The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-06-27

| EAneS lay under the summer sunshine.
The large house and barn were paint
| ed white as snow, and the fences
marked the various Enclosures with I'm
varying regularity and whiteness. Dun
cows dotted the rolling pastures in the
background. The wide open barn
doors showed a glimpse of carriages,
and there was the distant pounding Of
horses hoofs from the stables.
A sudden booming sound rent the
air, and the robin on the lawn darted
into the apple tree.
whats that?" asked Mrs. Secor
sharply.
"a cannon. think, mother. To
morrow's the Fourth Of July. you
know"
81 don't suppose you'll go over to
the horse trot same as usual with Hem
ry," remarked Mrs. Secor.
mo. I'm not going" said Alice
81 wonder if Henry will ask Lucy
Jennings to go. Martha Fame thinks
the Jenningses are all right. they're so
well off,"
Alice did not reply. She was men
tally computing the value Of the Fame
farm and wondering how Martha
Fame could ever estimate the worth
| Of land and houses far above the love
and happiness Of her only son.
1t was cloudy Fourth of July, and
the noisy demonstrations of the pa
| triotically inclined only added to the
general smokiness and depressing
heat Of the day.
For three years past Henry Fame
had taken Alice Secor to the horse
trot at the heights. Once he had a
colt entered for the races. and when
he had triumphantly placed the win
ming purse In Alice's lap the occasion
| had been as joyful to her as to the
tall, strong young farmer she had
| promised to marry.
This year. however, Henry Fame set
forth on the drive all alone. His
mothers insistence that he should ask
Lucy Jennings to accompany him had
| stirred him from irritation to positive
anger. and he had spoken harshly to
her for the first time in his life.
"But what win she think7" COM
planned Martha Fame
''Think" repeated Henry Impatient
ly. why should Lucy Jennings ex-
pect me to take her to the trot when
I've never taken her anywhere in my
life? never took but one girl, and
| ~ ov1Sf ho 90 hrs. ii
Henry. wait. l told Lucy l would
not be surprised If you asked her to
60 to the trot. | don't know what
she'll think" called Martha Fame.
Il guess she'll think you're a mighty
poor prophet, MOTHER" Henry laughed
shortly and drove out Of the yard.
He did not ride past the Secor cot
tage. Instead. he turned to the left
and took the long way around. He
would have stayed at home that day
SO as to have shown Alice that he did
not care to go unless she accompanied
him, but he had been appointed one
of the judges of the races. so En could
not very well refuse. He hoped Alice
would hear of 1t and understand.
His mother watched him drive
around the long road, and she under
stood, and for the first time there came
into her heart a doubt of her own wis
dom. Martha Fame had always been
sufficient unto herself and her family.
Her son Henry was different from the
meek husband who had died and the
submissive daughters who had mar
ried and gone away. Henry had a
dominant spirit of his own. but she
had exacted his promise not to marry
without her consent, and then after his
engagement to Alice Secor had been
an accepted fact for three years she
had set her face against it
She was jealous of the girl and Of
Henry's devotion to her. So she had
made family pride and money the ve-
hicle of her displeasure, and after
awhile, when she had explained her
views to Alice herself, the engage
ment was broken off. She wondered
now If she was any happier. True, she
had her son all to herself, and he had
passionately declared that he would
marry nobody else. But he was