The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1907-11-12
O1lf offbe
Frying Pan.
By CECILIA A. LoIzEAUx.
Copyright, 1907. by c. H. sutcliffe.

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trifle petulantly you don't know
Mary. She's too contrary to agree
with herself, and the minute she finds
out that we want her to meet Ber
she'll go off at tangent and every
thing will be spoiled
There are more ways than one t.
kill cat" replied Mrs. Markham sue
cinctly. "Why do you let her find ii
out, then? Just let him take her BY
surprise. I'll arrange 1t 80 that be
stops here on his way up to Wisconsin
where he goes for his vacation. He
will just drop Off for day to see his
aunt, and then our troubles will be over
There Is no doubt whatever that they
were made for each other, and they
might as well have it over with. If ]
were you I'd have the wedding in DC.
tober," she finished complacently.
Well said the other doubtfully
And then: How does Ben feel about
itf After all, it mostly depends on
how he takes it. Is he interestedY'
Indeed he is. He feels little shy
l think, but he's willing to be shown
Says he's from Missouri l think he's
even anxious. But, as far as that goes
Mary is interested, too, only she is toe
Independent to show it. Just give her
chance to meet him accidentally OF
unexpectedly and everything will be
all right"
SIS that SOP calculated a girl In
the dimly lit hall, though she sup
pressed her voice. $50 Pm to have q
blue ribbon tied about my neck and
be exhibited to this eager young man
from Missouri, am IT.
Once In her room she turned the
lights on at either side of her dressing
table and looked at herself In the glass
Her glowing dark face was anything
but meek, and she turned the light OF
again with a little vicious snap and
then sat down in the open window.
She was angry-very angry, she told
herself
"The very idea Of planning to marry
me off to a man I've never seen and
never want to see! It's positively me-
diaeval."
But presently the humorous side of
1t came to the rescue, as was usual
with her, and she laughed as she un-
dressed
Early the next morning she wrote a
long letter to her best friend, who was
spending the summer at the lakes, and
laughed gleefully as she ran down
stairs to put it in the box. Early as
she was, however, some one had been
there before her. A letter was stick
ing out, and. thinking that the post
man must have passed already, she
pulled it out to see If it was hers.
"Mr. Ben Markham, Des Moines,
Ia.," she read and rammed It viciously
back into the box. '@They aren't vast
ing any time at any rate. But it takes
two to fall in love, Mr.. Ben Markham,
and L can't get away to marry you
today" she sang, nor this October
either"
For two days she watched the mail
closely, and on the third day the post
man on his noon trip put into her out
stretched hand the letter for which she
was waiting. 1t was in a masculine
script and addressed to Mrs. Markham.
She carried it up to the lady in her
room and then went on into her own,
leaving the door open a crack She
was rewarded by hearing the guest say
to her mother: Hes coming Thurs
day. He has tried to write Indifferent
ly, but And then she banged the
door.
"He probably was Indifferent He
would be if he were anything but a
petticoat man! 1 should think he'd
hate the sound Of my name as badly
as do his. He would If he were any
thing but a mollycoddlev' And she
wrote another brief note to Madge,
telling her she would be down on the
noon train Thursday.
On Wednesday while her mother and
Mrs. Markham were out driving she
got a large trunk safely away from
the house.
There is no use going down there
without anything to wear" she philos-
ophized. II shall probably see other
people quite as wonderful as Mr.. Ben
jamin Markham and great deal more
interesting"
She thought she understood the
amused glances which the older wom-
en- gave her.
"They think they've got me trapped, !"
she said to herself. And she spent the
evening talking sweetly to Mrs. Mark
ham until her mother came out to the
piazza and asked her to run over to a
neighbor's for something. When she
came back Mrs. Markham was at the
telephone in the hall, and her mother
shut the door and kept her talking un-
til the other came out Mary grinned
in the dark.
'They are planning some more little
surprises, presume" she thought.
The next morning no one seemed to
notice that she was dressed in her
pongee suit instead of her usual house
gown, and she strolled down the street
after breakfast slowly and carelessly,
quite unconscious of the fact that the
two women on the porch were having
good time at her expense.
II hope to goodness that Ben didn't
miss that train,' said Mrs. Markham.
THAT makes 1t twice as funny for
him to be on the same train"
And Mary coolly entered the chair
car, settled herself with deliberate sat
isfaction. MARY, my child, you are
too young for such deceit" she chuc-
kled as she pulled down the shade.
But think of the eager young mans
discontinue when he ends that little
Mary has flown" Then she became
aware that the strange young man
across the aisle was regarding her with
much interest in his glance, and she
lifted her chin a little and began to
read her magazine. The young man
went back to his paper, and after a
little she looked him over surreptitious-
~. He was evidently a college man,
she decided-clean cut big and vigor-
GUS, with clear, brown skin and gray
eyes. And presently there came to
her a haunting sense of familiarity.
She thought she must have seen him
somewhere.
The young man looked up to see her
gazing speculatively at him, and their
eyes met Again she tilted her chin,
but 1t was too late, for she had been
caught, and the warm rosy red tingled
in her cheeks and on her forehead.
The man lifted his hat gravely. but
with an amused twinkle.
Mary felt horribly embarrassed and
Inundated In sheer desperation she
turned to the window to put it down.
1t worked more easily than she
thought and before she could pull her
arm back had caught and imprisoned
the corner of the loose sleeve of her
little pongee wrap. She could not pull
it out without tearing 1t, and the suit
was new. She spoke softly to the old
man in front of her, but he did not
hear. And then, while she bit her lip
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