The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-04-18
ESTABLISHED 1876

ne rode Gown me CnIncapm tran, but
in every instance, strange to relate, he
did not find Miss Estelle at home
The Swedish houselaeper eyed him
| blankly the seventh time.
"I woden't t'ink Miss Blair be SEEM
| youse. Her says her amt to home,
but her is!' she explained with
world of pity In her light blue eyes.
Stebbins, muzzling the parched grass
| in the dooryard, brought up his head
with jerk as Prentice passed through
the gate. Suddenly he halted and look
ed back at the ranch house where he
had known many pleasant hours pick
eted under the trees where the herb
age was green and succulent and
where Jumps OF sugar were rendered
him In Estelle's pink and white palm.
Luke dug his spurs in Stebbins'
tanks and tapped the reins about the
pony's ears. Get along, you son of
Satan? he muttered angrily. you
trying to make more kinds Of fool out
,, Of me than / naturally am? Hump
yourselfr'
The pony started forward just as a
shutter opened cautiously In a second
story window and low whistle sound
ed softly across the yard. A soft, Sc
ductive whistle 1t was, and in the old
days it always served as an invitation
to partake Of lump Of sugar from
Miss Blair's hand. Luke did not hear
the whistle, but Stebbins did and In
stantly turned and shot through the
gate and galloped wildly toward the
house, while Luke sawed at the reins,
mad clean through at the Notifying
spectacle he was making Of himself
before the round eyed Swedish wom-
an who gaped at him around corner
of the house.
"She says she woden't be to home"
she mumbled excitedly as Stebbins cur
veted and pranced and baked and ut
terly refused to leave the hospitabIe
Blair doorstep.
Then 1t was that Luke Prentice
brought forth a Mexican quirt from
beneath his saddle blanket and cut the
balky Stebbins once across the tanks.
AS a result he found himself sitting on
the ground ten feet away with badly
wrenched arm, while Stebbins whin-
MED sharply near the front door.
Luke dragged himself painfully to-
ward a convenient chincapin and
leaned YEARLY against the trunk and
closed his eyes. Instantly he forgot all
his troubles. When he opened his eyes
to consciousness again Estelle was
kneeling beside him binding his arm In
strong cool bandages while the Swed.
ish woman held an ice cold cloth to
his aching head
Il can get along all right now, Sell
ma" said Estelle briskly, and when
the woman had departed her voice
dropped almost to whisper. "I'm so
sorry, Luke! 1t was all my fault, you
see. I whistled to Stebbins. could
see he didn't want to go. He knew
better than his master what his mas
ter ought to do. Why didn't you come
and make me give you an explanation,
Luke? I wanted you to just boss me
around only you never, never would,
and thought maybe If 1 made you
stay away from me we'd both find
out. There, I'm not going to say it
allr'
Luke Prentice said his part with
such good effect that he rode away
from the Chincapin with a radiant
smile on his handsome face.
At the forks Prentice met two de-
jected riders turning out Of the Lone
Tree trail One was Bert Fletcher, and
the other was Estelle's brother, Frank
Blair.
Evening. said Luke happily. CLOVIS
Miss Gertie Gibbs?''
The two stared unhappily at each
other, and finally Fletcher blurted out
angrily:
''The little eat! She's gone and mar
ried the engineer down to the smelter
house. | gave her ring last week."
he added yiciously.
$50 did l." said Frank Blair bitter
~. 81 suppose you did, too, Lukeq"
"Naryl" protested Luke Prentice.
''I've been ringing a belle up to the
Chincapin, Frank That's an old joke,
but it's true, brother-in-law! He
reached down brown paw, and the
two others sprang to meet it and
shake 1t heartily, forgetting their own
chagrin in the happiness of their COM
poNo