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

looking for cOmpanionable apprecia-
ton Of some noble sentiment express
ed by one of the actors, he smiled good
naturedly and sympathetically. Then
when the curtain fell be took her
where they could get an ice, which to
her was more than canvasback duck
to one who had been satiated. And
that night Blanche went to sleep
dreaming that Forman was the hero
and she the heroine in the play that
had been enacted As for Forman,
he sank to slumber thinking about
the pretty young thing who had sat
beside him at the theater.
Forman passed the next evening at
his club. Saturday night is gala night
at most cluDs and there were plenty
Of his companions there to keep him
company. But somehow the evening
dragged. At billiards the face of
Blanche was always interposing itself
between him and the object ball. At
bridge he lost because he couldn't keep
his mind on the game. And so it was
In whatever be did When he went
home to the house he was guarding
he felt relieved because he was under
the same roof with the girl who had
thrust herself unbidden into his
thoughts. His club life seemed more
unsatisfactory TO him than ever
One morning Forman woke up con-
scious of the fact that he was drifting
into an equivocal position. His friend
had asked him to look out for his
home and the two people In 1t during
his absence. What had he been doing?
daughter, not quite seventeen years
old. In this Forman was wrong. 1t
was not he who was turning the girls
head. but she who was turning his
head At any rate there was some
thing very delightful between them.
How would he meet his friend when
he returned? Then suddenly he was
terrified at the thought that Blanche
would give the whole matter away to
her father.
And this is exactly what she did.
She didn't tell him her secret but
WAC1A Il vi 1luA went " Tic uOQcC OA
the evening of Fisk's arrival to get
something he had left there Blanche
received him so enthusiastically that
her father could not help noticing 1t.
FOrman began to stammer something
that would help the matter.
ut has been pleasure to me-" he
said. ito afford your little girl"-here
Blanche gave him reproachful look
''some amusement during your alb
sence Her aunt was good enough to
let me take her to the theater, and /
gave her drive in the park in my
buggy"
Didn't you enjoy 1t all. too. Mr.
Forman?' interrupted Blanche. with
another pronounced reproachful look.
Every much. very muchr' replied
Forman. reddening.
Il dare say you've been very kind.
old man,. said Fisk, and there was
something in the familiar appellation
of ''old man" that for the first time
grated on Forman's feelings Il think
I'll stroll over to the club with you to-
night for a game of bridge"
That was the last meeting between
Forman and the little girl for three
years. He was then just passed mid
die age and she a young lady.
blanche is home" said Fisk to his
friend one day. Come round and see
u.s."
81 will with pleasure" replied For
man. and he chose a time for calling
when he knew his friend would not
be at home.
When Forman called he saw vision
of loneliness advancing to greet him
with pleasure in her eye and smile
on her lips. 1t seemed to him all at
once that he had been growing young
or as the girl had been growing older
Surely this could not be the little girl
whom he had taken to the theater and
to whose prattle he had so often lis
tened. That experience now seemed
to him like IL dream
The child had passed completely into
tie woman Nevertheless she had
not recovered from her girlish fancy,
and though she endeavored to conceal
the fact from Forman she failed He
saw through the disguise at once. and
his heart was filed with great joy.
There was courtship. but a post
facto one. The real courtship had &C.
Cured three years before.