The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1910-05-24

held one small box in her hand while
she arranged the chest. The sound OF
footsteps on the path below brought
her to her feet with II sudden sense Of
| guilt. She dropped the lid with bang
and threw the basket into a distant
corner among her own things.
| Once below in her own rooms she
found herself clutching small paste
board box She had forgotten to re
| place 1t in the chest She heard Della
on the back porch talking to the cat
| and she hastily thrust the box in heI
workbasket and threw her knitting
over the whole.
Delia's light step came into the hal
! and paused at AIMS kitchen uonr
Mrs. Bart's heart almost stopped beat.
ing for an instant. then it went on In
heavy, angry throbs.
Let Della Priddy accuse her of steal.
ing the supper. She would laugh In
her face!
| There was the sound Of low knock
| at the kitchen door. and Ann strobe
swiftly across the floor and threw the
door wide open. There stood Della
with her milk pitcher in one hand and
the black cat curling about her skirts
| Good evening"" hesitated Della, with
one look at AIMS face.
Good evening"" snapped Mrs. Bart,
with questioning brows.
May l come in for a few minutes p
/ oc1-od na1fo %oe IA
to you, Mrs. Bart"
Come in said Ann ungraciously
leading the way into the dining room
and pulling forward stiff rocker
"Sit down"
But Della stood. tall and slender and
very pale. her pitcher held in the curve
of her long arm. The black cat still
arched its back against her silken
skirt.
Ann watched her and waited, fierce
| ly expectant of the accusation She
| imagined that Della had seen her dew
astated supper table through the win
dow. or she may have observed Ann
in the very act of despoiling the ia
| ble
II want you to come to my supper
party" blurted forth Della at last. 81
know I've never been very friendly to
| you, Mrs. Bart, but mean to do bet
ter. and I've put off asking you every
| day because | thought maybe you'd
resent it. Now, at the very last mo-
ment. just made up my mind to rush
In and have it out! I've got a place
all laid for you, and / expect we'll all
have real good time together. Will
you conner
Delia's blue eyes were lifted for an
instant to the crayon portrait of James
Bart on the wall over the mantel.
| piece; then her glance fell on the
strangely working features of Ann
Bart.
Il can't come" said Ann In a chok-
ing voice
"Why?" asked Della gently.
You'll know why-when you go into
your rooms" retorted Ann bitterly.
II am sorry. | hope you'll change
| your mind" said Della. turning to the
door
When the door had closed Ann
reached down and took the box out
of her workbasket and thrust 1t in a
small cupboard in the chimneypiece.
1t slipped forward and before Ann
could catch 1t fell to the floor. distrib-
uting its contents over the hearth rug.
With little cry of dismay Ann bent
down to pick up the scattered letters
and photographs. AS she placed the
last one in the box her arm stiffened,
and she held the picture before her
| eyes with a strange set smile on her
| face.
1t was a picture of her husband.
| James Bart, taken in his handsome
young manhood. The bold dark eyes
looked confidently into her own and
seemed to challenge her to criticise the
few words written in his Grabbed writ
ing across the bottom of the card
ITO Della. from James. April 2.
1885," That was year before he had
married Ann.
Ann rose stiH1y to her feet and closed
the box with snap; then she walked
deliberately TO Della Priddy's door and
knocked loudly.
Come inr' said Delia's voice
Miss Priddy was sitting near the
devastated supper table, her eyes red
from crying. The tall clock in the
corner was slowly ticking away the
minutes toward 6. when the expected
guests would arrive.
Instead of feeling triumphant at the
| downfall of her enemy's hopes, Ann
| Bart felt very small and mean. But
she could be as magnanimous.
81 was mad at you, Della Priddy,'
she said in low, even tone. because
you've always snubbed me and because
| you didn't ask me to your party. so
came in and carted all your food uL
! into the attic. and it's there now. just
as good as ever. I'll go up in minute
| and bring it down | want to ask you
| a question. and you needn't be offend
ed You used to know my husband
before | was married. didn't your"
Delia's head lifted proudly, and she
broke the bitter silence of years. II
/ was engaged to him once. but he Tilted
me to marry you. | never felt that
wanted to have much to do with either
of you when you came to Saltwater"
81 didn't know it. Della. but you
needn't have felt resentful. You ought
to be glad you never married James
He was hateful He was a hard man
to live with. l had hard lifer' Two
crimson spots glowed in AIMS cheeks
as she bent over Della Priddy and kiss
ed her softly. Pm going up to get
that food now. hope you'll forgive
me-" she added
"Of course | do. I'm sorry | acted
mean, but | couldn't see much of him.
and it makes me feel better to know
he wasn't perfect" half laughed Della
as she returned AIMS caress. You'll
go and get ready for supper now
won't you? And well all like to see
the night blooming cereus too
Every well. III come i'll as soon as
I've been up in the attic" returned
Ann. Fastening away.
| A little later, as she tied the white
lawn bow at her throat and touched
her soft puffs of hair. she looked over
at the crayon portrait of her husband
on the wall
You were a good. kind husband
James. and l amt really got word OF
complaint to make about you. only
| somebody had to make It up to Della
for the way you treated her. She
won't be anything but glad now be-
cause you married me instead of her"
Della appeared in the doorway FRESH