The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1906-10-09

perfectly happy, but when they came
so many other things came with them
that | felt like the child who has too
many gifts at Christmas. l didn't
know which one to play with first, and
SO got tired of them ALL"
Her dark eyes held look that had
no right in the eyes of three and
twenty.
''If youth. beauty and riches cannot
bring you contentment you must be
hard to please" said.
She gave an impatient shrug. "And
royalty-you forget that or perhaps you
didn't know. suppose 1 am to be the
Princess Casimir."
"Lurline," exclaimed, you wouldn't!
Why. he is a beast! His name isn't fit
to be mentioned in woman's pres
ence"
$50 I've heard" she answered calm
ly, ''but he's a prince. Shouldn't re
ward my benefactress by making her
a mother in royalty, so to speak?
think l shall tell him yes
The queen leaned toward me and
touched my arm. why don't you tell
me of yourself, Gordie?" she asked
wistfully and the old home and
the schoolhouse-a they still there?
And the wintergreens and the old oak
tree?"
81 have brought you picture of the
schoolhouse. The tree is gone. The
wintergreen patch is there but berries
and leaves seem to have lost their ia
vor 1 wonder why?"
She bent over the picture, which
showed dimly in the moonlight
do you remember when we used to
sit on the schoolhouse step after the
others had gone and play three wishes,
Gordie? If you could have three wish.
es now, what would you ask forT'
Power, position and pelf," answer
ed promptly.
She sighed. you are foolish, Cor
die, and l am surprised. Your letters
these nine years haven't sounded that
way"
Her voice. mellow and full, needed
just this note of sadness to make me
we'll nigh forget that l was only vii
lage doctor and she an heiress. She
mustn't marry the prince, but / must
remember my place. / had no right to
explain to her just what my three
wishes really meant
"Lurline," | said, 'the old school
master, crippled Dick Gregg, still lives
In the village. When he knew l was
oOO,fpo, 70 500 NOV, ~ sUo,,su
find her changed. boy, except perhaps
taller and more winsome The good
heart of little Lurline Holland could
not be furnished by Paris or London or
the courts of the wicked"
Dear, blessed old man. l was sure
l could detect tears in her voice, out
she added lightly: TOO bad you'll
have to go back and tell him his mis-
take, isn't it? Take your queen in.
Gordie. 1t must be nearly time for me
10 dance Q stupid polka with the wick
ed prince"
saw her the next day and the next
and the day after. We reYeled in remi-
niscences of the time when we were
boy and girl together before the eccen-
tric and rich Mrs. Van Houter, struck
by the orphans great promise of beau
ty, had adopted her was fairly car
ried away with Lurline's charms, but.
prided myself on my strong will, and
she did not know how my arms ached
TO hold her.
When we were together she was not
at home to the prince, for which was
duly thankful, but / exerted all my
energies toward making her relaize the
horror of a union with him. She would
not argue, neither would she promise
to refuse him. At last l appealed to
Mrs. Van Houter
1T is not right of you to let the child
sacrifice herselfr' l blazed
Mrs. Van Houter regarded me lazily
Would you mind telling me why you
don't want Lurline to marry the
princeY'
"He is a wreck physical and moral"
l answered, trying to keep cool. HE
is drunkard. | should think these are
sufficient reasons
Have you told them to Lurline2"
Yes. but she is blinded by her graft.
tude to you. A young girl cannot real
lie what it means anyway"
Have you no other reason. GOrdon|
felt my face grow hot. Il think
you know there is. If it weren't for
your wretched money, Mrs. Van Hou-
ter, would marry Lurline Holland If
she would let me-"
And what have you to offer her
boy?"
1.-TWO clean hands and tongue that
has ~neySr spoken. evil Of a woman