The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-05-16

her face was lovely and her eyes the
softest brown. She wore the most
charming gown Of brown velvet that
matched her eyes exactly She was
dimpling with laughter when he turn
ed, and she tried to stiffen her fea-
lures into solemnity as their eyes met.
II hope you will pardon mel am
SO sorry" she faltered "You have
been so very kind and brave to put
out the fire. but If you had not said
madam 1t would not seem so funny.
Oh, dearl" Again she rippied into
laughter.
Lucien looked down at the form he
was holding so stif1y in his arms.
His eyes widened with amazement,
and sheepish grin overspread his
face.
The lady Of the alabaster hand star
ed unwinkingIy at him from beautiful
eyes frtnged with long lashes Her
beautifully arranged dark hair was
drawn away from a waxen brow-yes.
a waxen face of pink and white per-
lection! The shimmering fabric Of
her handsome gown fell Imply away
from her. and the laces of her sleeve
exposed waxen arm and the perfect
alabaster hand!
Gently Lucien Braddock stood the
wax figure upright. The lovely ala
baster white hands were held stif1y
before her. She was very beautiful.
but she was made of wax!
II am so sorry" repeated the girl as
Lucien faced about.
"Pm not" he said after a quick
glance at her face. tits one on me
though. Ell wonder If you would
mind telling me why she was standing
there in the Window
II must explain" said the girl with
pretty dignity You see, live with
my cousin. Jeanne GouIard. She mar
ried NJ. Goulard of Paris, and after he
died she found she was quite poor So
she came back to New York with the
loveliest ideas about clothes and open
ed dressmaking parlors In this house.
That is all You have mistaken the
model In one of the front windows
for a-a-person. We are very CRATE
full to you for your brave deed tonight,
sir. You may smile, but the waxen
model is very valuable and the gown
also"
Lucien laughed heartily at his own
discontinue. and the girl joined him
with that low contralto laugh which
he had heard once before
II wonder If you would mind telling
me something" he ventured
What is 1t 2"
do you recollect standing In the
vestibule of your house several weeks
ago and seeing a man taking off bis
hat to your modelY asked Lucien.
Eyes. indeed! Pardon me. but it was
30 funny"
This time Lucien Joined her in the
laugh. and the sound of their mirth
brought Nine Goulard below stairs.
After the whole matter had been ex-
planned to her Nine Goulard intro
duced her pretty cousin as Miss Ethel
Wyndsel. and Lucien recollected a
classmate at college whose name had
been Nick Wyndsel. and of course he
was Ethel's brother. Lucien was in
vited to dine with them. and Nine.
Goulard insisted that his visa Wis
might be the lovely model with the
alabaster hand
Then Lucien told bis story and re-
lated how be had looked from under
his umbrella that rainy night to dis
cover the alabaster hand holding back
the curtain.
"Oh. that was Ethers artistic pos
ing" laughed Nine. Goulard. "She
admired the hands of that model quite
as much as you did. sir. suppose 1t
was her own arm that reached up and
pulled down the shade"
Il shall always have the friendliest
feeling for the wax lady" said Lucien
earnestly as he babe them good night
Mouths afterward, when certain mat
tiers of Importance had to be settled
between Ethel and himself he protest
ed that her own small hand with its
shell pink palm and the diamond glis-
tening on the third finger was the
fairest thing In the world
"Ah. but If it had not been for the
lady with the aIabaster hand you
would never have met me-" she re-
preached him.
True" he agreed. Lets have the
lady for your bridesmaid"