The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1909-09-28
ON THE ROOF.
He Didn't Want to Seize the 0p-
portunity, but She Did.
Hv HARRIET LuMMIs SMITH.

BY HARRIET LuMMIS SMITH.
copyright, 1909, by Associated Literary
Press.]
We've time enough yet to take a
look at the city from the top of the Sc
curities building. It's worth seeing,
you know
Prudence should have vetoed the sug
gestion. For the longer half Of the
blissful afternoon Viola had been aware
that Raymond's eyes were saying more
than they should and that their mute
eloquence was singularly sweet and
satisfying Considering the fact that
she was as good as engaged to another
man, discretion counseled fight. A
voice within, an authoritative voice,
cried out that at the best the day
would soon be over and urged her to
make the most of it.
Viola compromised. 'Mr. Raymond
suggests our getting a view of the city
from the top of one of the skyscrap-
ers," she said, turning to her out Of
town guests. IF you are not too
tired And her heart leaped at the
promptness of their protests.
She walked beside Raymond silently,
glad that he, too, seemed to have moth
ing to say She was frightened to find
herself clinging so fiercely to the joy
Of that afternoon together He had
come upon them quite by accident, but
Viola knew that but for her he would
have lifted his hat and gone his way.
The gladness that leaped to her eyes
at the sight of him, the tremor In her
voice as she spoke his name, had
been his undoing-and hers. They had
lunched and taken drive along the
boulevards. Viola's country cousins
had had the time of their lives. And
now the western sky was red, and the
time for saying goodby was near.
They stood looking down upon the
city. Raymond, as in duty bound,
pointed out the objects Of interest.
The country cousins hung upon his
words and declared that they would
not have missed the sight for any
thing. AS for Viola, she had no eyes
for the crawling streets between the
steep cliffs of brick and stone nor for
the crawling creatures far below. Bra
zenly she Toasted her eyes upon him.
He turned suddenly and looked into
her eyes, and his own caught fire. A
moment later they were standing to-
gether in an angle. Of the roof, shell
tered from the view of their compan-
ions. The noise of the city below them
seemed far away.
Raymond broke the spell by down
ward gesture. II wish it were all
mine"
you mean the whole town? What
greediness!' she laughed.
$50 that could give it all to you"
'9Thank you, but I'm not ambitious
to be a plutocrat. OF course one must
have the things one is used to. Pow
erty is the worst of all.'
SIS it?" His eyes challenged hers.
"Oh, don't! You make it so hard for
mew
''You make it hard for yourself when
you fight against your heart"
"Oh, you don't understand, Phil. 1t
isn't as If l had only myself to think
Of"
'Do you ever give thought to mef'
She put her hands over her ears in
sudden tremor. If she listened longer
she was lost. Il must CO." she said
hurriedly. "I've stayed longer than
should, but it was so pleasant" She
turned In a panic and fed across the
roof, and he followed slowly. When he
overlook her her eyes were dilated.
'They're gone?' she gasped.
''Who?"
'Why, Leonard and Bessie. What
could have induced them to go without
usY
Il don't know, I'm sure. But they
will be waiting for us below without
doubt"
He tried the door, ratified the knoll
sharply and met questioning her gaze
with a blank stare. Were locked up
here" he exclaimed. Then as Viola
laughed Historically he added in haste:
Don't be frightened. 1t will be very |
easy to attract some Cne's attention"
Half an hour later, flushed and drip |
ping with Precipitation as result of
his fruitless exertion, he acknowledge |
ed his mistake. "Your cousins must |
have thought we had gone down be- |
fore them. But after they get home |
and we fail to make our appearance it |
will of course occur to somebody that |
we're still up here. And the only |
thing to do is to resign ourselves to |
wait with what patience we can mus |
ter"
She looked at him reproachfully, but |
he did not meet her eyes. He sat |
some distance from her, staring moodi- !
ly at the roof Furtively Viola put
back her veil and smoothed her hair
her appearance was to him
a matter of complete Indifference. He
never turned his eyes.
Her sense of resentment found voice
at last. care you going to sit here in
absolute silence? Haven't you any
thing to sayY'
81 have plenty to say, but can't
say it without taking advantage Of the
A long silence; then Raymond fell
the slipping Of small hand down his
sleeve. 81 rather think, PHIL said a
tremulous voice, "that want you to
take advantage Of the situation"
Help was long in coming. AS the
darkness fell Viola drew closer, and
her hand stole into his Of its own &C.
cord.
1t was q night without star, and
for that reason it was the more star
Ting when suddenly binding illu-ni-
nation LIT up the space where they sat.
Viola shrieked and hid her face on her
lovers shoulder.
"OnIy searchlight, dearest. Rather
startling on this pitch black night,
wasn't itg'
Viola blushed in his arms. 'Phil,
do you suppose anybody-saw"
The young man smiled. Perhaps"
he acknowledged. "In fact, little girl,
/ rather hope somebody did,
Fifteen or twenty minutes later the
sound of approaching footsteps told
them that release was at hand. Ray
mond shouted. There was a sound of
a key turning in the lock. A grinning
policeman and the Waterman of the
building confronted them. Explana-
lions were exchanged. The elevator
had stopped running at 6 o'clock, and
the two young people descended the
endless flights of stairs as blithely as
II~s ofY