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


Of sunshine and shadow, its frs
blooming crocuses and bluebells, Iii
quick coming rains and as quickly dis
polling sunshine.
Then gossips began to say that mat
tiers were tuning out just as was t.
have been expected. Herbert Ward
passed most of his time In his class
room or study, and Mabel seemed alb
sorbed in dinner parties, bridge whist
and all kinds Of amusements, maxine
sence from functions she attended
saying, ''Mr Ward is so busy he could
not accompany me-"
She alwars seemed quite cheerful
and contented-just the same merry
pleasure loving creature she had al
ways been-but on one delicious spring
day in April Mabel left early a lunch
con she had been attending, pleading
another engagement.
One of her friends attempted to rally
her on leaving the party so early, say
ing, Now that you are married, Ma
bel, we shall soon find you giving us
up entirely, and you will be taking up
some abstruse study or will become 50
domestic that we shall lose you com
pletely."
Am married?' Mabel retorted
with half laughing question, and then
added hastily: "Well, so l am, but it
does not seem to make so very much
difference after all. Do you think it
does?"
Not waiting to hear the replies this
query provoked, Mabel. hastily picking
up her gloves and the light feather boz
she wore with her dainty spring cos
tune, started off briskly.
Out of sight of her friends house
her footsteps Jagged, and serious
look came into her large soft brown
eyes AS she walked slowly, pensive
ly along her face would have betrayed
to any one who might have CHANGED
to see her that some serious matters
engrossed her thoughts.
A river flowed through winding,
tree lined banks about the little city,
and Mabel crossed the bridge and soon
found herself gathering handfuls of
early violets. A group Of white birch
trees that grew closely together at
tracted her gaze, and toward them she
made her way.
As she approached the spot she saw
lying stretched out upon the grass
mans figure. his arms beneath his
head and his face apparently lifted to-
ward the blue of tine tender sky.
Some sound Of her approach must
have reached the ears of the man, who
had evidently, like herself, sought
quiet spot for meditation. Turning his
gaze toward her, he rose and exclaim-
ed:
why, Mabel, did you want meT
And before she had time to reply Her
bert Ward, for it was he whom Mabel
had reused from his reverie, said, half
wistfully. half smilingly: mo: l see
7ou were not looking for me. You
were just taking walk this lovely
spring day, and the violets on this
rivers bank attracted you"
But Mabel gazed silently at her hus-
band. Seeing him so Unexpectedly,
she had looked at him at first as
stranger might have done, and in her
first surprised gaze she had noticed
how tired he was looking-so weary
or respondent or disappointed. she
thought to herself.
Without answering his query Mabel
lifted to his face her serious eyes, and,
looking at him questioningly, she said:
Herbert, you are not well. Is any
thing the matter?"
mot we'll! Nonsensep he replied
hastily. II am perfectly well. What
put that idea in your head?"
II don't know" she answered, "but
seeing you just now so unexpectedly
and lying down on the ground, as if
you were resting, made me think per
haps you were not we'll"
mo. Mabel" he answered, looking
at his wife as she stood before him
with her hands filed with the flowers
she had gathered. mo, Mabel; am
just growing old, l suppose. That
must be what you feel, what you no
tice about me. Poor child, it is May
and December l fear, with us, Mabel.
I am too old for you. l should never
have allowed you to become my wife.
81 have noticed for some little time
how quiet and changed you are from
the happy, light hearted girl married.
1t is natural and all my fault, for ]
was old enough to know better" he
ended
Nonsense, Herbert. Why do you
talk of being old2 You are not old,
she answered.
But Herbert, taking Mabeps hands.
still filed with her flowers, in both OF
his own, stood tall and straight and
broad shouldered before her as he said
very seriously:
mabel, 1t is like you In your kind
heartedness to try to convince me that
you are not well aware Of the too