The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1906-10-02
Love
Is enough
By O. R PHELPS


BY o. R. PHELPS
Copyright, 1905. by c. H sutcliffe
shut your eyes tight while l tell
you story" Alwyn commanded. ut
begins as stories ought always to be-
gin, Once upon time -
Dear me! l know 1 shan't like it.
Those once upon time things have
grown to be such borev' Lolita mur-
INJURED plaintively, but without in the
least checking the story teller.
He ran on, his eyes fixed high above
her head, "a foolish fellow, foolisher
than the common, set himself to hate
wisdom, whose other name is wom-
an
He got his come-uppance, of course.
They always do in stories, never out
of them," Lolita interjected dispassion-
ately.
This time Alwyn laughed. Whose
other name is woman-woman," he
repeated with all the emphasis of capt.
tails. But you're dead wrong He got
no come-uppance. 1t was rather his i'll
luck to come down very hard-so hard
he groveled in the dust when one par
ticular woman looked him over with
out seeing him. That has happened,
let me see, about three times day for
full six weeks. Result
Zone hundred and twenty-six grow
els, if your figures can be trusted. I
doubt it. l doubt, indeed, if there is
anything trustworthy about you," Lo-
lita flashed at him, with a smile SO
coyly engaging it took all the sting
from her speech. Suppose you stop
being tiresome," she went on. II don't
ask you to be sensible, Pm so far from
sensible myself. But let's get away
from the eternal me. There must be
such lots of things better worth while"
What will you have? Shall dis
course on ships and shoes and sealing
wax and cabbages and kingsT" Al
wyn asked, his voice submissive
enough, but dancing rebellion In his
eyes
Lolita smiled demurely. 81 think"
she said, with an air Of grave refec-
ton, "if you don't mind, had rather
hear things about Gordon Fleming"
There's nothing I can tell you-he's
SO openly, SO extensively, so disgust
ingly rlch-and so patiently in love with
you,' Alwyn burst out.
Lolita gave him a sidewise look. "Are
you sure?" she murmured. Don't you
see it would be cruel to experiment
with my credulity"
"As cruel as your experiments with
my affection?' Alwyn flung back at
her, trying to speak tragicaliy, but
laughing in spite Of himself What
rogue she was to play with him SO. She
loved him almost as he loved her. 1t
had been misunderstanding had
hardly more than looked at each other
when eye spoke to eye, heart to heart.
But she had flouted him daintily all
along, thereby making him more than
ever captive. And he In turn had
leased and vexed her, now with exag
gerated and open devotion, now with
reproofs for wholly imaginary faults.
Really he did not think she could own
a fault-she seemed to him perfect and
altogether lovely. But in spite of his
overcoming, he had wit enough to see
that tame and abject devotion would
never suit her-he must show himself
a man of spirit and temper else he
would be no man for her
1t was ten days since they had come
together at the Glenwold house party,
ten blissful days of Lolita and love.
Incidentally there had been walks,
rides, drives, goldng and moonlit
maunderings Mrs. Arklow, Glen
woods chatelaine, had looked on In
smiling approval Lolita had but a
scant fortune, and Alwyn, though not
overrich, was clearly at the beginning
of a great career. Were not the Flem-
ings, father and son, behind him, the
Flemings who had millions in hand
and the potentiality of other millions
in their mere approval? Gordon Elem
ing, the son, was well in the middle
age; he had married very early-as had
his father before him-but it had
turned out very badly. In year there
had been a separation, later the threat
Of divorce, but fate stepped in to save
the family pride. The wife sailed away
on a ship that went down at sea. She
had not been heard of In the fifteen
years since, SO it was safely assumed
that she was among the lost. None Of
the few survivors had any knowledge
Of her. she was, moreover, so slight
and frail she could hardly have lived
through the terror.
Morally and legally her husband was
free-to love, to WOO, to marry, If he
chose. So far he had not chosen. In
deed, until Lolita came in his way wo
men had been to him as shadows
shadows which must be well and ten
Derby used, but given no further
thought Her freshness. her unspoiled
fairness, her simple natural charm, had
swept him off his feet as completely as
they had bowled over Alwyn. AT first
he had seemed to see how the land lay
between the pair and contented himself
with standing aside to watch their de
hight in each other. But for three days
past he had shown disposition to en-
ter the lists-a disposition which reused
sion. Lolita knew-that was his sure
hope-knew what it was to love, to be
loved. All Fleming's millions were no
offset to the knowledge. Still. it did no
harm to make believe he was In fear
of them.
Lolita looked at him in silence for
minute, her face the while subtly chang
T% I0l CIT I,,,f t1rifh 1f,.fh
In the smile, and the dimples and
curves somehow shaped themselves to
firmer lines. At last she said abruptly:
Don't you see have to marry him?
If don't, | shall marry you, and that
will be your ruin. Don't interrupt. l
must say it all at once-I have not
promised but that's how it will end.
Last night had q letter, a home letter.
You know we're desperately poor rich
folk. which is much worse than being
poor outright Mother has heard how
things are That made her tell me
things-things l had never guessed-of
debts, privations, humiliations she has
endured to make me what am, some
thing to retrieve our fortunes. Mr..
Fleming has written asking her leave
to court me. She gave 1t, of course, In
her own dignified, diplomatic way. /
am free to choose. If l choose to take
him the choice will meet her approval.
Oh, know it all by heart
Il know by heart you are not going
to do it. You can't" Alwyn broke in,
his face gray and lined. Lolita looked
away from him, shaking her head.
But after minute she sprang up, say
Ing, with a laugh that was half
sob; Come, | want one more walk
down past the dovecot. And while