The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1907-09-03
IN A MOMENT HE WAS ON HIS KNEES Be
SIDE HER,

SIDE HER.
ergy bent upon taking back to town
Bess' promise, the dreary round of
parlor life irritated him.
Dickie Langdon, who had been the
life of the stormbound party, had re-
christened Willow farm the Ark, with
an allusion to the animals that went
two by two. The landlord was Noah,
the colored servants Ham and his
wife, and, with sudden switch to
''Pinafore," Langdon has insisted that
Brooks was Dick Deadeye because of
his disposition, and Brooks had not be-
lied his nickname. 1t was not easy
even for a patient man to sit quietly
and see the hoped for opportunity
pass, and Curtis Brooks was not a
patient man.
All through those last weeks in Co.
lumbia he could shut his eyes and see
the Big rock with Bess and himself
standing beside 1t just as they had
done the summer before. Now that he
was here he could not even see it from
the windows because Of the curtain of
mist and rain. Tomorrow be would
have to return to town, and then there
was another long trip to Caregena.
The frown was still on Brooks face
when he went down to breakfast.
| Langdon's 1ollity irritated him, and
when they went back to the parlor
after the meal he was gloomy and
dispirited. Even Bess could not win
him out of himself, and finally he went
to his room to write some letters, he
announced.
Writing consisted in sitting before a
table with pen and ink and paper near
at hand and staring at the drenched
landscape before him. Even the ducks
had sought cover, for now the rain
was coming down In sheets. He could
scarcely see across the yard, and, with
a groan at the lost vacation, he let his
head sink forward upon his arm.
A light knock at the door had to be
twice repeated before he heard 1t.
Bess stood in the hall, smiling as
though there was no such thing as
rain.
"Don't you want to go up and have
a look at the Big rock this afternoon"
she asked. Il think it's going to stop
raining at last. Anyway, can wrap
up well. 1t would be a shame not to
see the old place before you go back"
"Bess, you're an angel" was all he
could say. She laughed at the remark.
at would be more seasonable to call
me a duck" she reminded. "I'n bS
ready at 4 o'clock"
She darted away, and Brooks, with
new hope In his heart, caught up
| pen and wrote the letters that he had
been trying to compose all the week.
Bess was prompt, and at o'clock
they met on the piazza The rain had
gone back to light drizzle, but Lang
don affected to take a last farewell Of
them and promised to try and recover
their bodies after the flood.
Bess gave him saucy reply, and
they started down the road. It was a
hard climb up the steep side of the
mountain at the foot Of which Center
vile nestled, but after the stuhfy at
mosphere of the house the wet earth
filed the clean air with a fragrance
peculiarly It's own.
Bess drank deep drafts down into
her lungs. I'm glad that we came"
she declared. ct isn't so very wet,
and did want to have you see Big
rock again"
II was afraid that 1t would be wash
ed away before we could get up here"
he said, with a smile. This has been
a nightmare week, Bess. What can
you think Of the way I've been actingY
81 don't blame you" she said softly.
1T must be horrid to have your only
week spoiled. But there Is Big rock"
she added as they came in view of
huge bowlder, relic of some glacial pc
Rod.
In clear weather they could see far
down the valley from the ledge on
which the rock stood. Even now they
were given a glimpse Of green fields
and the darker tint Of the wooded Sec
tons, though the silver thread Of the
river had become a Ieaden reflection of
the cloudy skies
Brooks leaned against the rock, while
j Bess seated herself upon a smaller