featured on !
the bill, as Peggie would say. There
were handsomer girls at Pineta Point, |
but there was none quite so winsome
and lovable and characteristic Of the |
place as Peggie, and when she under
took the act of delicate and diplomatic |
intimation she did it thoroughly.
The first week Betty Wayne was
amused. The second she fatty declined |
going In the same coaching party with |
the two. The third she sent Hadleigh
back his ring. And Hadleigh accepted
condolences gracefully and pensively !
and became the steady convoy of Peg
gie's pink parasol In Its wanderings
around Pineta Point.
Peggie was happy. Every night she
assured Billie things were going splen-
didly. Hadleigh did take so easily to
education. He did not finch a particle |
when his ring came back. And Billie |
said nothing.
The day after the return of the ring
the pink parasol took Its way up on
IAC nun ONSIlOOhIuB Tue Ddy.
Lets sit here" Its owner said to
Hadleigh 81 like to watch the fort
and the islands. There's Billie Bal
listers yacht out there, the Peggie O."
Named for you, isn't itT'
1T was-last summer"
Hadleigh laughed shortly.
"a new name every summer 1t will |
be the Betty W. soon.'
Peggie looked down at him with
hurt, surprised eyes.
billie will never change the name
Of that boat" she said, with dignity.
HE painted it out yesterday" Had
leigh answered. 81 thought you knew"
KNEW what?"
Betty only broke her engagement !
with me for the sake Of Ballister She
is out there with him now"
''Out there with BillieT' Peggie rose
to her feet. She dared not look at
Hadleigh. The pink parasol shielded |
her from his gaze as she looked out
at the Peggie o. 81 want to go back
to the hotel"
Peggie"-Hadleigh' voice was more
desperate than tender-"I thought you
and Ballister were engaged. Did you
quarrel tooY'
There was no answer.
IF those two come back and Betty
wears his ring He stopped and
moved the pink parasol screen aside. |
'Peggie, let's be first in this game Of
choosing partners. Let's
Peggie caught her breath and turned |
her back on the yacht.
"Hadleigh, don't you know l haven't |
cared for you one bit-not that way2 l
was sorry for you because Betty treat
ed you like a pet mummy, and you
hadn't the courage to rebel I thought
If some one else made the mummy
show signs of Lee she would prize him,
but she didn't"
Hadleigh watched the tears in the !
blue eyes, and the grace of understand
ing fell on him.
ut was Billie" he said
Peggie smiled back at him bravely.
ut was all my fault. interfered. l |
never thought Billie would mind, and
l never dreamed you would be serious.
There's only Betty really, isn't there7"
"Only Betty" said Hadleigh sadly,
''Then be loyal mummy. It's some
thing, you know, even to be loyal when |
no one cares whether you are or not"
A long whistle came up the bluff |
path. For a second Peggie hesitated. |
then she answered it, and the form of
Billie appeared over ledge Of rock.
"Hellop he called. Betty Wayne
wants you. Hadleigh. Rustic seat over
near the spring Said she'd wait three
minutes and no longer. I've done the
best could for you"
When Hadleigh had disappeared,
Peggie looked up at the figure on the /