The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1909-06-01

was, however, very suitable match
Darrell was prepOsterously rich and
not bad looking.
"Too bad about Jack Carr, isn't it?
IT don't know what you mean" Hill
degarde's tone was suddenly icy.
"Why, yoI don't mean that you have
not heard of his accidentT'
Accident! What accidentf"
Bentley Boynton told me about ii
last evening. supposed, Of course,
you knew You and Jack used to be
such friends. Some workmen dropped
a bag of lime beside him, and 1t burst
and pulled up into his eyes and blind
ed him. Poor, dear fellowl But he's
so plucky that dare say he'll make a
joke of it."
Hildegarde rang of abruptly. Her
head went down on her arms. Tremors
shook her bowed figure. Hot tears
rained from her hidden eyes.
Jack and Hildegarde had been good
friends. The worldly wisdom which
belonged tc their station in life, tn
tacit acceptance Of the theory that
every girl ewes it to herself to marry
money If she can, alone had kept them
from being more. There had been
times when the glowing eyes of the
young man suggested an almost ire
sistible temptation to set at defiance
the traditions of his class, and the fiut-
ter of the girls heart had acknowl-
edged some uncertainty as to her own
course under such circumstances.
But If Jack had kept his tongue in
leash, even If his eyes had been less
tractable, and had gone his way and
left the field to Darrell with his mil
lions!
And now never again would those
dear eyes WOO her. Never again would
she watch from her window that 1.-THE
figure swinging down the street as If
it walked on air. She saw him cropping
his way through unending darkness,
with only sad memories to keep him
company. And then on the desk beside
her she saw DarrelPs card, which the
maid had just laid there.
No one has ever given an explana-
ton of the fact that a woman's tender
ness for one man is 80 likely to result
in cruelty to another. But owing to
this popularity of feminine psychology
DarrelPs sole reward for years de-
votion was the hasty note the maid
brought down five minutes later:
/ cannot see you this afternoon. And
please do not come again till you are
willing that l should be nothing more
than your friend
HILDEGARDE DEvRIEs.
"a lady to see me% Jack Carr, sit
ting in his darkened room, with shade
over his eyes, betrayed no satisfaction
at the prospect Of companionship.
whats her name"
"She didn't say, sir. She said to tell
you that friend would like to see you
for n few moments"
"Oh, show her up. I'm not much to
look at just at present; but. anyway,
the rooms too dark for her to see"
His philosophy stood by him till a
swish of skirts on the stairs suggested
an idea so preposterous that his heart
leaped. He put up his hand as If to
ward off a blow. Then voice said,
"Jackw
"Hildegarder He sprang forward
stumbled over footstool and regained
his balance and his self control at the
same moment "I'm not quite used to
this sort Of blind mans buff," he said
in a rather breathless voice. "You
must find a chair, please. Awfuny
good Of you to look me up, I'm sure"
Hildegarde was thankful that the
room was dark. In the clear daylight
her courage would have failed her.
1T wasn't good at ALL" she quavered
in an uncertain voice. II just had to
see you, Jack" Her voice died away,
and she regained it only by an effort.
Jack, tell me-was mistaken in
thinking that you used to care for
meY
The pause that followed seemed un-
endurably long. NO" Jack said at
last in a voice unlike his own-"no,
that was no mistake, God knows
She breathed more freely now that
the plunge was taken. HXcept Ior tAe
dryness Of her throat and her burning
cheeks she felt almost at ease.
''But l was mistaken about myself,
Jack. l thought l could be satisfied
with a great deal of money and good
social position and all that, and what
1 wanted all the time was you. l have
money enough for both of us. l
shan't give you a chance to remember
ur-blindness - She hesitated at
the word, but took it CALAMITY. like a
thoroughbred an be eyes to you and
sunlight-oh, Jack, I'll make you hap
py in spite of everything"
He crossed the room and stood De-
side her. %Hildegarde!' he cried hoarse-
ly. "You mean that you are ready to
refuse Darrell and marry meY'
"Mr. Darrell means well" Hide
Rarde acknowledged with an air OF
wishing to give every one his due.
"But you're-Jack."
-You-you said something about my
eyesight," stammered Jack. did yCn