The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1906-05-08

he ASKED QUIETLY.
Miss Merrifield. She opened 1t with
eagerness and found a single magnih-
cent American Beauty wrapped care
fully in waxed paper and sparkling az
II with the dew of June. Within Ave
minutes another messenger with an
other long, slender package rang the
bell. and this also yielded up a rose.
When with the regularity Of clock
work five uniformed imps had come
and gone in twenty-five minutes, all
with similar votive offerings, the girl
comprehended-Joh Johnston Of the fertile
mind had hit upon the plan of sending
her twenty-three roses, one for each
year of her life. but the gift was to
be delivered on the installment plan.
The ingenious idea was pleasing-for
a time. With the tenth rose the Merri-
field family was holding joyous council
over the ever increasing pile of boxes
in the library, and Carol was restless.
When the fifteenth bona fide messen-
ger had come and gone, not counting
four small curiosity seekers, who smil-
ed expansively, murmured something
about ''de wrong number" and retreat
ed, Carol was thoroughly angry
When on the heels of the twenty third
accredited flower bearer Johnston ap-
peared. a particularly desirable brooch
In his pocket and sense of duty well
done in his heart, she was composed,
but the anger though not visible, was
present and controlled.
With true masculine density John
ston noticed nothing out Of the ordi-
nary with his sweetheart. She thanked
him gayly and with the proper degree
of warmth for brooch and roses.
Mr.. Practical Joker must have a
lesson" Miss Merriheld declared to
herself after his departure as she nib
bled with lips as red as the petals
themselves at the eighteenth rose. 81
didn't mind so much his other tricks.
but this time he has gone too far"
He'd only laugh If he knew old Mrs
Froude sat In her window and counted
those messengers With the extra ones
mixed in-little wretchesi-there were
thirty-one of them.
"She knows today's my birthday and
saw through Hunters scheme as quick
ly as I did. And she'll never believe
but what I'm thirty-one. So Mr.. Hun
ter Johnston, beware Of an old maids
vengeance" And she waved the rose
Electrically in air
On the morning Of his own birthday,
five days later, when his man brought
up the mail Johnston's eye was imme-
diately taken by one long white envel-
ope. 1t was certainly peculiar In ap-
pearance, for his name and address
were formed Of letters clipped from
newspapers and posted upon It. The
envelope contained the following mis-
sive, similarly constructed:
Do you care to see your sweetheart
clipping with another man7 Be at the
Twenty-third street ferry Thursday aft
ernoon at I.
Like many other practical 1okers,
Johnston had his blind" side. He
never suspected that any one would
attempt to hoax him. He took the
missive In deadly earnest and inter
rupted dressing a half dozen times to
reread It.
His first sensation was one OF anger
that any one would dare libel his sweet
heart so. He resolved to telephone
Carol immediately-or, better, to call
upon her and enjoy a good laugh with
her over the letter. Yet even while he
smiled at its very absurdity, q sicken-
Ing qualm Of doubt. slow fitting and
ugly as a vulture's shadow, passed over
his mind. Surprising it were true?
That was the most unpleasant day
Johnston ever experienced. Breakfast
was a farce; luncheon, mo perform
ance." Long after the time for the
latter meal he remembered that he had
promised to spend the day with a mar
ried sister over in Jersey.
He tramped the snowy streets aim
lessly, pausing occasionally to pore
over the mysterious message, while DO
licemen stared curiously and house
holders thought Of Raffies. All his
journeys brought him back somehow to
the neighborhood of Carols home. But
he could not enter. Something held
him back. At o'clock ne wac at the
ferry and sat himself down with such
patience as he could muster to wait
for o'clock. "Ill see 1t through" he
said.
At ten minutes of the hour Johnston's
heart gave painful thref, for Carol,
rosy from the searching wind, entered
the ferry building. A tall. athletic
young man, with the air of the out
lander about him-he was well dressed
and evidently well bred, but not New
Yorker-followed her in. He was car
rying two heavy suit cases.
Johnston confronted them. MAY /
ask what this means. CarrolT he ask
ed quietly.
The girl halted and seemed to shrink
from him. The ATHLETIC stranger step
ped forward. And may inquire how
II concerns your He did not raise his
voice, and the attention of none Of the
1ostling scores was attracted to the
group.
Johnston ignored him. did 1 de-
serve this, CarrolT he went on. "If
you'd ask. I'd release you. When I got
this letter