The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1909-01-05


palm and, mounting the steps, gave
the bell a vigorous tug. Presently the
door was opened by middle aged and
rather frowsy woman, who surveyed
him suspiciously.
ais Miss Evans inT' the young man
demanded
The woman's face became more for
bidding. mo, she's not" said she.
"Do you know when she will beT
Pm sure l couldn't say"
every well. I'll wait for her." And
the young man calmly pushed his way
into the dingy little hall, lighted dimly
with its single gas jet turned low.
"In here, If you please" the woman
suggested, opening the door Of a big,
bare front room. The young man hes
itated
"Where is Miss Evans roomY' he de-
manded.
Third fight, back"
''I'll go up there and wait for her"
said he. And before the other could
demonstrate he was halfway up the
first flight.
"Three flights, back" was a dingy
little side room, veritable hole in the
wall There was but one window,
which commanded an unimposing
view Of the Uttered back yards on Ell
Their side OF none too clean alley.
The young man lighted the one gas
Jet on the wall and looked about him.
Close to the window was table-a
work table evidently-covered with
boxes Of water colors, pencil sketches
and partly finished designs on bits Of
academy board.
Vaguely he recognized the original
drawings for fashion plates. He
looked them over silently, almost rev
erently.
His inspection of the table finished
he let his eyes wander about the mar
row room. 1t was decidedly cherries,
with its couch and patent rocker of
red plush. He sat down in the red
plush rocker, which squeaked COM
plainingly beneath his weight.
"Humph!' he mused ''She's plucky
all right. Imagine spending your days
In hole like this!"
There were light steps outside. The
door was pushed open, and a girl
stood staring at him from the door
way as If she could not credit her
eyes.
She was pretty girl, with dark
eyes and cheeks at that moment decid
eddy rosy She carried several par
cells, two of which fell unnoticed to
the floor as she gazed at the appari
ton in the red plush chair.
Phillip Holt" she gasped at length.
"What on earth are you doing here%
The young man sprang up with a
bound. ''Margaretw he cried, his eyes
glowing. Margaret He caught
both her hands in his own, while the
rest of the parcels slipped from her
arms
''What are you doing here?" she de-
uanded again when she had recovered
somewhat from her surprise.
81? What am 1 doingT said he.
''Why-why"-
"You have broken the truce" she
said severely. "The year fs-6ot up yet.
Why are you herew
He drew her into the room and gath
cred up the fallen parcels, while she
sat down on the couch.
az came" said he, because-because
well, l thought you'd be glad to see
me; because 1 imagined-had an intui-
ton. you know, that you were living in
some such sort Of dingy house as
this on just such a shabby street; be-
cause 1 had another premonition that
you weren't succeeding tremendously
and that you might even be living on
these" he ended calmly. fishing a
doughnut from one of the paper bags
he had picked up and holding it out
accusingly.
The girls eyes flashed. Her lips
curled. The color In her cheeks deep
ened.
"You had no right" she said quickly
'sYou are spying. You have broken the
truce. You said year, or, rather, you
agreed that for year.
81 was fool" said he, with convic-
ton, IAN insufferable fool, ever to be
party to such a silly agreement
didn't realize that when you went
away the place would be so barren. sc
utterly impossible. But I kept my
mouth shut and plugged along. Then
we had q streak OF luck Tom and 1