The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-03-03

cheer warmed his heart as he ap-
preached it in the winter evenings.
And the Porter house was at the very
top of the hill, where 1t could be seen
for miles around.
Tonight the brilliant lights brought
no suggestion of warmth and cheer to
Harvey Indeed he did not notice the
lights save to wonder in which room
Amy might be.
The chances were that she was in the
music room, from which shone the
softer lights of shaded lamps. She
might be sitting there playing softly to
herself the old airs that she loved SO
we'll He, too, loved to sit quietly,
listening to the old melodies and en-
joying the CLINT of lamplight on tho
brown hair and the soft warmth of
flesh tones.
But that was all over now. Never
again would he sit there in the music
room The old songs that she loved to
Groom would no longer bring him pleas
ure. They could only serve now to re-
call the happy days of the past, for he
and Amy had quarreled and parted
with the vow that the other must be
the first to ask pardon.
He was certain that he would never
acknowledge a fault of which he was
not conscious, and he knew equally
well that it would be idle to expect her
to speak first
He looked out across the fields and
vaguely planned to go on trip. He
did not know where he wanted to go,
but it should be where he would never
even hear of Brookfeld again. He
could never live on there, passing Amy
every day and never speaking.
In a sudden frame of anger he de-
clared he was glad it was all over. He
was glad that he was free to go width
er he might. But his eyes turned long
ingly toward the house on the hill
even as he mentally recited his decla-
ration of independence.
And as he looked there came fash
Of binding light, followed by rosy
glare, and presently cloud of smoke
drifted above the house, cleaning
white as it scared into the moonlight
above the shadow of the roof. A fire
had been started, probably by the ex-
plosion of lamp.
With no thought of the quarrel, Har-
vey caught up his hat and coat and
dashed out of the house. There was a
short cut across the fields, and he
made for the gap in the hedge through
which he was accustomed to slip. 1t
cut half mile off the trip to the
house, and he could cover the distance
in five minutes, though 1t was steep
climb in places.
As he ran he thought of a thousand
possible accidents, but always Amy
was the central figure in the tableau
Of horror He could see her wrapped
in flaming oil soaked garments. he
could see the whole house ablaze
through the explosion of the boiler
that fed the heating system, with
Amy covering at the top of the blaz
ing stairway.
His active brain devised a hundred
horrors as he rushed blindly on.
clump of frs cut off his view of the
house, and he could see nothing above
LUe udIh 6udQOW6 VI lAC SLONC-
The crust was hard and slippery.
More than once he went crashing to his
knees, only to pick himself up and hur-
ry onward. He had almost gained the
thicket of frs and was climbing
through the last tangle of brush against
the fence when a dainty form emerged
| from the shadows and came toward
| him.
For an instant his blood chilled as he
thought that this perhaps might be
Amy's ghost. The quarrel had made
a deep impression upon his sensitive
Imagination, and the idea did not seem
absurd to his overweight mind, but
| as the figure advanced he could see
that this was no creation of the spirit
but substantial flesh and blood.
'"Thank God you are safer he cried.
"Are you going for help?'
81 am going skating, and I don't
need any help, thank you" was the
| saucy response, tempered by ripping
laugh.
"But the house is on fire." expostu-
lated Harvey.
mot at ALL" declared Amy. what
gave you that idea?"
She eyed him sharply and moved
away. His face was scratched and
bleeding. his hat was titled at a most
rakish angle and his wild look and la
bored breathing testified to his mental
excitement
81 saw the flash of an explosion and
the glare Of flames, and | hurried to
your relief" explained Harvey.
''Then you do care" cried Amy, 'in
spite of what you said this after
noonP'
81 had forgotten this afternoon" he
answered simply. II only knew that
you were in danger"
"And you came to my aid" she said
softly, but her voice grew sharper as
she added, "And did you purpose wait.
ing until l cried for help and spoke
first before you rescued mef"
81 told you that l had forgotten
that" he said reproachfully. 81 did
speak first, didn't IL