The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1909-09-28
ONE AUGUST NIGHT.
She Was Told the Story of the
Lady of ShaIott.
BY VIRGINIA LEILA WENTz.

copyright, 1909, by Associated Literary
Press.l
1t had been an unusually oppressive
day even for August. Every one
seemed sleepy or sleeping. CobbIers
slept with half mended boots in their
laps; Italian women slept at their fruit
stands with sleeping babies at their
breasts; horses trotted conscientiously
along in front of sleeping drivers.
In the department store where An
tona Wheaton worked the day had
been difficult, especially behind the
stuffy corner where she measured out
ribbons. And, oh, what godsend the
loud sounding bell at 6 had been! Most
of the girls in the store were city bred,
and they accepted the conditions of
August philosophiaclly but Antona
Wheaton had come from a fresh little
country town in the west, and as she
leaned from her boarding house win
dow-the third floor hall room, back
a few minutes before going down to
dinner it seemed to her that she was
locked in a place of torment from
which no escape was possible.
They dined at in Mrs. Browns
boarding house. In the half hour that
Antona had been home she had taken
a sponge bath, brushed her silky, flax
en- hair and changed her black alpaca
dress for a simple white muslin. AS
she leaned out of the window from the
open space beside the storage house
in the rear she could see the dust
carts roll down the streets. The whisk
ing of their big rotary brooms remind
ed the country bred girl of large tur-
key gobblers sweeping the earth with
disdainful, proud wings. The open
space faced the west, and, resting her
little oval cheeks in her hands, Antona
could see that the sun was doing its
best to set with some sort Of rightful
beauty, even in this homely downtown
section.
where the quiet colored end of
evening smiles
Antona was speaking to herself in
reprehensible fashion that was grow
ing on her, trying to recall some verses
which Francis Logan had quoted to
her one sunset time down on the Bat
terry. She had fancied she could re-
member them, they were so simple and
lovely.
Just then Mrs. Browns cracked din
ner bell rang.
Across the long, narrow table Fran
els Logan glanced at Antona with
something like a lump born of a big,
protective instinct rising in his throat
Every vestige of fresh country rose
bloom had fed from the girls sweet
face, and in the intervals when she
fancied she was not observed the
young fellows alert eye noticed that
black lashes rested heavily against
her cheek as would those of one who Is
overweary.
Antona's WEAKNESS struck home per-
haps because of contrast. Francis him
self was more than usually happy that
night.
The big importing house where he
was employed had that very morning
sent a note to his desk informing him
that his salary had been increased
some $40 a month. His dear mother,
over in Devonshire, had just written
him that a relative had left her an I'M
expected little legacy. Altogether the
world was going well with Francis Lo
gan.
''You look pleased, Mr.. Logan" OBJ
served Mrs. Brown from her accus
toned seat at the head Of the table.
"Ah, I remember-this is your favor
lite soup?'
For five years now young Logan had
been an inmate Of Mrs. Browns estab
lishment without having ever changed
his seat at table or his room. Natural
" Mrs. Brown sought to ingratiate her
self with him.
"Why, my DEAR" she had exclaimed
once to Antona in a. burst of enthusi-
asm, "he knows all the poets by heart.
He sees only the best plays, even
though it may be from gallery seats. |
He knows all the finest pictures up in
the Metropolitan. He has what they
call an artistic taste too. My lands,
you should hear him notice the sunset
DIT LuG 6uu VI d Ad1IOW city ollCCb VI q
tiny flower out in the park orr
eyes, l know" said Antona impul-
sively, for once coming out Of her re-
serve. "He's pure gold-that's what he
isy'
Huh! 'GoldY" Mrs. Brown had re-
torted disdainfully None O. your
pretty, soft yellow stuff for him. He's
good, solid, practical steel, if any one
asked me. Don't you forget it, Miss
Wheaton. And if you could be fortu- |
nate enough to tie up to him
Mrs. Brown had broken off abruptly |
at a flash from Miss Wher toms eye.
One dared not presume too far with |
Miss Wheaton, in spite of the silky. |
flaxen hair and the childish dimples, |
as many of the young men in the de-
partment store had found out.
eff only they could be little more |
like Mr.. Loganr' Antona had more
than once found herself commenting as
she pinned up her colored b. rs. He |
is the soul of honor, and II don't |
know what I'd do without himw
'Had stroke of luck today, little |
girl" Logan waylaid Antona as she |
was going upstairs after the scanty |
saucer Of raspberries, made purple
with milk, had been eaten. II want |
you to come out tonight and help me
celebrate-if you'll do me the honor"
A little later, from the basement din |
ing room window, Mrs Brown, who
was arranging her cloth for the next |
mornings breakfast, watched them &C
up the street together. Antona, In her
simple white muslin, wore a nodd1ne |
spray Of pink roses at her waist As
ney walked toward the west the
young fellows eyes were fastened
adoringly upon her.
"Guess they'll hit it off all right"
commented Mrs. Brown as she went !
on refilling the porcelain saltcellars.
"Ill tell you what We'll do" said |
Francis as they walked toward the |
cars. "We'll go out to Riverside drive
and sit there for awhile till the night /
gets cooler; then Wen go to some big |
uptown restaurant and order some ice
cold chicken salad
"Oh,' broke in Antona in economic |
defense. 'Pd just as lief go to drug |
store and have some nice soda"
'Now, don't you bother about the
expense, little one" said Francis gay
ly. GAS l said, I've had rare stroke |
of luck today, and when we get out on
one of those cool benches on the drive
I'm going to tell you about it." Also
he determined resolutely to himself he
would tell her something else. She
needed to be petted and taken care of.
The car ride to the river was long.
The sun glow had faded entirely out OF