The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-12-15

SLOWLY he FOLLOWED ALICE ALONG ThE
PATH.
him to take q walk, and he made for
the fields, where he was least likely to
be observed.
He plunged into the woods, which in
that happy summer had been the IA
vorite objective point of their walks
together.
Now the foliage was scar and with
cred, flung to the ground as his own
heart had been, and the giant trees
lifted their naked arms to the autumn
nal winds in dumb duplication.
The place was thoroughly in har-
mony with his mood, and Ted flung
himself upon a bank of moss to COM
mune with his unhappy thoughts.
The woods represented his own life.
Springtime, with its bursting buds and
tender foliage, had marked the birth OF
love; then had come the summer Of
courtship, the rich fruition Of promise
under the ardent glow of the sun OF
love.
Ted skipped the harvest time, but
now the woods were, like love, dead.
The chill of winter was in the air and
In the dull November clouds.
The fancy pleased him, and so occu-
pied was he with his thoughts that he
failed to hear the footballs on the rus
Ting leaves until the newcomer hailed
him with CHEEKY cry.
incoming again, Ted?" cried Alice
brightly. Forget your troubles for
awhile and help me gather some hick-
DRY nuts"
Ted rose slowly to his feet, and as he
did so he glanced about and made GER
tain that Harvey was not to make a
third. He felt that he could not stand
by and see the loving glances which
the two would exchange.
Slowly he followed Alice along the
path. Most of the nuts had been gath
cred, but some few remained. and
presently Ted forgot his great grief in
Alice's merry chat.
It was not until the nuts had been
gathered and they sat down to rest on
fallen trunk that remembrance came
again.
Alice saw the cloud that settled down
upon his face, and she turned abruptly.
"Ted," she asked, do you want to
make me very happyY
you're about as happy now as one
girl deserves to be-" was the ungra-
cious response what do you want?"
"T want you to get married" was the
surprising reply.
That's what l wanted to do" re-
minded Ted, ''but you wouldn't have &c.
Has Harvey Tilted your"
Mercy, don't want you to marry
mev was the hurried reply. II want
you to marry some other girl"
Rather hard on the other girl" corr
mented Ted, considering that / coiA
only offer an empty heart
"And an empty head" was the caus-
nc interruption. That's just the
trouble, Ted. You are having lovely
time with your heartache, and you
don't want to give it up yet, but
can't be really happy with Harvey
with the thought of your accusing eyes
following me-"
Then forget IT," advised Ted inele-
gantly.
That's what / want you to do ex-
planned Alice. "You never were really
In love with me. / know it, and you
know it. That is why we were always
quarreling. We used to get along
beautifully before we became engaged.
Then when you realized the mistake
you had made you became Ill natured.
"All on my sideT' asked Ted.
81 suppose that 1 was just as mean, y
admitted Alice, "but it was because
we both realized that we had made a
mistake. l want you to forget all
about it, Marry Beth Agnus or Lefty
Fredericks or Nancy Bellman."
whats the matter with Audrey
Dunbar?" demanded Ted. "She is the
only eligible you left out"
"You wouldn't like her." protested
Alice hastily. 81 should hate to see
you married to her You would never
get along with her,"
shes nice girl" growled Ted, 'bui
I'm not going to marry any one"
He rose to his feet again ana snoul
dered the bag as an intimation that h'
was ready to depart, and Alice meekly
| followed
Ted carried the bag to Alice's home
and it was fate that on the way they
should pass the disputed Miss Dunbar
and that Ted should be unusually eff
fusive, while Alice was barely civil.
He did not know that Alice could b
so pretty, and he was glad when h
could leave the burden on her porcl