The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-15
BY Temple Bailey.

| 81 don't undertaking. she stam-
mered.
Denton laughed. 81 beg pardon"
he apologized, "for boring you with
my fancies. But this place is so beau
tiful that 1 thought l had stepped out
i of real life into fairyland and that the
dog was the monster that guarded the
gate and that you were the enchanted
| princess"
The girls eyes twinkled. "Tm not
a princess" she told him. 'I'm your
| landlady."
Something of disappointment crept
into Denton's expression.
"Then you are Mrs. CarterY he haz-
arded.
Miss Carter" she corrected, and
he looked relieved. SIN the letter that
/ wrote you l signed myself Mehita-
bel Carter, and suppose you thought
| I had gray hairs and wrinkles"
"The name did suggest them," he
unused, watching her sparkling face.
EVERY one around here calls me
Belle" she explained. But of course
when one writes letters to prospective
DOarQeFS one TedllZeS lhdI q zig hAhSN
name is an asset"
Certainly" he agreed and settled
back In his chair, content to listen and
look
But his hostess was more energetic
"I'll show you your ROOM" she said
and led the way through the spacious
hall and up the stairs to- the second
story.
When Denton came down little
later and found his landlady walking
In the rose garden he said to her;
'You needn't tell me. This is an en-
chanted castle Who ever heard of
white bathtubs and nickel trimmings
and pond lily friezes and CircassianI
walnut furniture for $40 weekY'
A little anxious frown burrowed Miss
Carriers forehead. 81 was afraid
was charging too much" she said.
"You see, you are my first boarder."
1t appeared on further conversation
that there were to be six other board
ers, and they were to arrive at 7:30.
"Five of them are maiden ladies,
Miss Carter explained, land / told
IHeLn luey might DiAhe IhSh ~eA'o a."
parrots
"And the other one" Denton de-
manded
as a man." said Miss Carter. land
he wants to bring his automobile"
Denton gazed pensively across the
garden toward the purple hills. "Alas,
he sighed, land 1 brought only type
writer. The automobile is the dragon
that l must STAY"
She stiffened little at that.
81 don't think / quite understand"
she said
"Of course not" Denton agreed quite
cheerfully, "as a writer Of stories i
deal much in metaphor. 1t isn't to be
expected that you would understand.
But you will-some day"
He switched to other topics and
learned that the beautiful house, with
its beautiful furniture, had been the
girls summer home That the failure
of her father In business and his alb
sence to I'll a position in another city
made her decide that the house must
support itself or be sold. So she had
advertised for boarders, and, with two
old and trusted servants. she was 60
ing to make it pay.
1--WE raise all of our vegetables" she
confided, "and we have our cows and
make butter. and there are plenty of
chickens and eggs
Don't say any more" Denton
begged. 81 am hungry enough as it is
without hearing Of real milk and but
ter and eggs"
She laughed. "The train is due
now" she said; "as soon as the other
boarders get here we will have sup
per-"
Contrary to Denton's expectations.
the six old maids proved to be delight
full company Three of them were
teachers, one of them wrote for the
magazines, one, having a private for
tune, was something Of globe trot-
ter, and the sixth, being domestically
inclined, had brought the cat and par
rot.
The one man was the object of Den
toms special observation. His name
was Nesselrode.
HE makes me think of a pudding"
Denton remarked to Miss Carter.
81 don't think he looks that way at
ALL" Miss Carter said Indignantly. 81
think he is very handsome, if he is
stout"
"Oh, don't mean his looks" Den
ton remarked resignedly, 'but his
name"
Nesselrode, however. proved to be
very good company, and it became
quite a matter of course that the two
men should spin through the country
every morning in the big motor car.
In the afternoon Nesselrode always
| took Miss Carter, and in the back seat
| he packed two and sometimes three OF
| the old ladies'.
"And l stay at home with the cat
| and parrot" Denton remarked mdlg-
nantly to Miss Carter one evening
when he had carried her off to the
rose garden, ''for the old ladies who
don't go with you always take their
maps at that time, and if it wasn't for
the cat and parrot should die OF lone
| liness."
ITS too bad" Miss Carter muir
INJURED sympathetically.
"Too badi" Denton f1ared. Its pre-
posterous. He takes me in the morn
ing and you in the afternoon, and ]
have been here three weeks, and
haven't had an hours comfortable
conversation with you since that first
| day."
"When you thought l was prin-
cess" said Miss Carter demurely.
81 still think you are princess,
said Denton ardently. He leaned to-
ward her, and the moonlight showed
his pale, eager face. 81 still think you
| are a princess, and, now that | have
found you in your enchanted castle,
yearn to carry you away with me to
my kingdom
There was a rustic in the leaves be-
| hind them. Miss Carter sat up straight
''Who is it?" she cried sharply. "Who
Is thereT
"Polly, Polly" said a chuckling, wa
vering voice. pretty, pretty Polly.
| Then a deeper voice doomed beyond
the bushes.
as that you, Miss Carter? l am
looking for Miss Pierce's parrot"
81 can't even propose to you without
b,s huttInp in" Denton complained the