The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-02-14

inside, and that means goats and such.
l thought you didn't take no stock in
the Franklins' goat
Il don't" retorted Drusilla, with
spirit. HE chased me all the way
down here. He's the bane of my life.
You can look to Mr. Franklin for dam
ages"
81 shall.' said Miss Bicknell acidly,
and then. addressing the men who
were picking up glass preparatory to
raising the fallen section of boxes, she
added: ''What you men fussing over
there? Remember that's all gov ment
mail matter you're handling"
picking some of these letters out of
the dirt under your boxes, Miss
Fanny" said Gregory Ware grimly.
| Il should recommend that you have
something Done about your boxes. The
whole thing is cracked and warped,
and the mail box Is full Of cracks.
Look under here where it stoodr' He
| pointed to a square dust outlined
space on the floor where several yell
lowed and dirty missives were mingled
| Win JUS VI I'll anu SRlAtllCAGu glass;.
You're the postmistress, Miss Fanny.
You'd better see what these letters are
| doing underneath the mailing box"
He stood back while the fussy little
woman came forward and picked the
letters out of the accumulated SOIL
She scanned them closely-there were
three in all-and then she looked hesi-
tatingly around the Office.
'sThese must have slipped through
the crack in the mailing box" she
said after awhile Here's bill from
Fryer & Kermit for Arson Rowell.
Come to think of it, Anson's dead this
five years. and Fryer & Kermit went
bankrupt anyway, so there's no harm
done there! And here's postal card
for Mrs. Beebe saying that Burns &
Co. amt got the sample Of blue
cloth she asked for, and, land, it's
dated two years back, so that don't
make no matter either, because Mrs.
Beebe's wearing black now anyway.
And-here's a letter for-mercy me,
are you there, Drusilly Fowler Here,
Gregory, give that letter to Drusllly
while / boss these men," She thrust
yellowed embossed envelope into
Gregory's hand and turned away.
He came toward Drusilla, his eyes
fixed on the missive in his hand, his
face white beneath its coat Of tan.
When he spoke his voice was thick
with emotion.
''Drusilla, here's a letter Miss Fanny
just found under the mailing box.
Like as not it's been there all this last
ten years, ever since / mailed 1t one
night before Valentines day. / never
understood why-you-never answer
ed it" he said with slow emphasis as
she took the letter from him. Now l
know, but suppose it's too late.
She opened the missive with shaking
fingers and drew from within lacy
and Powered valentine. Wreaths Of
roses and forgetmenots surrounded
two loving hearts, and underneath was
printed verse that was heavily un-
derscored in ink:
While protest my heart Is thine
would inquire II thine is mine.
II this be true pray give sign
To say you'll be my valentine.
And the name of Gregory Ware was
signed to it, and the date was ten
years ago! Drusilla stared at it until
all the GOODNESS had fed from her eyes
and great tenderness invaded her
| face. Ashamed to lift her betraying
glance to his serious inquiring one, she
pressed the valentine with unconscious
| grace to her heart
"Oh, this ought to have come before
lit ought to have come beforel' she
cried passionately.
rs it too late now, DrusilIa p asked
Gregory softly. "It's never too late to
be happy-if you want to be-" he sug-
gested
Il want to be-" sighed Drusilla con-
tentedly, and then later she added.
"Who would have thought that goat
Of Franklin's would prove blessing
in disguiseg'
Little River folk watched agape. and
nobody but those two understood why
Gregory Ware and Drusilla Fowler
led the Franklins' pet goat home with
such solicitude or why Gregory bought
it afterward and changed its name to
Valentine.
1T can browse in the south meadow.
He'll make nice playmate-for some
body-some day" he added vaguely