The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-02-11
~ lit the
AJountry Club.
By TEMPLE BAILEY.
Copyrighted. 1907. by M. M. Cunningham.

| NJ Copyrighted. 1907, by NJ. NJ. Cunningham.
The four women were drinking tea.
| Somewhere out in the October after
noon were four men who made up the
friendly octet, but the women, on ac-
count of the GOODNESS of the day and
the charm of the big fireplace, had
elected to stay away from the links.
Three of the women were not young,
although the signs of age had been
modified by careful grooming and dill
! gent massage. Mrs. Amesbury even
looked young with her slender figure,
her shining hair and her grace of ges-
ture and of carriage.
But Tressie Stuart was young, and
therein lay the difference that made
Mrs. Amesbury uneasy. One might
give the lie to age by attention to com
plexion and COZ tune, but there was
quality in Tressie's laugh, light in
her eyes, buoyancy of spirit, that
separated her from the other women
and cast the blight of contrast upon
their beauty.
'Tressie," Mrs. Amesbury said, ''stop
roaming around the room. You make
me nervous"
"Oh, do IT Tressie's apology was
immediate. Its something in the air.
L think. These fall days make me feel
like young colt. 1 want to be out of
doors, and here we are drinking tea by
the fire, like a lot of old tabby CATS
1--WE are a lot of old tabby CATS"
Miss Angela Amesbury agreed cheer
fully Unlike her sister-in-law, she did
not aspire to youthfulness. Having
steered herself safely out of some
what emotional girlhood into a calm
old maidism, she was prepared to
claim all middle aged privileges, and
tea drinking at the Country club was
an indulgence that appealed to her
comfortable soul
"You are the only kitten in the
crowd, Tressie," she went on. run
on out and meet the men. They must
be coming in by this time"
Angela" Mrs. Amesbury reproved
her, "Tressie can't go without chap
eron."
"Why not?' Angela asked bluntly.
''Two of the men are her uncles, the
third is your husband, and she has
known Junior Mason since she was
baby"
"Oh, well"-Mrs. Amesbury shrugged
her shoulders-"you know we don't
think alike ON such matters"
mo, thank goodness" said Miss An
gela. And then the hitherto silent
Aunt Georgia Stuart, who was official
ly Tressie's chaperon, interposed,
"Tressie always does as she pleases,
Mrs. Amesbury" And Mrs. Ames-
bury, with another shrug of her shout
ders, gave up the argument and poured
herself second cup of tea.
And so 1t happened that as Junior
Mason came up the elm walk toward
the Country club, with the dull orange
of the sunset behind him, he saw hur-
rying to meet him Tressie Stuart in
scarlet coat and stiff brimmed hat.
81 should have died if 1 had stayed
in there another minute" she told him.
"Can't we walk somewhere before
dark comes? This air is like wine"
"It's awfully muddy" he stated du-
biously, Sin this path under the trees
The other men are coming around by
the road, but this was the shorter way,
and 1 wanted to get few minutes
with you before the whole crowd be-
gan to piffie paffie."
Don't be slangy," Tressies admou-
ished.
"Well, you wouldn't call their small
talk conversation, would you? It's
piffie paffie, and Mrs Amesbury is the
worst of the lott
81 am ashamed of you," Tressie
scolded, ito criticise your elders"
Mrs. Amesbury wouldn't thank you
for calling her anybody's elder. She
considers herself the leading juvenile
of the Country club. That's why she's
jealous of you"
Tressie stared at him.
Junior" she said severely, Il
didn't know you could be so critical Of
woman"
He had the grace to look uncomfort-
able
"She's made me so unhappy about
you, Tressie,' he blurted out at length
about meT"
eyes, when you were away all sum
mer and didn't write to me once"
Tressie's eyes were on the sunset
"No. didn't write" she said after
pause.
"Why notY'
Mrs. Amesbury said-that there was
another girl, Junior"
"What?"
Eyes. She said you were paying de-
voted. attention to a little Kentucky
singer"
"Ohw Junior flung up his head. "And
she told me you were going to marry
old General Barnes"
"Who told your" Tressie demanded.
"Mrs. Amesbury."
"Well, of all things!'' Tressie's
cheeks were flaming. "And you be-
lieved her, Junior?"
"Wen, you believed about the Ken
lucky girl"
For a moment accusing brown eyes
met accusing blue ones, and then they
both laughed, the joyous laugh OF
youth that has come into its own
again.
"She is good affection" Tressie
summed up. 'She ought to be pun
ished, Junior"
"Oh, let her CO." Junior asserted,
''and we will go for a walk, Tressie,
and will tell you all the things have
wanted to write and didn't dare"
But she would not go.
1T is getting too dark" she said.
nte, Junior, we must nave some regard
for conventions"
"Then let US slip in through the
French windows and sit in the cur
tanned alcove. They won't see US come
in, and we can talk until dinner time"
The alcove was opposite the fireplace
and gave a full view of the three wo-
men at the low wicker tea table. Mrs.
Amesbury was prattling gayly.
"You see, dear Juniors money is
great temptation to the girls. Now,
even Tressie''-
Tressie in concealment gasped, and
there was wrath in her eyes.
Don't mind her." Junior whispered.
81 know you love me for myself"
Tressie whirled around on him.
"Who told you that 1 caredY she
demanded You are taking a great
deal for granted, Junior"
please can't / take it for granted?"
he urged. Il am going to propose to
you right now, Tressie, or Mrs. Ames-
bury will never give me another
chance"
They came out of their dream Of
happiness some time later to hear An
gela protesting.
"But you wouldn't tie such beautiful