The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1906-04-17
An Angel
BY MARTHA
McCULLOCH-WILLIAMS
Copyright, 1905, by P. G. Eastment

jewel red apples poised carefully upon
her bare brown head. Miss Prudence
Heathcote, her aunt and guardian,
frowned at the whistling, but had to
smile a bit when Margaret broke out:
NOW, Prudence, precious, come at me
with the saying about whistling girls
and growing hens! | know you hate
my sole musical accomplishment, but
this day is enough to set a craven
image whistling, even dancing, If 1t
was of anything softer than granite.
You ought to be out in it. The orchard
is place enchanted. l didn't know
until now things so prosaic as apple
gathering and cider making could set
themselves to music"
"H-mp' Miss Prudence said. "H-ml
May ask if Jimmy Blair is out there,
as he promised to beT
''Of counsel A gentleman keeps his
promises, doesn't he?" Margaret an
swered, tossing her head, but flushing
in spite of herself.
Again Miss Prudence said "H-mW
There appeared to be nothing else to
soy O0b aLICA lWO III CdlAo bAC 4VL uR
and moved toward the kitchen, sigh
ing out: "And of course he'll be here
to dinner. That means cooking things.
Men do have such atrocious appetltes."
I'm glad they do Margaret retort-
ed shamelessly. 1--WE got one to match
anybody. Oh, Aunty Prue, do make a
potato pudding! Make it very rich
NJ ho~ lA4o -
lemon sauce"
go way, you baggage!" Miss Pru-
dence said over her shoulder. who
told you what Jimmy likes best? I've
the greatest mind to make dried apple
pies, just to see If he would know the
difference smiling at Margaret as she
spoke the last sentence.
Margaret blushed very red and be-
gan to pout You mean Jimmy Is SO
gone on me he's not in his right mind"
she said. But you're all wrong, Aunty
Prue. II don't believe he-he cares
for me bit hardly. Not that way, at
least. All this week he's been as kind
as could be, but distant-as If he was
afraid l wouldn't understand"
"Then there's mischief afoot, what
sort I've got to find out" Miss Pru-
dence said vigorously her hand on the
door knob, ''for If ever any lad was
clean out Of his head, clean idiotic
about chit of thing, it was Jimmy
about. you. all last week and all the
weeks before it, since you came to
stay with me-"
Mischief afoot, but whereof she
kept mentally repeating to herself as
she whisked about the trim kitchen,
her brows puckered, her eyes intro
spective On the surface she could see
nothing. Nobody had openly any right
or reason to be interfering between the
pair. Jimmy was an orphan the same
as her Peggy. Moreover, he had never
had the least shadow of an entangle-
ment. True, various and sundry young
women had been setting their caps at
him-pretty caps, modestly set-but he
had overlooked them all = unless it
were-Aliss Prue gave a great start.
There was the root Of the trouble; It's
name, Vidella Bane. Jimmy had rath-
before Peggy came. Now that she
thought Of it, he had squirrel Della to
church two Sundays running, besides
buying many things for her at the
strawberry supper and fair. And Del
la, it was well known, wanted to mar
~ and settle herself. She had three
younger sisters crowding her in the
home nest. Naturally she would do
what she could to hold Jimmy, the best
chance in all Easton town.
But how she had done 1t Miss Pru-
dence could not fathOm, although she
studied the problem almost to the det-
riment of her dinner. She sat down to
it still puzzled. Jimmy greeted her
and the dinner rapturously and talked
a great deal of his appetite and of
many other things, but somehow did
not eat with his usual zest, although
he made fair meal. Nobody with a
palate could help doing that with such
things as Miss Prudence set before
him. Jimmy assured Margaret more
than once that if such cooking ran In
the family her future husband was the
luckiest fellow alive.
81 think so too That's why it's so
provoking not to have him come along"
Margaret said at last. "Only think,
Jimmy, I'm almost twenty one and
have never had a real business beau!
Isn't it shameful when Aunty Prue Is
going to will me all her pretty dishes
and the Heathcote silver? Fancy an
heiress without sweetheart
"Such restitution is painful-so pain
full | hardly believe it exists" Jimmy
said, turning away his head, then
breaking inconsequently into talk of
something else.
Miss Prudence, watching him, saw
that his teeth had set before he could
speak. OF the seeing came enlighten-
ment in part. She meant to make 1t
whole before she was much older. So
as soon as dinner was over she sent
Margaret upon an errand and herself
drew Jimmy on to the barn with pre-
text of wanting his advice as to the
new hayloft and stalls. She was
straight speaking person, womanly,
Nlludl COuISSEOuS. OO 1o SOOA az lAACJ
were inside the stall space she wheeled
upon Jimmy. asking plumply, What
cock and hull story has Della Bane
told your"
''Who said she had told me any
thing?" Jimmy retorted. Besides, she
didn't need to- My eyes are fairly
trustworthy"
"Sure of it?' Miss Prudence asked.
"If you are. please to tell me what
they have told you about my Peggy
] know you think you've got a griev-
ance-no not exactly a grievance, but
n hurt
ut is II ii.rt. bm ! don't blame her
for 1t. ,.&at- She she must have met
the other fellow first" Jimmy said,
turning away his head. Miss Prudence
stamped her foot. What other fell
IowT' she demanded.
Jimmy answered miserably:
1.-THE one saw her kissing and hug
ging Saturday out under the chest
nut trees. She was all dressed up, In
white and low necked, and they were
carrying on like mad, else l shouldn't
have seen them. II started to go up
when | heard her talking but after l
caught word or two sneaked away,
like a whipped hound"
mo doubt" Miss Prudence said
angrily, "but tell me this-where did
you sneak to? Went straight home, 1
reckon, and after supper over to the
Baneses. That right?" Jimmy nodded.
"Now tell me straight what Miss Del
la told you and how she came to do it"
II won'tw Jimmy said stoutly. I'm
no telltale. I'd seen enough, and Della
saw it had made me mighty miserable.
All she did was to set me right-let me
know Margaret was
Playing, play acting with herr
| Mics Prudence broke in "Did abe tell