The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1909-03-23

going on long prospecting trip and
might be weeks, even months, from
civilization.
But when spring came and in turn
gave way to summer, and summer fed
before the chilling blasts of autumn,
and the weeks dragged drearily by I'M
til year had passed, Betty abandoned
hope.
She wrote to the authorities Of the
frontier town where he usually out
fitted, but they could tell her nothing.
Tom had left in April. He had not re-
turned They knew nothing of his fate.
In the passing of the years her grief
was softened, but the agony Of her
! loss was there, locked with her love in
the innermost .recesses Of her heart
Suitors came, but were sent away, not
hurt, but firmly, gently denied. Her
cousins married, little ones came to
bless them, and to all she was Aunt
Betty.
There was another Betty now, a
pretty, graceful maid Of seventeen,
joying in her first glimpses Of social
life and rapturously happy because
she was Just living. They were great
cronies, these two Bettys, and it was
often remarked that their resemblance
extended away and beyond the name.
aunt Betty, why didn't you mar
ryq' asked the little Betty one after
noon when the two were having
long, confidential chat.
q -. lo4A yhf
out and read, the dimmed tintype of
a country boy with fine featured
face was cried over and the withered
sprig of rosemary lifted gently from
the jewel case, where It had reposed
so many years in state.
"And the rosemary, auntie?" queried
little Betty.
Rosemary is for remembrance,
dearie. We each had a sprig and
were to keep it always, so that when
ever we saw It the others face would
appear in our Dreams" said auntie.
"And do you dream of him yetT'
pursued the younger.
''Bless you, Betty, I'll always dream
Of him, and / pray now that after
death here may see him."
"And so that's the reason you didn't
let DR.. Thornton and the others marry
you when they asked"
Betty, how did you known
ooh, l heard mamma talking about
1t. But won't tell, auntie," she prom
ised penitently. "But it's lovely, Aunt
Betty. It's perfectly splendid to love
so long and so hard when you know
he's dead. Would be care, do you
think, if you married some one else|
"He knew l never would" and the
older Betty sighed.
After that the little Betty had to go
away to school. She was sent to
distant city to be taught all manner of
things embraced in that word ''fn-
ished.
To her romantic soul came many ex-
periences, many temptations to surren-
der to what she thought was love, but
always she measured the depths of her
emotions by Aunt Betty's loyalty Of
score Of years.
would l love him like that?" she
WOulu dSk u ueIsSll, anu always SAS
sutton failed in the test.
One afternoon she went to a matt
nee at a downtown theater. AS she
was leaving the playhouse she was
confronted by stalwart man, whose
agitation was greater than her own.
"Betty Randallp' he all but shouted
in his excitement.
"Auntier gasped Betty.
s'Are you Betty Randall?' queried
the stranger. "Of course not. You're
just child, and Betty would have
been more than twice your age If she
were alive and he apologized for his
rudeness as he turned to go.
1t flashed over Betty in an instant.
Gould it be true7 She decided to risk
it.
'Tomr' she called softly.
The man wheeled at the word and