The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-10-29

shall all see him there and all nave
an equal chance at him. You don't
claim him. Kit. do your
mot by any means It's free for
all match
"In other words. some one of this
party on this Halloween may In Joseph
Wilkins meet her fate. Now let's see
who shall get him.
"Humph. Instead Of leaving It to
fate 1t seems to me you're leaving 1t to
the best angler
This girls chatter went on till one
of the party noticed storm cloud low
ering in the west. and they concluded
that It would he better TO get home.
Since they lived in different parts of
the town they scattered. Miss Cum
mings. after descending part of the
way with two Of the girls. turned into
a road leading down to her aunt's
house. pursuing her way alone
1t was now after ; O'Clock and since
the storm cloud shut off the twilight
few drops of rain BATTERED on the
ground Miss Cummings hurried on but
not quick enough to escape shower
Just as II began to pour she came to
the house that has been described nj
the beginning of this story Since she
was a stranger ia the place she had
never heard of the Hammond house
She saw an ample porch on whi',h she
might obtain shelter and got under it,
roof just in time To escape drenrh
Ing
1t Is not usual that Il thunder storm
comes in October but this storm was
accompanied by vivid flashes of
lightning Moreover. the wind was
driving the rain against the porch and
there was soon not dry place on II
The girl finding that she must either
take a soaking or get into the house
began to look about her for m en-
trance She tried the shutters of sew
eral windows opening on the porch
and mt last found one In which the
blind was so rotted that she could
open 1t. pane of glass WIS broken.
and inserting her hand she was able
ing up the latter she had no difficulty
In getting into window whose sill
was but few feet above the porch.
There was still glimnier Of twilight
by which she could distinguish oh
jects. The room she stood in was the
dra wing room and had been furnished
sumptuously. There were damask and
lace curtains of pattern long out OF
date; sofas and chairs of mahogany.
the satin upholstery of which was
rotten with age There were mirrors
with gilt frames of an old pattern In
one corner stood plano that had been
built when that kind of instrument
had advanced but little beyond the
spinet. Miss Cummings approached
1t, raised the lid over the keys and
struck a chord. The wheezy notes
sounded like groans.
There was something intensely inter
esting IN this former home of persons
who had lived and enacted their parts
on life's stage here They had walked
about. they had been moved by emo
tons. they had been happy, they had
been miserable here Doubtless fair
hands had struck the keys of that
plano now wheezy with age. And
now where were they? Who were
they? Were their hearts ever. of
bright morning. of serene evening.
touched by a chord of memory In
unison with the thin once melodious
plano and did they long for what had
once been to them home?
Miss Cummings was so far interest
ed that she Welded to a temptation to
explore the house further. She went
into the hall. stopped and looked about
her timidly. wondering. An open door
enabled her to see dimly into the din
ing room. A large oak table stood In
its center surrounded by massive high
backed chairs Family portraits hung
on the walls. some of them in costumes
that had been in fashion more than
century before They looked at her
reproachfuly. as much as TO say.
"What are you doins here? Go away
and leave us to stare mt each other"
Miss Cummings passed through a
pantry and into a kitchen. Pots and