The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-04-21
Cupid's
Coal Truck.
BY James Francis Dryer.
Copyrighted. 1908. by E. G. PARCELS.

cause.
Goal truck on the blink with bro
ken axle" he cried disgustedly, IAN
now l got to chase through the snow
to phone the Emergency van" He
walked through the car to acquaint
the motorman of his heroic intention
and, after buttoning his jacket, set of
up the snow covered road In search
Of a telephone.
The motorman took the opportunity
to stretch his legs by walking around
the disabled vehicle. When he step
ped from the car the two passengers
sighed YEARLY and the man moved
closer to his companion
"Wen, I'm glad that conductor has
gone" he remarked. HE stared at us
till my conscience suggested l had
given him bad coin"
The fur wrapped girl beside him
laughed merrily.
otis a habit Of conductors" she
murmured. II have noticed them be-
FORE
Il will pardon him." said the man.
"He is but mortal, and | am pleased
to find that his mercenary occupation
has not destroyed his love Of the beau
tiful."
The girl smiled indulgently, but re-
manned silent. Meanwhile the motor
man had entered into a discussion
with the truck driver as to the best
method of removing the damaged We
hicle.
.Lettyp The mans voice interrupt
ed day dream and the girl started.
do you know l am desperately in
love?'
The big blue eyes surveyed him crit
ically.
''No; l do not" she said emphatical-
ly. when a man is In love he can
never disguise the fact"
'You are thinking Of calf love-" he
remarked, 1.-THE kind that bubbles over
and spells its owners appetite, but
solid, healthy mans love-
1T is all the same she interrupted;
"concealment is impossible. Now, Mr..
Darlington is in love, and a child can
detect the symptoms.
'Dorringtonr' The mans voice ex-
pressed his surprise. do you mean
old DorringtonY
The slightest pickering round the
corners of the little mouth showed
where a smile tried hard to establish
a footing.
when Mr.. Darlington called yester-
day." continued the girl, II watched
him closely while he was speaking to
mother
Pardon mer' The mans tone was
masterful, and the girl stopped. els
Dorrington-old Dorrington-in love
with your motherr
The smile made another valiant eff
fort to disturb the serenity Of the girls
face, but retired discounted.
81 do not think so,' she said quietly.
eff he is, the feeling is not reciprocal
ed, as mother always leaves me to
entertain him when he calls"
The man WINGED.
IT am anxious about him"-he tried
to hide the effect produced by her
thrust" Dorry Is not young, you
know, and love, like measles plays the
mischief with elderly people"
The lowering smile flashed trium-
phantly across the girls blushing face.
Seriously, Lefty" her companion
continued, "Dorrington is old! re-
member him twenty-five years ago,
when he chased me away from pond
near your mothers, house. God bless
my heart, girl"-his tone changed to
one expressing blank astonishment-
II am getting old toop
The girl turned, and the blue eyes
looked carefully over the mans brown
face, noting the length and depth Of
every wrinkle that marked 1t.
''You are getting old, Jack"
81 know It," he cried, land here am
/ In a sideHacked car doing nothing,
while time pursues me remorselessly.'
Evidently thinking anything prefer
able to inaction, he started out to cap
ture one Of the little gloved hands Of
his companion, and after she had vain
ly tried to defeat his intentions he
clasped 1t between his own two and
seemed immensely pleased at the feat
Dear me-" she sighed, 81 wish that
conductor would come back"
'sHe cannot shift usw The man was
defiant, and the girl blushed as she no
ticed his restlessness.
h,,k e%n ~ NON al he
cried irritably, land your actions since
he departed prove that the stare was
effective"
"But, Lefty" he said, what a terri
BILE thing it is to look back on thirty
five wasted years, thirty-hve autumns,
thirty-h springs and the same num-
Der of winters and summers, all bar
rem and useless" He shuddered and
. moved closer.
"Oh, jack" she murmured, do look
and see If he is coming"
He stood up, still holding the little
hand, and carefully scanned the white
road "He is not coming!' he cried
gleefully. "He will have to walk a
mile-a mile there and mile back"
"You have no pityp' exclaimed the
girl. She made an attempt to release
the imprisoned hand as she spoke, but
the mans grip frightened. How would
you like 1t, sir. if you had to walk two
miles in the snow because silly old
coal truck collapsed on the trackw
st is not a silly old coal truck"
said the man. dropping back into his
seat 1T is wonderful, glorious. rain
bow tinted instrument of-of-
"Don't say Providence" she inter
rupted.
'No; of Dan Cupid! Didn't l tell
you, Lefty, that l adore
1.-THE coal truck" she interrupted
again. "You certainly used enough
adjectives to give one that impress
SION"
"And 1 dor he cried defantly Il
adore the horses, the axle and every
other part that helped toward the
breaking down because-do you know
why, Lettyr
Because it made the poor conductor
tramp two miles in the snow" she an
Bwered
The man was annoyed.
"Confound the conductor he cried
81 wish he'd come back" she said
.sIf he does not return soon | viii call
upon the motorman.. l suppose he Is
responsible for the safety Of the pas
sengers while his mate is away"
The mention of the motorman made
her companion turn around to see
where that person was stationed, and
he was somewhat surprised to finc
that he had impressed two horses pc
longing to another truckman and, WIFE
the combined teams, was making
vigorous effort to pull the obstruction
from the track. This strenuous pro
- or and hn fr1rn.