The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-10-31

Hes naughty little boy" chided
Mrs Clintock. touching a finger to the
baby's dimpled cheek. kiss hin
again, Mr. Crane; don't believe he'll
mind now" She held out the sleeping
baby. and Crane bent his head awk
wardly and pressed a kiss on the fail
| skin.
There. he never stirred He takes
1t as compliment that a big busy
man should want to kiss little boy.
Mrs Clintock's motherly eyes were
full of tears as she replaced the baby
In the crib and returned to the sitting
room.
Crane was leaning over the phono
graph. awkwardly fitting on a new rec
ord
81 found a tune l used to know, -
he explained without turning his head
Help yourself" said Mrs. Clintock
as she went out to the veranda to
meet her husband. She had whisper
ed In his sympathetic ear of the con
versation she had had with the lonely
cattleman and of the letter she had
FASTENED to send to Idaho, when the
strains of the photograph broke forth
once more.
What's that tuner asked Boss Clin.
took, his arm around his wife,
tits Ascher's Alice. Where Art
ThouT" returned the little woman
"Dick. believe her name is Alicel'
You're right as usual is my safe
bet" grinned the boss. kissing his
wife.
A week later the boss wife few
down the hill toward the bunk house.
where the Crane was eating a soil
tary supper. Wah Lee. the cook. pad
ded In and out Of the roon, tuneless-
ly chanting bis eternal ditty. Crane
effectually stopped the noise by toss
ing plate toward his bare heels. As
Wah Lee skipped squealing into the
kitchen Mrs Clintock thrust a rosy
face inside the door.
Can ! have cup OF coffeeT" she
asked breathlessly.
Yes. ma'amr' cried the Crane. set
ting chair for her and yelling for
the coffeepot. When ne had placed
bread and butter and cold meat be
fore her and filed steaming cup she
looked at him appealingly
"a hope you won't be mad at me for
what I've done" she began. 'I've
meddled with your affairs"
what have you doneY' asked Crane
unsuspectingly. The worst she mighi
do. he thought. would be to surrepti
tiously darn his socks. as she had been
wont to look after the Lone Bull boys
before the tyrani baby came.
WAS her name Alice Thorp?" asked
Mrs. Clintock excitedly.
Crane stared. and a red flush stain
ed his bronzed cheek He nodded
grimly 1T was"
And she married a man named
WeedT
Again be nodded. and she saw inter
est In his gaze.
well. | took the liberty of writing
to my cousin in Antelope. and she
says Mrs. Weed is widow now and
has returned to Antelope TO live with
her father. who is an old man."
NJ know him we'll" said Crane
dreamily "a real gentleman. OLD
Thorp was"
"WellT Mrs. Clintock's voice was
expectant
"WellT Cranes voice was defiant
What are you going TO do now i
Ny cousin says Alice is as sweet and
pretty as ever and that 1t is common
belief that she only married Weed for
spite and that she looks so sad some
times-and once she INQUIRED after
you"
"Only onceY" demanded Crane jeal
ously His chair scraped away from
the table. and a fighting look came
into his eyes.
1.-THE boss says you can take a
weeks vacation If you want TO-" said
Mrs. Clintock. rising from the table
and turning toward the door He
says he'll make you foreman Of the
annex If you want the Job and thar
the house il large enough for three"
A vision OF Alice Weed and her ia
Their dimmed the Cranes sharp gray
eyes. He bent his head with grace
born of the warm impulse and kissed
Mrs ClintOck's plump little hand
God bless you mann he said In
an unsteady voice.