The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1906-10-23


Eastbrook opened its eyes very wide
and caught its breath over the Taun-
ton girl when she swept through it
riding cross saddle. To be sure, the
town had been reading this long time
about the divided skirt, but then the
town was also not exactly sure in it's
mind that riding its streets even upon
a proper sidesaddle was not rather
bold.
OF course in the country it was diff
ferent. The very best young women
rode there. Moreover, it had come to
be sort of proverb among the plan
tation folk that the hardest and most
reckless riders We're town girl visitors
Very few of them had any mercy upon
the beasts luckless enough to carry
them-this not because they were hard
hearted, but from sheer ignorance and
the pure animal delight of finding
themselves unfettered for a time. They
fretted not little, these town bred
riders, when the country folk checked
speed at hills or Insisted that a horse
should have chance to blow a bit
after hard gallop.
Possibly envy, the least touch, gave
edge to their disapproval of Edith
Taunton. Edith had a fortune and
three fine saddle horses. AS if that
We're not enough, Billy Drayton fell
into a way of sharing her early gallops.
Until she came back to the old
homestead Billy had not seen a sun
rise once a year. 1t was provokingly
significant, this change in him. He
had been the despair of the town
matchmakers. He was a governors
grandson, rich, good looking, good hui
mored. Further, he was squire of
danes so nobly impartial nobody ever
yet had been able to establish a
claim to him. The people he regarded
most and was readiest to serve were
meek old ladies who had known his
mother and very little girls.
Edith was, he insisted, only big lit
tie girl. very lone and lorn in her big
empty house. What he did not say was
that he thought her coming back to it
something so fine and brave he was
bent on helping her fight down the
loneliness and make her own social
place.
This in the beginning until the town
gossips took to craning the neck, shak-
ing the head and drawing aside the
least bit when the girl came among
them. Billy saw the head shaking, the
drawing back, long time before she
did. She was open and unsuspicious as
daylight and had no thought of tread
ing on the corns of town propriety in
anything she did But, being also full
of quick intuitions, after awhile she
understood.
And then? Then only she really did
set out to horrify the good gentlewom-
en-. She drove tandem through the
middle Of the square, sitting up very
straight looking neither to right nor
left, but pulling up at the corner by
the bank to pick up Billy and take him
away with her. Next week it was a
card party wholly masculine in com
position, except for Edith herself and
the colorless cousin who served as her
companion. There were wine and ci-
CARS and a supper afterwards very
late supper.
The town thrilled with the horror of
it. But not as it did little later, when
everybody knew that thereafter, upon
Sunday evenings, Edith meant to be at
home to her friends.
If Billy had known in time that new
er would have come to pass. But be
had gone away for fortnight right
after the night at cards, first making
Edith promise to have no more such
assemblies until he was there to give
her countenance and protection.
When he came back and found the
mischief done, he was in sad taking.
81 see just one way out of it-you
have got to marry me, else you won't
have a rag of reputation left" he said,
pretending to shake her hard.
Edith made a mutinous mouth at
him. Suppose we try some other sac
rificial lamb. Aren't you most too old
and toueh?" she asked, her eyes dane
ing wickedly.
Billy grinned cheerfully You can
have carloads Of 'em for the taking,
nice white baa lambs, but l don't be-
lieve they'd be the least effectual," he
said. you see. what you need. really,
is not a sacrifice but a seapegoat
I'm strong enough to have your sins
confessed over my head and thence
forth imputed to me-"
"But scapegoats have to be sent
away. out into the wilderness. learn
ed that much at Sunday school, and
can't have you go away" Edith pro
tested. Besides. l am not doing any
thing horrid / shall go to church
mornings just the same. AS for the
evenings. you know yourself other
girls go 10 church then. mainly to have
somebody see them home and stay all
hours afterward making love to them
| really feel like mssionary-th the boys
can come here and rest or talk or dc
anything they please. AS it is now
they have no choice at all-they must
either NOPE at home or go out and
court somebody that must be
dreadfully wearing"
at is" Billy said feryently, his eyes
reminiscent But. my dear girl, you
had better give it up. Get telegram
calling you away I'll send it if your
conscience is against fibbing'-
MY conscience is not against any
thing necessary, and you know fibs are
necessary Edith interrupted. But
have much more conscience agsinsi
backing out of anything just because
I'm afraid of some old tabby cats and
young ones"
"Tabby cats have claws" Billy said
oracularly.
Edith looked at him doubtfully a min.
ute. Il know. They try even to scratch
YOU" she said. And then quickly, her
eyes flaming, They actually came
here, three of them to tell me about
your past
"Ihey dldT Blliy's voice was deadly
quiet. And you?"
81 said it did not interest me tc
know about it; all 1 was concerned with
was your future Edith answered, hel
Foice trembling little, although hel
/ eyes were brave.
Billy got up and stretched himself.
"That settles it." he said. "Name the
day, right off, so | can go order wed
ding cards"
Edith did name the day, but not unit
she had stood out against him a week
1 She might not have given in even theI
but for the ordeal ut church. Not onl!
was she cut right and left-the ministe
preached at her-not by name, O
course, but in a fashion more than TN
mistakable.
Billy was there. across the aisle
I glum and furious. After service h'
I half led her out and walked away