The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-03-14


1t may seem paradoxieal, but there
is nothing more dreary than beauti-
full morning when one carries load
on his heart / had left Adele the
night before, she having told me that
she honored and respected me, but
would not marry me. And now was
walking on the road to the village to
post letter accepting an offer my un-
Gle, who was In the tea trade, had
made me of position in his counting
room at Hongkong. The beauty Of an
opening spring Knocked me. The warm
sunshine, the sprouting leaves, that
delicate pale robe Dame Nature was
putting on, contrasted painfully with
the loss of the girl loved and from
whom | was about to permanently
separate myself by going to live In a
barbarous land. A robin on limb of
tree, cooking his head on one side,
looked at me, seeming to smile and
say at the same time, Poor fellowp'
A chipmunk sat up on the top rail Of
fence eying me roguishly, and some
how he seemed to be saying to me in
congruously: "Cheer up, cheer upl
You'll fare better next timer
knew very well why Adele had re-
fused me. 1t was all on account of
Wilmarth. He had coVae on to the
field not more than a month before
with that air Of superiority some men
always carry about them-an air of
intellectual supremacy. When one ex-
pressed an opinion in his presence he
would put on a look as much as to
say, my dear fellow, have long ago
solved that problem, but you-why, 1t
is far beyond your comprehension. .
He was graduated at the biggest uni
versity in the land, was elected to the
biggest fraternity and was the biggest
all round man In college while there
And, stepping out as the biggest man
from among undergraduates, he had
stepped into the possession Of what,
so far as competition with me was
concerned, was the biggest fortune in
the world When this great young
man expressed desire to possess the
girl wanted what chance had II
Reaching point beyond which the
road met another, saw Adele coming
on the other road. If men have any
one advantage over women it is In
possessing pockets. We each carried
letter, and, while mine was hidden
away in my pocket, Adele was obliged
to carry hers In her hand. AS soon as
she saw me she showed plainly that
she would very much like to get rid
Of that letter. But, poor girl, what
could she do? A man without pockets
If such a case is supposable-mig
put it In his hat; a woman, unless she
carried a hand bag, which Adele did
not must needs keep it where all the
world can see.
was a lover of long standing
though had only recently avowed my
love. Adele had not the heart tC
throw me over without preparing me
| for the ordeal She wouldn't accept
Wilmarth until she had dispatched me
1 had the evening before brought mat
| tiers to crisis, and she had run ME
through the heart Having done SO
| there was nothing to prevent her Civ
| ing Wilmarth a definite answer to his
suit She had written 1t in the form
Of an acceptance.
This is the reasoning went through
| In my mind as to why Adele carried
that letter
| Adele came to the fork of the road
evidently embarrassed. Since she
could not get rid of the letter just be
fore meeting me she tucked it in hel
belt / noticed she was careful tt
| place the address inward so that Il
could not be seen. She was blushinf
to the roots of her hair. If there waf
any doubt in my mind before that the
letter was for Wilmarth there was
| none now
why do you crumple your letter.
/ said. ut will not be presentablt
when received"
"Oh, / don't think its appearance
VIII make much difference to its recip
lent. It's the inside of letter thai
interests one"
TITS singular that you and / have
met on similar errand. Pm on my
way to the postofice to mail let
ter"
This did not seem to interest her
at least she made no reply to the re
mark. The postoffice was but few
hundred yards ahead of us. Crossing
walk leading from the village.
struck into it. Adele followed.
had no sooner done so than was
dissatisfied with myself. Had no
Adele settled the matter between us
What weakness to keep up an as
ISOLATION that could lead to no good
The truth is I was desperate. 1t /;
one thing for man to be obliged Il
give up woman he loves and another
to give her up to some particular man
The evening before l had been con
demned; in this letter saw my execu
ton.
Neither Adele nor / spoke till W.
reached side hill on which was rus
tic bench There we seated ourselves
/ remember few things IN the land
scape before and beneath US. There
were scattered dwellings and a church
Through the fields ran a canal will
locks, in one Of which men were low
ering a boat. / was far too preoccu
pied to have noticed this had not Adele
said:
I'm always interested In seeing .
canalboat go through locks"
Especially when it's let down to i'd
future level" said gloomily "Yol
haven't asked me to whom my lettel
has been written"
ut would not be polite to do So"
at is to my uncle, accepting the posi-
ton he has offered me. l sail mex
week for China
The announcement didn't seem Il
bring the slightest pang to her; a
least she gave evidence OF none.
They're letting the water out of tn,
lock now she remarked.
Il have given my promise to remain
In China five years before returning tt
America, and then only to stay a few
months"
Now they're going to open tn,
gates"
This was maddening. Yet was an
cry only with myself Could there b.
anything more pusillanimous than To-
a man refused to attempt in THU
maudlin fashion to excite sympathy IL
the girl who had refused himf
"Since this is to be our last meeting
for years, perhaps forever, ask YOU
to permit me to do something for you
little favor, trifle. wish to remem
Der it In connection with this parting
What Is it7" she asked
Permit me to take that letter to tn,
mail for you. promise you l vii
not look at the address"
"Oh, there's no hurry about posting
IL. IL viii kaara y