The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1909-02-23

LEAVE ME ALONE, JIM. NOT ANOTHER
WORD"
brought back with me, but 1 resign all
interest in morbid, fleshly decadence
for Gods good out of doors"
And Stuart looked at the girl before
him wonderingly, with his eyes glow
ing with love Of her.
leave me alone, Jim. No, not an
other word l must think; l must
think. Good night, jim" And she
watched him go out Of the door and
across the prairie.
Years before a palmist had told the
girl that her head would rule her
heart. He had called attention to the
peculiar formation of the lines Of her
left hand and had pointed out the head
line that ran straight across the palm,
obscuring and dominating the lesser
line that represented the heart.
In a measure she believed it. All
her life she had been intensely men
tai and had plunged far into the writ
ings of men and women whose apos-
tolic missions are of discomfort.
When she collapsed physically under
the strain of her labors as teacher In
city school the physician had impera'
lively ordered her to get to the open
country if she longed to live.
Alone In the world, she could not in
dulge In idleness, and, being exiled
from the schoolroom, she was at loss
which path to take. A friend suggest
ed that she enter a homestead in the
west, and 1t had appealed to her.
Her savings were sufficient to pay
for necessary labor in clearing and
breaking the land until the crops were
Ready for harvest, and she had conf
dent assurance that her work would
some day repay her. AS an invest
ment. both financial and physical. 1t
delighted her.
Stuart met her in the office OF the
locator in the little town which was
the railroad station nearest to her des-
tination. One learns to read men and
yomen at first sight In the big, pulls
ing west, and no half trust is given.
She was in need of guidance, and
her new found acquaintance became
her counselor and friend. When she
smoke of getting men to help her build
The two room frame house that was to
be her home he came himself.
When she offered him the current
wage IL accepted it, because he I'M
derstood how impossible 1t was to dc
otherwise. but afterward he sent other
men and ccntented himself with sugs
gestions that In reality amounted L
superintendent.
Thus two years had slipped away
Her health had returned, the glow IN
her cheeks told that, and the life in
the open had REINFORCED her for hei
old vocation-if she cared for it.
She believed it was her career
though the glamour of existence close
to the heart of nature held charm
she could not deny, and there Wai
| conflict ia her mind as to the better
| choice.
Then came Stuart's love. She hat
grown to like him much, but with
reservation that he did not measure
| ND to the ideal she had cherished. She
believed she demanded mental sym
pathy no less than physical caresses.
To make a perfect union the mai
must appreciate with her the books
that held her, and they would pene
trate together the mysterious paths O.
learning to wisdom. Therein wai
Stuart lacking.
Slumber would not come at bidding
the night Stuart told his love. Sh'
tossed fretfully as she tried to eyad'
the problem before her. Like memo
ries of pain, it refused Punishment.
s'Do love him? Is he necessary u
me? He is dear as a friend, l know
but beyond that-whatT she said t
herself.
When sleep came it was troubled
dreams intruded, and she thought sh
saw herself and Stuart galloping sid
by side over the prairies to the west
ward. Behind them was an ocean o
fire; the cracking of flames SOUNDED
in her ears; she could feel the no
wind. born in the heart of the burning
grass. blister her neck.
On and on, with the margin of safe
! ty growing narrower until within
dozen jumps Of the furrow that woui'