The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1906-05-15

ly well that the girl would be at choir
practice. 6ne fingered a moment on
the porch, where Alice's father sat
smoking. He was q straight, blue eyed
old man. Sylvia sat down on the steps
to rest
II been awful busy" she remarked
Folks win get married, and that
means weddin' dresses. I'm just I'm
tshin' Nelly Deans, and next it will be
Annie Paines. II what / hear is so,
perhaps it'll be your Alice's before
long" The old man squirmed and
asked what she meant He wanted no
son-in-law, though he could not object
to John.
why, you won't believe it. but that
half blind, hobbling old Judson is max
ing up to the Widow King. they say.
She's handsome and young lookin' and
well heeled, the best cook in town and
economical too. She's good tempered,
except about Johns margin Alice.
and kind of hate to see her throw her
self away. But Judson's sly old
coot. Anyhow, hope she marries and
leaves John free He and Alice have
waited long enough-it amt right!
Well, got to be goin'. You tell Alice
/ was here" She walked of, leaving
the old man with a new fear-and with
a new Idea In his head. That Judsonl
He and Judson had always conhicted.
He grunted and lit his pipe
Spring passed into early summer,
and In June Nelly and Harry and An
nile and Richard were married. Alice,
sweet and grave and dark eyed, sang
at the weddings. Her rich soprano
was Indispensable. John watched her
In love and despair and began to won
der II, after all, prudence and caution
were not sometimes vices as well as
virtues Would he never be free to
take Alice to his own home? Would
she never leave her father to come to
him? He went to see her much oftener
than had been his habit, and, strange
to say, Of evenings her father disap-
peared, no one asked where, and left
them to themselves. John and Alice
were again almost the boy and girl
lovers of ten years ago. They took
twilight walks and long drives unmo-
Tested and unQuestioned and were very
happy.
With surprise John began to realize
that his mother no longer nagged him
about his engagement nor had fits of
weeping. during which she declared
that he was going to make her a stran-
ger and dependent In her own house.
Then one evening he took courage
and masterfully laid before Alice
plan to brave everybody. Finally she
yielded. though she dreaded the ex-
PLANTATION that would have to follow.
One soft September evening John,
with a license In his pocket, drove to
her door and told her father he was
going to take her for drive to Lynn
vile. ten miles away, and that they
would not be back till evening. The
old man was used to their driving and
said nothing. In fact, he seemed al
most anxious to have Alice 90.
Late in the evening they returned
man and wife. John tied the horse
and went I'm to have it out with Alice's
father. But the old man. strangely
enough, was not to be found They
waited awhile, and then John left her
to go tell his mother.
When he had gone Alice sat, silent,
in the big chair on the porch. happy In
spite Of the probable trouble Johns
mother would make, happy in the face
Of her fathers certain anger. At any
rate, nothing on earth could make her
anything but Johns wife. So she wait
ed for John and wondered where her
father could possibly be- In half an
hour she heard Johns quick, eager
footsteps. He swung In at the gate
and almost ran to take her in his arms.
He kissed her, and he laughed
ly laughed-like a boy. Then he ex-
planned:
Hes at my house-your father. 1t
seems they took advantage Of our abb
sence to marry each other, Alice.
How's that for slyi They braved me
to my face, but they were so afraid
that we would be angry that they were
positively relieved when / told them
what we'd done. They are coming
over here tomorrow, dearest, and then
our home will be our own"
Then John, being man, could not
just see why Alice could declare that
she was perfectly happy and still
should weep on his shoulder But
Sylvia was a woman-she would have
known the reason.