The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1907-09-03
The Tale of a
Feather Buster .
BY r. P. SUMMERWELL.
Copyrighted, 1907. by M. NJ. Cunningham

midst of the bowling mob that surged
around Herald square.
The horns, the tickling busters, the
showers of confetti, the merry inter
mingling Of class and mass, were all
too new to be quite pleasing expert
ences. He felt interested enough, how
ever, to move with the throng and to
take good naturedly the many famili-
arities of the people near him.
At Thirty seventh street and Broad
way he saw slim young girl trying
to escape the attentions of two over
jealous buster holders. He pushed his
way to her side and the boys fed,
leaving him alone with the lady, no
longer in distress.
She was young and of an alluring,
limpid prettiness that made him feel
big and awkward and anxious about
the set of his coat. So absorbed was
he in her general charm that her sud-
denly thrusting Of a duster under his
nose was a distinct shock. He had
just sense enough to snatch 1t and ask,
SWho are your when she ran away.
Over her shoulder she called, "Pll tell
you when you give me back my dust
er." Then she was gone.
He moved with the capering merry
makers up to Longacre square, where he
learned of the defeat Of his candidate
for governor, then went home. The
duster he carried with him and, han
ding it tenderly, hoped it might prove
means to dispel the crushing loneli-
ness which he had felt ever since he
had left his native town. He often
wondered what the letters M. NJ. on
the handle stood for.
His days went about as usual. He
paid his lost election bet to the other
young lawyer at the Office. The win.
ner's not treating seemed strange Al
home they always debut in New
York everything was 80 different He
began to get on at the Office, and once
Judge Metcaif, his chief, mentioned
taking him home to dine, but the mat
ter never went any further.
The night of the presidential election
found him once more mingling In the
swarming pandemonium that ragged
around Herald square. He had the
buster inside his coat and was no lon
ger either lonely or listless, for he was
hunting for M. NJ. to give her back the
duster
He wandered up and down, reading
the conflicting bulletins, but always
looking for a slender fairy Of a girl
who had sat like queen In his heart
for two years. The great searchlighi
at the Times building swung due north
to indicate Republican landslide
while the Journals bulletin announced
an overwhelming victory for the Dem.
ocrats. Farther downtown the Herald
proclaimed small but safe majority
for the Republicans, while according
to white sheet at Thirty-frst> street
the same thing had befallen the othel
party.
He wrenched yard long horn from
an impertinent Italian boy, was tickled
by lady in an ermine coat and re
ceived a shower Of confetti from q
German housewife-all In the space OF
about ten minutes. He no longer look
ed askance at the mixed merrymakers
1t was New York, and 1t all went"
In front Of the New Grand his atten.
ton was attracted by a gorgeous mo
tor car. On the front seat sat his lady
of the feather duster. There could bt
no doubt. 1t was she.
He felt cold and scared, but he pulled
himself together and, stepping to hel
side, gave her the buster, handle first
and said, "Now, will you tell me who
you areT
She opened her eyes very wide, rec
ognized him and the buster and started
to speak when smashing blow from
the man beside her sent him spinning
to fall with his head against an iron
grating His next sensation was OF
flying through space. Then thousand
bells rang, lights danced, voices buzz
zed, and he opened his eyes on q
strange room. 1t was handsomer thar
his own, and beside him sat a nurse
looking out of the window.
There was a calendar on the table
giving the date as Nov. 16. 1t must be
a mistake, he thought-this was Nov
7, election night, and yet there was
the calendar He put out his hand tt
draw 1t to him when the nurse turned
and he recognized the girl in the auto
mobile. His head ached and his hands
shook, but he was good grit, and wher
he met her bright gaze he said, "Yov
never did tell me who you are" She
laughed squarely at him, saying:
my brother seemed to think his an
over before had chance to say any
thing. You ought to know who 1 an
anyway. Ny picture has been on ia
theirs desk ever since the day after
met you in Thirty seventh street, and
the boys told me who you were. 1t oc
Cured to me then that he ought tt
have one, but you never saw it. 1 an
Marjory Metcalf, your chiefs only
daughter
''Tom didn't know you when YOU
brought me my buster, and before
could speak he knocked you down. W.
brought you home and have had ter
rible time saving your life. The nurse
is asleep, and stole into her uniform
guess I'll have to go now or she
might not IKE It,"
He caught her dimpled hand and per
suaded her that the nurse really
needed rest, which she must perforct
take so long as she was without any
uniform.
They had a lovely afternoon, gig
Cling over the imprisoned nurse, eat
ing bonbons. forgetting his medicine
and being as happy as one can b.
In the springtime of life.
At Mrs. Metcalf came In and tol6
| them that the nurse had departed II
high dudgeon. They did not get any
one in her place, Marjory and Ton
and Mrs Metcalf taking care of hin
themselves.
The night before he was to leave
Marjory came up with the maid WHIT
brought his dinner. She was 80 per
fectly lovely In a clinging white dress
open at the neck, that he had no eye.
for anything except her dainty beauty
She finally decided that If he would
not eat she would feed him, and the!
made great frolic Of the meal
After she had made him take tn,
last morsel. she decided to make hin
presentable. So she washed his face
then she combed his hair, and then h
but you would have done it yoursel
she was so sweet. OF course sh,
] cried-they always do-and he had t
kiss her again to comfort her. Thei
she grew little saucy and tipped VI
her cleft chin and looked so irresisti
BILE he simply had to-just once more.
Mrs. Metcalf came In and found he
daughter kneeling by Phil Pemberton'
chair with her head on his shoulder
Her mother was so overcome that sh
I. lot n