The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1907-12-17

!
from the rafters and mingled their del
icate perfume with the coarser aroma
Of sage and sweet marjoram and
! thyme and summer savory.
On autumn afternoons the attic was
golden with sunshine, and from the
little peaked window one could see
the long white road and the blue hills
! beyond.
1t was to this fragrant and gold
lighted attic that Miss Cynthia would
come when the summer rush was over
and in its peace and quiet try to for
get that she was worn and worried
and withered.
At thirty-five one should not be wor-
ried and withered But hard lives do
not make for youth and freshness, and
Miss Cynthia had always drudged.
Work had been the watchword on the
farm, and when prosperity had come
in later years the habit of keeping
and even after the death of her par
ents Miss Cynthia had continued it.
But with September came rest and
freedom, and it was then that Miss
Cynthia sought the attic and wrote in
her diary.
The diary was safe outlet for her
woes. There were pages blotted with
the tears she had shed when she had
closed the vol'sme of her first romance,
and two leaveesron which she had pen
ned poetic swan song of affection
were pinned together with black pin.
Miss Cynthia had old fashioned ideas
about love. She had loved once, and
hence there could be no other affair.
1t mattered nothing that the man in
the case was married and had grown
fat and puffy and uninteresting. 1t
was not the man, but the idea, and to
that idea Miss Cynthia was true.
To be sure, no second sutton had en-
tered her life, so that there had been
no severe tax upon her constancy.
But the roses had gone out of her
cheeks when she was twenty, and she
had twisted her hair in an uncom-
promising knot and had at that early
date given herself up to mourning and
to memories.
You're silly" Martha Ann told her
one bright September morning as Miss
Cynthia, with her black diary in her
hand, prepared to ascend to the attic.
"Why don't you go out and visit and
have a good time instead of writing in
that dark old placer
Martha Ann was ar old and privi-
legged servant, but Miss Cynthia would
brook no interference with her acts Of
affection
Il don't think good times are my
portion, Martha Ann" she said and
went dp the stairway thoughtfully.
Halfway up she paused to say:
make a good vegetable soup for
lunch, Martha Ann. I'll throw down a
bunch of my herbs. Soup will taste
good on cool day"
Love" wrote Miss Cynthia in her
little book. lis of mans life a thing
apart; tits woman's whole existencer'
When she had rounded off the last
prim letter she bit the end of her pen
Gil and sighed and looked out Of the
peaked window
Far down the road she could see a
cloud of dust. Coming nearer, the
cloud showed itself the forerunner Of
an automobile.
The big machine swerved out of the
road and into Miss Cynthia's own
drive. 1t stopped at her door, and she
had to lean. far out Of the peaked win
dow to see Martha in her Bingham
apron speaking to the occupant
Miss Cynthia could not hear a word,
and she almost fell over the sill in the
effort to satisfy her curiosity. She saw
Martha Ann go in, and presently she
felt pull at the back of her dress.
Goodness" Martha Ann said cross
ly, Il called and called, and / couldn't
make you hear. That man wants some
thing to eat"
"What?" Miss Cynthia gasped. "But
he doesn't look like a tramp, Martha
Ann"
"Tramps don't ride in automobiles"
Martha Ann SMILED. HE says he's
been riding all the morning, and he
just couldn't find place to eat, and
he would be glad to pay for meal
He understood that we took boarders,
he said"
well, you go down and hurry the
soup and make an omelet and some
hot biscuits, and / will talk to him,
Martha Ann"
You'd better stop in your room and
ri +ha
Hes awfully good looking"
1.-THE idear' said Miss Cynthia, with
dignity
She was little sorry, however, when
she reached the sitting room that she
had not taken the girls advice, for the
man that she greeted was big and
blond and prosperous looking 1t de-
veloped that he slurred his grammar,
but as he leaned back in the biggest
rocking chair and talked in his hearty
voice Miss Cynthia decided that he
was very attractive.
Il expect you think it's queer my
droppin' in on you this way?" he said
as Martha announced lunch. But
] couldn't pass the peoples and the
peonies in the yard My mother used
10 have an old fashioned garden, and
there was something about yours that
reminded me of it, and I felt as if
you'd give me home cooked meal. A
man gets tired of hotels"
Over the steaming. savory soup ne
expanded still more.
This is the kind | like" he said
With all the vegetables in it and
herbs I'll bet you've got a lot Of herbs
tied up in your attic. My mother had
She said the attic was the pleasantest
place in tn" house, and l used to think
so too"
Miss Cynthia felt that at last sh.
had met an understanding soul.
would you like to go up after
lunch?" she asked eagerly "There IL
fine view from the little dormer win
dow"
my, how nice it smellsl" said the big
man as he seated himself in Miss
Cynthias favorite corner. The black
diary lay open by his side. His eyes
caught the lines:
Love is of mans life thing apart;
'Tis woman's whole existence.
"Oh, tommyrot" he said did you
write that?"
YES" Miss Cynthia admitted. by
ron said it, you know"
"Well, he didn't know what he was
talking about. Why, if 1 loved wo-
man l should just love her all over
no halfway business for me-"
"OhP' Miss Cynthia gasped. There
was something in his tone that made
his statement next door to declara-
tion-a fervency that positively thrill
ed her.
81 am awfully glad came" he said