The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1907-08-13

WE MUST HAVE BEEN ROBBING YOU ALL
THIS TIME" SHE SAID.
were artists who were spending the
summer in the country to sketch, and
their daily faring forth with easels
and canvases bore out the statement
Mornington hated artists In general
and women artists in particular. He
had bought the Terrence farm that he
might have quiet, and how could a
man have quiet when six chattering
women occupied the adjoining farm
house not 300 feet away2
The strawberry beds had been the
last irritation. The previous year he
had berries in profusion. This season
there were few to be found. The doz-
en- or so in the saucer were all Sam
had been able to gather in day. He
was certain that his neighbors raided
his garden, and, without announcing
his intention to Sam, he rose early the
next morning.
The sun had barely risen when he
took his place behind the tool house,
whence he could command q view Of
the garden. Presently a slender, girl
lsh figure came hurrying from the 9TH
er house and entered the plot. Morn
ington waited until she had filed the
pan she carried and was about to go.
Then he stepped out with hail. The
girl looked up pleasantly.
Good morning" she cried. Wont
you have some of our berries?"
Il should like some of NINE" he said
pointedly.
do you grow them, too?" she asked.
Mornington marveled at her self pos
session.
II grow them," he aSsented, cor,
rather, one Of Torrences men grows
them for me. That Is as far as have
been able to get this season. I have
not eaten many of them"
I'VE have Them every morning." she
said briskly Its one of the things
we moved to the country for, fresh
fruit After being cooped up In studios
all season and picking your fruits and
vegetables off the dumb waiter it is
just heavenly to come out in the gar
den before breakfast and pick your
own berries"
"But don't you think 1t would be bet
ter to find out whose berries you are
pickingY' he suggested Even in the
country, property rights obtain"
"These are ours" she declared. 1--WE
were very particular In our inquiries"
yet the garden belongs to me-" he
insisted, little shamefacedly Some
how his triumph was losing its SAVIOR.
"Then we must have been robbing
you all this time" she said, with a face
suddenly grown as red as the berries
in the pan. 81 am very sorry"
"It's all right" he said awkwardly,
wondering why he had not noticed be-
fore what glorious eyes the girl had
1T is not all right" she said decided
ly. 1--WE are not thieves. Please take
them. You can send the pan back
when you are through"
pray accept them with my compli-
ments," he said stupidity. He knew
that he was making fool of himself.
and he chafed at the knowledge.
For answer the girl laid the pan on
the ground and turned away. Morn
ington watched her go through the
paths to the fence and slip through
a broken place. She had the regal
bearing of a queen and a face to
match. Now he would never have a
chance to get acquainted with her,
and he suddenly realized that that was
the one thing above all others that he
most desired.
Shamefacedly he picked up the pan
Ind went back to the house to send
Sam over with the fruit Sam regard
ed him reproachfully when he had told
his tale. but the darky went down the
road to the next house and, after a
long delay. returned without the pan,
but he laid a shining half dollar in
Mornlngton's palm.
"Dey wouldn't take EN-" he explain
ed. II shuah had t tax de money"
Mornington flung the money from
him with gesture of disgust and went
In to breakfast feeling out Of joint
with the whole world.
But there was worse yet to come,
for in the forenoon Terrence, former
owner of the farm, made his appear
ance with the chaperon from the
house next door. With many chem
and a "haw" Terrence confessed that
finding a chance to clinch the lease of
the adjoining farm through the straw
berry bed he had told the women that
1t was part Of the land they had rent
cd II honestly meant to speak to you
about 1t, because knew that you had
more berries than you wanted. was
going to pay for what they ate out of
the rent" he concluded.
Mornington rose to his feet. and
Terrence backed through the door.
More than once he had witnessed the
city mans hasty temper, and he had
no desire for an exhibition.
Mornington watched him go and
then turned to Mrs Surrey.
IT don't know what can say to you
to excuse my conduct" he began. Il
missed the breakfast berries and want
ed to put stop to it, but l did not
know that Terrence had claimed my
berry patch for his own. May l beg
that my apology be the freedom Of the
berry patch? There are plenty for us
both. l am not always bear, SO you
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