The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1906-03-06
The Romance Of
a Slipper

Copyright, 1905. by e. C. Pdrcsus nj
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When Miss Graham had finished her
letter and laid her pen down, she saun-
tered indolently to the small window
and looked across at the pine woods.
1t was one of those country windows
to open which demands strength which
is as the strength of ten and which,
when opened, refuse to be closed again
save with the archaic force of a bat
ter1ng ram.
Even though | do live in a Harlem
fat" pondered Kitty Graham, I've
been accustomed to windows that re-
of support Since I've come to the
Berkshires I've learned better. Seems
to me that one volume of Thackeray
doesn't keep the window up high
the room. Il reckon one of my high
heeled slippers will about do it." and
she inserted that bit of personal prop
erty with no mean skill, so that the
heel raised the sash two or three inches
higher.
THAT isn't much" she concluded, a
trifie warm with the exertion, 'but it's
something And how delicious that
pine fragrance isv' She bent her pref
ty head SO that her little nose drew I'm
long breaths of the sweet air. Then,
picking up her letter, she went down
stairs
Mrs. Barnes" came Miss Graham's
silvery voice from the hall, shall l
leave my letter here on the table? Or
is it too late for the butcher?'
"Sakes alivei Yes. He was here
fore you was up" returned Mrs
Barnes cheerfully from her rocking
chair on the front piazza But maybe
there'll be somebody along presently
on the way to North Adams You
might stick it in the railing in case
anybody does come" she added.
Kitty sauntered to the fence and
leaned over the railing. But no one
was In sight
Suppose / walk over to North Adj
ans myself" suggested she. rs it
fart" She tapped the belated envelope
against her small white teeth.
LAND, yes, child It's
The gate of the ''other house" creak-
ed as it was pulled open. They could
always hear that gate creak. Mrs.
Barnes stopped rocking and looked up
the road
Here comes Professor Thornton"
she said placidly. But of course, we
couldn't ask him."
HIM" murmured Kitty absently
why not?"
The professor was a tall, aristocrat-
tc looking man Of middle age. AS he
approached, followed by a handsome
collie, Kitt1e went to the gate and held
out her letter with a frank, winning
smile.
IF you're going to the village would
you mind mailing this for me?" said
she gravely. II should be very much
obliged"
Mrs. Barnes from the rocker on the
piazza looked at the girl with mild
reproach, but met no glance of apology.
Kitty's wide gray eyes were following
Professor Thornton's aristocratic fig
ure down the road and evolving some
questions. She turned abruptly.
WHO Is he? Why did you hesitate
about asking him? Don't you think
he'll mail it all right? It's to mother,
and It's very important, and you don't
think he'll drop it, do your?
And what Mrs Barnes thereupon
told her was in substance if not in
words something like this:
He was Professor Hamilton Thornton
OF New York city, serving as his mis-
tress star eyed science But Of Won
an with capital w and her WAYS
tanother capital w he was totally ig-
norant The iciest of iced water was
warm. so rumor had 1t, to the look he
bestowed upon women.
And how ever you braced up spunk
enough to ask him to mail that letter."
concluded Mrs. Barnes, rocking way
back, Il don't know"
"Ho! Humw yawned Kitty. "Well.
the woods for mine" And with a nod |
of farewell she passed out of the gate. |
Over the slippery needles she went
till she reached tall tree whose shaft |
went straight up. not bothering itself |
with branches for thirty feet Here
she threw herself down and leaned
back in the embracing roots, plying
the people in towns and heaving a |
sigh of satisfaction.
If only dear mother could be with |
me, though" said she mentally, .but of |
course It's impossible Oh, this power |
ty stricken workaday worldv' She |
couldn't help thinking of the pretty lit
the estate in Virginia which yielded |
nothing and of the subsequent hard |
ship which she and her fraIl, delicate
mother were enduring.
We'll, the doctor said if I'd stop fret |
ting and would try to enjoy every mo-
ment of my month here in these fra
grant hills I'd be all right for my win |
ter work. so I'm only going to think of |
pleasure and-and bracing things"
And while the resinous bark gave forth |
Its spicy smell. reclining against the
roots of the pine tree. she lazily watch
ed the small and active insects which |
went potterng about the needles and |
moss of soft earth
"Oh. it's delicious and restful-so
restful. sighed she. stretching her
arms above her head.
That night. instead of lighting her
bedroom candle, she went to the win
dow through whose uncurtained frame
the moonlight poured in. 1t was still
upheld by the volume of Thackeray and
by the high heeled slipper. The Octo-
Der night air was quite chilly; there
was too much of it. Kitty thought
while she was getting ready for bed,
she'd close it from below and profit |
afterward.
So, staying the sash with her right
she tried to extricate the Slip
per and the book, but. alas, the slipper
eiuded Ler and tumbled heel first into