The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1907-12-17
TheMaid stArts
BY NJ. c. SANFORD.
Copyrighted, 1907. by c. H. sutclife.

Along the deserted beach and through
the empty streets Autumn swished her
rustling skirts with no one to heed her
passing-no one. at least save a solitary
man who. having escaped at length
from the stern dictates of 1.-THE law
had come to Surfside for few weeks
freedom. Leaning over the fence
which skirted the path around the
rocky coast. he gazed dreamily out to
sea, following the ragged outline of
the shore and breathing in the salt of
the ocean with the sweetness of the
earth beneath him.
Suddenly fresh cut in the weather
worn rail caught his eye. III T., w.
oar Some one beside himself had
evidently sought out the shore late in
the season. "W.-'04?" he queried.
Wellesley" He had it, For was not
a knife blade broken off half short in
the wood. an indisputable evidence of
woman's work?
49," he unused, 81 am not to be
alone with the natives and nature,
after ALL" He started to move on.
Again he was arrested, this time by a
small, bright object at his feet 1t
proved to be Wellesley class pin.
Lost it while she was carving her
name with that dolls knife, l s'pose, F."
Van Dyke argued to himself, as was
his legal habit, fastening the pin mean
while to his vest beneath his own
Harvard pin.
Strolling on, he renewed his ac-
quaintance with one after another of
the favorite haunts of his boyhood-
swallows cave" the rock that boom
| ed like cannon at high tide and in
Vulnerable coy retreats to be gained
| by careful climbing over the chaos of
big powders on the cliffs. He whis-
| tied like a boy as he went and sang
snatches of the college songs so fresh
in his heart At last, in utter aban-
donment, he curled up in the lee of an
overhanging rock and, soothed by the
lull of the waves and the minor wall of
the October wind, fell asleep.
He was awakened in a curious man.
ner. Opening his eyes, he found them
covered with a soft transparent some
thing that wrinkled when he winked.
He raised his hand to remove it and
gazed in establishment upon his sudden
acquisition of a woman's handker-
chief. A monogram was embroidered
in one corner. His logical mind deci-
phered it in a flash with little expend-
iture of eye strain.
Exhibit c." he murmured, jump
ing up eagerly. "Now, here's hoping
for the lady herselfr'
But the most searching scrutiny of
rocky NESTS" and inches failed to dis
cover her. Indeed, after several days
of faithful explorations Van Dyke be-
gan to think his lady of the mono
grams teasing myth.
Nevertheless he would have contin-
ued to hope for her realization if a
letter from his sister had not put a
cruel end to his romance.
Dear Richard" it ran, II have Just
learned that Helen Tudor, college
friend Of mine, is staying at Surfside
with her mother. She's a very clever
girl; has just written a remarkable
thesis on some learned subject and got
an A. Nj. degree. You ought to like
her She's your kind. Be sure to look
her up. I've written her you're going
to. She's staying at the Sea Cliff"
That dished the whole thing. Ellis
kind" indeed! He abominated "blue-
stocking" So he fought shy of the Sea
Cliff and ceased to look for FL. T., W.,
o." in his daily rambles
But with the proverbial irony accred-
tied to her Dame Fate as soon as she
perceived Richards back turned upon
her bobbed up In front of him most
unexpectedly. or, to be strictly accu-
rate, Richard to his own establishment
bobbed up in front of her.
With characteristic alacrity he had
taken handspring over a jutting rock
and landed in secluded niche below.
His sudden appearance so frightened
the young person curled up in it that
she dropped her book into a pool Of
water.
81 beg your pardon" Richard burt
ed out LET me get it for you" cIts
probably dry enough to be proof
against wetting' was his mental
comment) 81 hope it isn't injured ia
tally" he added aloud, handing the
water soaked volume to its owner
who, he was surprised to notice, was
dimpled. rosy checked young woman
with miscellaneous ewes
Goodness. | hope notw was her en-
phatic reply. Il couldn't go to sleep
tonight if l didn't find out how the
story ended"
Fiction" queried Richard cautious
ly.
Eyes, of course. What else does
one read on a vacation?"
Now, here was an incongruity to
ponder over-he hadn't fancied that
II. T.. W.. 'O4," would like fiction. But
he would not be misled "On a yaca-
tion," she had said. Doubtless the rest
of the year she gave up to more solid
literary accomplishments.
Realizing that he was expected to
say something, although he had quite
forgotten that her last remark had
been in the form of a question, Rich
ard braced himself for the ordeal.
This is my favorite haunt" he an
nounced. unconscious of displaying
any air of proprietorship, as he estab-
lished himself comfortably beside her.
The girl smiled mysteriously.
eyes, judged So" she answered
simply.
"Why. how did you guess?" asked
Richard in surprise. "Ive never seen
you here before"
But I've seen you"
He gathered his wits together at this
1t made no difference that she was
pretty and that she was fond of love
stories, like other girls-he knew her
real self behind this mask of coquetry.
She was really naughty, overbearing,
pedantic person with string of aca-
demic degrees tackled on to her name.
He would round up this little matter
without any sentimental nonsense.
'Oh, yes," he said In his dignified.
legal mannar. You probably refer to
the day you dropped your handker-
chief on my face. Here it is. l am
glad to be able to return it to you.
And here is your college pin also. l
found it near the fence where you had
been carving your initials"
He handed both souvenirs to her
with a cold solemnity he had difficulty
in convincing himself was genuine.
The girl looked at the pin carefully,
glanced up at Richard moment in
perplexity and then burst out laugh
ing.
THANK you" she said finally, recov-
ering herself. But why do you i'm
aglne the pin belongs to me?"
Richard explained with elaborate
nrida how he had tNacad thn rnnno-