The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-03-17
HE HURRIED TOWARD HER AS SHE AP-
FEARED.

| study music. Now that the venture
was fairly under way only pride pre-
vented Nella from turning back. The
bigness of the city and the vastness of
| the sea made her feel how small and
utterly insignificant she was. She
wanted to lay her head on her moth
er's shoulder and be petted into con-
tentment again.
Quietly she moved from the port to
the starboard side of the ship, where
she could watch the loading Of cargo
steamer from a lighter She tried to
forget that ON the port side were men
| and women who were to be her asso-
ciates for a few days saying goodby to
their friends, while she fought back
| the tears of lonesomeness.
Then slowly the big ship began to
slip out of her berth, the hoarse whis-
ties sounding an alarm to the traffic Of
the harbor. Now they were in mid
stream, and one Of the tugs had pressed
her nose against the towering black
side of the ship and begun to pant and
labor as slowly the stern was pushed
upstream, while the sister tug forced
the bow In the direction Of the Mar
rows.
Then the engines took on more
steady beat, and the noise Of the shout
ing on the pier grew fainter until it
could no longer be heard. The voyage
was begun.
Nella waited on deck until the last
faint trace of land. disappeared; then
| she stumbled with tear blinded eyes
through the narrow gangways to the
| little cabin which she occupied alone.
She threw herself upon the cushioned
seat that formed one side Of the mar
row compartment and gave herself up
to her grief.
Even as a child her dream had been
a musical career, and she had saved to-
ward this end. Her parents, too, had
pinched and denied themselves that her
ambition might be gratifed, and now
that she was at last on her way to
| Paris loneliness beat down ambition
and she could only sob miserably as
she thought Of the loved ones she was
! leaving behind.
The departure with no kindly word
| Of farewell had been the last drop In
her cup of unhappiness, and now she
could see the familiar railroad station
| at Crossville, with its yellow, Chedlike
structure and unsheltered platform,
and her friends standing there to wave
the last farewell. 1t had been so dit.
ferent from the boat few hours be-
| 49, Itch, hnrd01f hack with
her parents and the girls and-Harry
| Temple.
She could still see Temples hurt look
when he received her gentle mo" 70
his nroposal. He had always sought to
oppose her career, contending that she
would be far happier in her own home
than as a choir singer or platform star.
She had hated him for his apparent
disbelief in her powers, and her refusal
had been promptly given. She was
sure that if he asked her now she
would gladly abandon her career and
go back to Crossville with him, but
Harry was with the rest of the dear
ones nearly thousand miles away.
There was gentle tapping on the
door, and she arose to admit the stew
ardess.
There's a gentleman who would like
to see you on deck" she said, with a
touch of accent ''He is NJ, Temple,
and he asks that he may have the
pleasure of your society"
"Temple" gasped Nella. "a tall
MANI"
with light mustache and such
handsome gray eyes" assented the stew
ardess, mindful of the generous tip and
seeming a romance. HE is on the port
side of the upper deck. Permit me to
assist mademoiselle with her toilet"
Without waiting for reply the woman
bathed the girls swollen eyelids and
removed traces Of tears from her
cheeks, smoothing the hair and re-
freshing the crumpled bows on the nat
which had been tossed into the pertn
with never thought Of the ribbons
| Neila emerged from the gangway to