The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1907-07-30
Where Two
w Paths Met.
By INA WRIGHT HANSON.
Copyrighted. 1907. by Mary McKeon.


ed sardonically at me with its TOPAZ
eye. While l was wondering why sh,
didn't comb her hair smoothly sh,
turned. and her eyes. of wonderful
vivid blue, seemed to look down int
my very SOUL
Stand perfectly still, Mr.. Angove
and shut your eyes. Is there anything
so sweet In this wide world as a bircl
path In springtime? Don't open them
Mr.. Angove. 1 want you to get the
fragrance uninterrupted by any Other
sense"
Why l should have stood there witt
my foolish eyes shut tight l dom
know, but l did until she gave me
permission to look at the white feath
cry sprays and at her. Then quite so
ciably we strolled the rest of the way
together. l began to feel interested in
knowing what she would say when we
came to the end of the path and she
saw
why, l don't know your name," l
said abruptly.
AT first you are going to address
me as Miss Britland," she replied
promptly. "Afterward you will say
Frances, and at the end you will call
me Caprice"
Why In the world should 1 call you
Caprice?" l asked
Il don't know" she said. Don't you
ever say things just as if somebody
inside of you We're saying them with
your own tOngueY
My reply to this amazing question
was hindered by the ending of the
birch bushes. We stood facing a little
pagoda of white marble. l looked at
the girl. Her hands were tensely
clasped; her red lips were quivering.
ITS like walking down the pathway
of love and suddenly coming to the
very temple of love itselfw she ex-
claimed.
l frowned. Why should my sister
prattle to strangers of our ancestors
conceptions? She seemed to divine my
thoughts.
why do you look at me like that?
What is it? What does it meanY
1 showed her the inscription on the
worn threshold-'Temple of Love-
and with sudden swift grace she
knelt above the lettering. Then she
sprang up. "Come, Mr.. Angove," she
cried gayly; 81 will run you racer
So back along the birch lined path
we ran like two children, and only my
sisters amused smile at the end of the
race reminded me of my forgotten dig
nifty. l spent the rest Of the day
among my books and alone.
Next morning Miss Britland and l
selected walk opposite the birch path
This was straight path through an
avenue of stately pines. Yesterday the
girl had been fanciful or merry; this
day she was neither She walked Sc
dately by me, talking quite learnedly
of the future of radium. began to see
why l might some time call her Ca
price.
This is the path of the pines," l
said when we had exhausted radium
I'VE should have taken this one first,
for 1t leads straight and true as the
compass needle to the temple, while
the birch path meanders foolishly this
way and that and makes one many I'M
necessary steps to reach the same
place"
Zone welcomes unnecessary steps
when one walks with the spirit of the
woods" she answered. Anyway, you
should not have told me that this path
leads to the same place. 1t would
have been nicer for me to discover it
for myself"
$50 1t would" | answered humbly.
How shall l atoneT
by telling me of yourself" she re-
piled.
There isn't much to TELL" l said,
feeling pleased at her interest We sat
In the pagodh, and for me at least it
was the temple of love. Let he who
will pirate of long growing affection.
To me love came as the sun rises sud-
denly over the mountain.
told her of my life as boy in col
lege, as a man in the business world
till this estate came to me, neglected
and long uninhabited
Another day l told her about the
temple, how my ancestor had laid out
these paths to typify his love for his
fair young wife and her love for him
one path, quick and true as the COM
pass needle, the other sweet in its shy
reflections, but ending just as surely
at the temple.
what was the young wife's name?"
she asked.
Il don't know. His diary Is full of
her beauty and sweetness and accom-
but it never mentions her
name He had his own names for her
Starlight, Heartsease. Love
like that should not die when the
bodies of the lovers are dust"
How do you know that it doesT'
she demanded. How do you know
but their souls are living again and
loving just the same?"
She had ST. many strange thoughts,
this little Frances, and she had so
many moods gay. serious, learned,
How I loved her! could
not wait much longer to tell her so,
but l seemed to lack the right words.
One day in the temple had been long
silent, though l had not realized it till
she interrupted my thoughts most
saucily.
az wish that it could speak, for it
looks so very kindly that its voice
must needs be pleasant she quoted.
1T is going to speak," l said, turning
suddenly toward her, but she pointed,
laughing, toward the door,
Down the path of the pines came my
sister, eager, breathless. waving a let
ter.
"a secret drawer in the wall, back of
my wardrobe" she gasped. "And
three nights since she has been here
has Frances dreamed of finding let
tersw
l saw with curious feeling the
peculiar chirography of my ancestor.
l read aloud:
Look under the threshold of the
temple, thou man of my own blood,
but think not to appropriate to thyself
what thou shalt find there. They a"o
for her whom thou lowest as I loved
my own Caprice"
''Dig, digw exclaimed my sister,
dropping on her knees and trying to
pry up the step with her bare hands.
Don't sit there and stare at each 9th
er, you two. Let's find what's here"
1t was not hard task, for time had
loosened the marble steps till they
were easily removed. 1t was an excit-
ing moment when my sisters eager
hands dragged to view small iron
box.