The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1909-06-22


with cheeks like pink roses and golden
brown eyes. Good morning, Gilbert. !"
she said gravely. .
"Going to the cemetery, see," said
Butler disagreeably."
"Of course 1t lie Memorial day"
''You go there every Sunday, toe"
said Gilbert quickly.
Anna Plimpton crimsoned indignant
ly. ''Why shouldn't II" she asked
haughtily.
'Tt's a heathenish custom. Amt it
enough that George Plimpton should
have got killed down there In Cuba
fighting those Spaniards and then to
be brought home and buried with mill
tary honors, and just because you're
his wilder
Because / am his widow l shall
continue to express my love and re-
spect for hts memory by visiting his
grave as often as please. You must
be very small minded, Gilbert Butler.
to grudge a flew flowers to dead sol
der"
Gilbert Redeemed to his ears, and his
blue eyes flashed ominously. II don't
grudge the flowers, Anna" he said
with slow Geliberation. but 1t seems
to me II you could spare little kind
ness to some folks that are alive
meaning myself, it would make more
real happiness. George, he's been dead
nine years. and / been coming to see
YOU for FIVE Of EN-"
Widow Plimpton rose to her feet and
daintily shook the broken leaves and
stems from her white gown. Then she
slipped four wreaths over her arm and
descended the steps"
sI'm going up to the graveyard now,
Gilbert. VIII you go with me~ she
asked gently.
81 can't" he said almost roughly
You're not treating me fairly, Anna.
If L were dead up there in the grave
yard you'd come and put flowers on
my mound, but just because I'm alive
you grudge me one bit Of happiness
You have never given me an answer to
that question / asked you"
Anna Plimpton bit her red lip refec-
lively. IF you will go home and think
the matter over quietly perhaps you
may discover why your question may
not have been answered"
She went, out of the gate and disap-
peared up the white path that led to
the cemetery on the hill.
Gilbert stared after her with fasci-
mated eyes until she disappeared
among the clustering cedars;. then he
took her advice and went home.
All that day he wrestled with the
problem. What reason could there be
for Annals Withholding that long de-
layed and coveted "Yes?" Was he not
industrious. Of good habits, possessed
of comfortable means and not I'll look
ing7 And there wasn't another living
man whom Anna had favored with her
smiles, and yet
"By thunder he exclaimed at last.
cit must be because I'm so all fred
mean spirited as to be jealous Of a
dead man. She's seen 1t right along
and despised me for it."
He sat there an hour and thought
deeply. At last he went into the house
and opened the door or the sitting
room.
In the square bow window luxurtat-
ing in the waning sunlight were Aunt
Heppy's Gala lilies. Twelve stately
plants they were, and each one bore
two snowy blossoms, twenty -four In
all. Aunt Heppy had nursed them ten
all t,nk1 nnrU-fhau
rewarding her care.
Deliberately he drew out his knife
and cut the lilies from the plants. As
he turned away with his arms full Of
the long stemmed beauties the door
opened and Aunt Heppy's Mortified
eyes fastened upon him.
Colbert Baker, are you crazy" she
shrieked.
81 guess am" said Gilbert dryly as
he reached into his pocket and drew
forth a five dollar bill. 1--WE got to
have these, Aunt Heppy. You take
this money-the sewing society's seen
the lilies anyway-you won't miss
'em."
He was gone, and Aunt Heppy sank
into a chair and looked dazedly from
the FIVE dollar bill over to the denuded
plants In the window.
"For the lands sakeI The boys
crazyg she calculated at last, tucking
the money away In her pocket.
Just as the red sun dipped behind
the high cemetery hill Gilbert Baker
toiled YEARLY up the white path. In
his arms he held a rude wooden cross,
to which he had clumsily tied the Gala
lilies. Some Of the snowy bloom was
marred by his awkward fingers, but
his patient labor had not been In vain,
for at a little distance the white cross
shone lovely symbol
The cemetery was deserted. Over
in the Plimpton plot he say q glimpse