The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1907-06-04
Thanks to the
Weather. (
Copyright, 1907, by E. c. PARCELS.
BY JOANNA SINGLE.

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1t was the weather in the first place
thought Edith very drearily as she
watched the rain beat against the win
dow. If she and Richard had not been
caught in sudden shower to the ut
ter ruin of her very prettiest dress, she
would never have been irritable and
quarreled with him about nothing at
all, and she would not have expected
him to take the fault upon himself
when she alone-after the weather
was to blame. And now it had rained
for nearly a week, and the inaction
was driving her wild. She could only
think, think and vainly try to over
come her pride and send for him.
For the thousandth time she drew
from her dress his last letter and re-
read It:
Dearest-We have been friends and
netghbors and sweethearts all our lives
and should not let anything come between
US. love you. and If you will Just send
one word saying you want me I will come
at your call and forget the nothing we
quarreled about. Should we let anything
SO childish part US? l look for a word
from you If it does not come, 1 shall
know that you really meant to break our
engagement and shall of course not trou-
Bile you. But you couldn't have meant It,
Edith2 Fraternally yours,
RICHARD COPELAND
That was all, but she had sent him
no word, thinking that in time he
would come anyhow, and then she
would let him coax her out of her
anger. But he had not come, and she
could not fail to respect him for refus-
ing to be played with.
So she was very wretched and
blamed her own pride and the weather
The rain beat down warmly and inter-
mittently, and all nature expanded and
throve under It's moist influence Edith
looked across the fields to the south 10
Richards home, which one day was
to have been also hers, and saw him
out In the rain on his horse, coming
from the town few miles away How
often they two had ridden about the
country together! And now it was all
over. He would never come back to
her-unless she sent for him Could
she do 1t? 1t was early in the after
noon, and she might send her little
brother over with a note. She hest
sat down to her desk 1t would be a
relief to write to him, even if she
could not bring herself to send it to
him.
Dear Richard-will you come to see me
tonight I was .horrid, and 1 am very
sorry If had not been wet and cross
I should not have thought of caring be-
cause you rode to town with Fay. OF
course you could not help her overtal1ng
you. She always was forward. Forgive
me and come back You know that-I
love you-always EDITH.
She sat looking at it. Then her heart
misgave her. 1t had been two long
months since they parted, and he might
no longer care for her. He might care
for Fay. The neighbors had said he
had been to see her. The letter was
altogether too unguarded. She could
not tell him she loved him. SO she
carelessly thrust it into her dress with
the letter from him.
She tried to busy herself about the
house, but somehow she could not
work. She was restless and felt as if
her mother and sister saw 1t and would
know that she fretted for Richard. She
tried to read in her own room, but it
seemed like prison.
Along about o'clock she felt as If
the day had been years long. She
could bear it no longer. She put on
some heavy shoes and an old water
proof riding habit, wound her fair hair
closely under little cap and stood be-
fore the glass thinking what fright
she looked and rather rejoicing in the
fact. What was the use Of being beau
tiful when Richard no longer loved
herr
She slipped out to the barn and sad
died Ginger, her little mare, mounted
and rode quickly out Of the gate and
northward as she did not want to pass
Richards house Her mother saw her
ride off in the storm and wondered if
the girl was going crazy, but was too
late to call after her. At first Ginger
wheeled and refused to believe that
she was expected to splash her dainty
hoofs through such pools of mud and
water but after a few snorts of pro-
test Edith convinced her with the quirt
that this wind and rain were really to
be faced, and the little beast settled
into a spiteful trot
Edith rather rejoiced in buffeting the
storm. The rain and wind cooled her
hot cheeks, and the open air relieved
the unbearable tension of her nervous
ness. For the first time since the trou-
BILE with Richard she allowed herself
the unrestrained luxury of tears. Here
out in the open, with the sting of rain
drops in her face, she was free from
prying eyes. She did not need to keep
up her pride, and she could be as
wretched as she really felt She did
not look about her, but rode mile after
mile, letting the mare take her own
course
After riding an hour or so she no
ticed that the storm abated and, look
ing up, saw that the clouds were less
dark. Here and there was a CLEAN of
blue, though the warm wind still blew
intermittent drops into her face. She
drew her collar closely about her neck
and pulled her cap over her eyes and
rode on with her own thoughts
At last an idea came to her. Why
not phone to Richard-just call him
up and talk to him in the old way
about nothing in particular and, If he
made it easy for her, ask him to
come to see her that evening? Strong
In this new resolve, she looked to see
where she was and realized that after
long detour they were about mile
below Richards house, which they
must pass. She could not go back, for
it was probably near evening. The
sun threatened to break through the
clouds near the horizon. The rain had
entirely ceased She felt tired, but
happier and quiet after the relief of
tears.
Then she remembered way through
Richards fields that they had often
taken. She would have to pass a bad
slough, but that could not be helped
He must not see her In her present
plight She realized that her face was
swollen and her eyes red with weep
ing and that she was covered with
mud. Her hair was flying wildly,
though the dampness always made it
the curlier. She turned Into the pas
ture after dismounting to open heavy
gate, and as she rode along she re-
moved her cap and, transferring her
hairpins to her mouth, let the reins fall
ON Gingers neck while she shook out
her long hair and prepared to coil it