The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-08-29

day of special music and the church
was filed, he was led to seat far in
the front Of the edifice.
From the row Of people in front Of
his he picked out at once the girl who
was wearing violets. He smelled them
first, and they seemed like a whir Of
his boyhood. SO fresh and sweet they
were. He could see an upward wave
of golden hair disappearing under the
wide brim of gray hat trimmed with
some soft gray stuff in which was
tucked pink rose. The trim tailor
made gown was of gray, and he had a
glimpse of soft gray little glove turn
ing the leaves of prayer book.
"She is as small and gray as Miss
Flittermouse," thought Ransom, with
little whimsical smile at his own
conceit in comparing this daughter OF.
the rich to the girl who went so faith.
fully past his house every night. No
one but working girl could keep such
regular hours, he concluded.
All at once a very awkward thing
happened. Somebody entered the pew
where Ransom sat, and as the young
man bent down to pick up his hat and
move farther along in the seat the
brim Of the gray hat. in front suddenly
bobbed back and, twitching his eye
glasses of his nose, sent them hurting
upward, to fall with an ominous tin
king sound in the bookrack Of her own
pew.
It was not until the service was con-
cluded and he was rising to go out
that he recollected the glasses. At the
same instant the girl turned and gave
them to him with a courteous little In
clination Of the head
Thank you," murmured Ransom.
And then he saw that the man who
had entered the pew and was really
the author of his lucky incident was
none other than the senior member Of
the firm with whom he was reading
law
Mr.. Laidlaw bowed genially, and
Ransom left him standing In the
crowded aisle. apparently waiting for
some one.
The next night there was a driving
storm Of wind and sleet, and as the
car lines were at a standstill owing to
some trouble at the power house RAN
som was obliged to walk the two
miles which marked the distance be-
tween his Office and Mrs. Beek's board
ing house.
Thus It was that he found himself
in part Of Lexington which he had
never before traversed. He had PLAN
ned short cut home and had plunRea
into the first cross street that prom
ised bee line for home and fire and
at some future time-a dinner
1t was In the darkest, most forbid
ding part of lonely. wind driven
street that he came upon small form
struggling with refractory umbrella.
The umbrella, acting as sail, was
bearing its unfortunate owner in a d.
rection opposite to the one In which
upon her at a moment when she lost
hold Of the handle, and the flying UNI
brella drove straight at the young
man, and the ferrule punched q hole
In the covering of HIS own protector
before it wrenched itself from his
grasp and bowled down the street.
Let it go. l hope you're not hurt"
gasped the small form, and then IL
scurried on ahead OF Ransom, as IL
afraid Of him. He FASTENED on to
offer her the protection Of his umbrel-
la. for the voice had been that Of
girl, and Ransom was quite sure that
he could get home without much dam
age to his rough tweed cap, but q
girls hat was usually most delicate
and destrucdble creation.
Ransom hurried after the girl, not
ing something familiar In the way she
fitted along the wet pavements ahead
Of him. She turned into the very
street In which he had decided to
turn, and he followed after. As he
drew nearer he could see that she was
almost running, and it suddenly dawn
ed upon him that she was afraid Of
him and that she was running away
from him.
With one or two quick, silent bounds
he reached her side and at the same
instant recognized the little gray nit
ting figure he had 10 often seen Cd
twilight.