The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1907-11-19

time. Her head was thrown back, her
moist, crimson lips broken apart in a
emile, her eyes shining and luminous.
Every inch of space in the room seem
ed to vibrate with the mad Joy Of her
mood
Suddenly the telephone bell in the
corridor pierced the melody with a pro
longed, imperative summons. Phillida
jumped up from the instrument and
ran out to answer it, the crimson
splurging into her cheeks.
"One- eight three 6ve-MainI"
Hello! Is that you, PhilT
''Me-yes," she replied, ungrammat-
ically and TREMENDOUSLY
/ Hartridge seemed to wait second
for something. She distinctly heard his
throat clear, and the kissing little
sound that followed told Phillida that
he caught his breath once or twice
Then:
'Phillida," he said huskily, 81 hate
like the deuce to tell you, but it's got
to be done, and there's no use putting
it off. II am going away"
"Biilyl W-h-a-t2"
Yes" he rushed on desperately, ito
Mexico-this afternoon. Like a fool, l
took that $4,000 and invested it In r.
and g. Lost every cent of It'll The
/ governor told me to keep out of buck
ct shops with my blamed foolishness,
but-but''-
"Oh-h, Bil-lyr
'sWell, you see," be continued In a
hoarse voice, Il had been put next to
one Of those private tips and just
fell In. Now shall simply have to
get down to work and pay the price of
my folly In the coin of grim expert
ence."
For a moment there was no reply.
Then the girls voice, drab, dispirited,
drifted over the wire:
Billy, how could your"
'Why-why, 1t was this way, PHIL"
he cried back eagerly In a final at
tempt at self extenuation. II thought
If could double or maybe treble my
little bank account we wouldn't have
| so long to watt
| Something sweet and gurgling broke
suddenly against his ear Hartridge
removed the receiver and stared into
its inane orifice, then he placed it back
Snd listened. Phillida was laughing.
Dear me, you stupid old goose" she
was saying now. II have all th
money
"Out Of the question" he cut in tart
~. you don't suppose I'm that style Of
chump, do your By Jove, no! There's
no end Of good chance down there
for energy and determination If fell
low has his living to make-if he
wants to get ahead. There aren't
many opportunities here for the mex
perienced, and-oh, well, anyway, I've
decided to try my luck. p
Muft1ed sobs shut him of perempto-
rilg. Two receivers tangled simulta-
neously In their hooks, and three min
utes later Hartridge was on his way to
the Pendletons.
Phillida went back to the drawing
room, but 1t seemed all at once dull
and small and suffocating. She was
too unutterably crushed to do anything
but sink into a chair and hold her
hands. Her heart felt like a stone; her
brain seethed and whirled. Billy going
away! Her realization baked! Her |
mind simply refused to grasp the fact
And an hour ago she had been the hap
piest girl ON the globe.
In dazed, hopeless fashion she got
up presently and went out into the
flower garden. The beds were a gilt |
tering mass of rainbow color. There
We're roses everywhere. They nodded
their gentle heads In silent sympathy |
with her. Myriads of violets looked up
modestly from their green nests and
condoled with her. Perfect pastures Of
johnny -Jump-ups peered pertly at her
from every direction. A sudden shad- |
ow cut through the streaming sunlight. |
Phillida turned and lifted her face to |
Hartridge's panied eyes.
"Billy," she said, you were only
jokingp
He spoke with gravity she had not
seen in him before.
mot by any means, Phfllida. When
rang you up 1t was with the intention
Of saying goodby without seeing you.
II felt as though l could not bear it. |
But when you took 1t the way you did
made up my mind to come to you |
and explain how necessary it is that /
should co.
Phillida dabbed at her eyes with her
handkerchief and choked back a sniff
fle.
IF you really loved me, Billy, you
would not think Of going"
Hartridge frowned, halfway between
hurt and displeasure
THAT is just why 1 am taking this
step. 1t offers the quickest route to
our happiness
"But, dear, it seems so foolish and
Quixotic when / have
"Phillida," he interrupted sharply,
'you are not going to send me away
discouraged after ALP His tone sank
to an appeal on the last two words
Suddenly contrite, Phillida came up
to him and gave him her hands, Twin
tears, like wine drops from her wine
brown eyes, slid shiningly down her
cheeks and splashed ON their interlock-
ed fingers. She lifted her lips, soft and |
red as rose leaves, Hartridge caught
her In his arms and kissed her quick
" twice. The gate latch clicked, and
Re put her away from him abruptly,
turning to 60
my train leaves at 800. l shall /
write as soon as get to my destina-
ton. Goodbye
Phillida shook hands formally with
her lover as Mr.. Pendleton came up.
When Hartridge had finally disappear
ed, after few words with her IA
Their, the girl turned and questioned
the latter with her eyes She was
wondering what had brought him
home at this hour.
Il am leaving on the noon train for
Chicago, Phil; important business.
viii you see to the packing Of my
things? BY the way, what's young
Hartridge going down into that death
hole for all by himself? He'll be sure
to catch yellow fever and die, especial
ly as there's no one to see to him. It
1t isn't you, is 1t, little girl?"
He did not wait for an answer, but
went on In the house and left Phillida
standing amid the flowers, white and
shaking. Life or death! Her chaotic
thought untangled itself with lightning
rapidity. A few minutes later. with
satisfied smile, she ran ON up TO the
house, then into Mr. Pendletons room
and began to get his things together
for the journey.
Exactly at o'clock a girl In a crisp
white shirt waist and mushroom sailor.
smothered In wells. left cab In front
of the Union depot and walked into
the general waiting room. She looked
about her furtively. All the faces