The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-01-02

ISm H1ke. you are uOC Aeku lac
she said. her face white as paper.
Look at me, Mabel. and see."
She stared at him and slowly shooi
her head. Lem Pike-neyer-looked-
as you do" she painted. gathering VI
( her bride rein.
whats the matter with met
haven't changed SO much as all that
| Everybody else knew me when came
back yesterday"
"You can't be Lem Pike" she insist
ed. II used to know him, and he didn'
loook at all like you"
what did he look likeT demanded
Lem suIlenly.
The girls eyes left his face and were
| focused on the distant horizon line
Against its blue gray mist she seemed
to see picture Of the past.
Lem Pike was tall and straight and
strong" said Mabel Danvers dreamily
and Lem unconsciously lost his lazy
stoop shouldered air and stiffened in th'
saddle. His eyes were clear. clear
blue, and his hair was nght-golden,
she explained, almost shyly, and then
| catching herself up with bitter LITTLE
laugh, she added: 81 suppose 1t wal
| sandy hair His face was hand-not
bad looking-and there was sort o.
good look about him. Oh, don't NEAR
goody-goody; don't like that kind. bu
do like clean hearted men,"
"And Lem Pike was like that in thos'
days?' asked Lem. watching her will
fascinated eyes.
| She nodded HE was like that. and
he was more. He was fastidious about
his dress; he never drank drop-ht
did not care for 1t; he had lots Of sell
respect and he was as brave as lion
But he went away, and he viii nevel
come back"
"You don't believe me when ] say
that l am Lem PikeT he demanded
with queer look in his eyes.
How can I when you are SO differ
entY" Her little nose wrinkled disdain
fully and he was conscious that thu
aroma of Wakeham's saloon still clunf
to him. He shifted awkwardly in hii
saddle as he surveyed her from undel
his hat brim.
would you recognize him II ht
was to come back looking as he WASP
he asked.
A warm light filed her eyes and hel
| lip trembled. Eyes, l would know hin
anywhere then-but he win never com'
back"
81 bet your calculated Lem emphat
icaIly. Twill you watch out for him
say New Years day? That will maxi
a new beginning for him"
II wonder If he knows that / mar
ried FIVE years ago." remarked the CIR
irrelevantly.
Lem Pike did not go back to Wake
hams saloon. He turned his back OF
the town and went away.
Once he stopped and looked at ths
low range Of hills that bounded the
Danvers ranch
II don't care If you are married; III
make good yet" he muttered. "Yot
won't look at me like that again!"
On New Years day the sky was like
an inverted blue bowl A light fall o.
snow covered the ground, and 1t was 81
freezing cold that the film of snow OF
the roof Of Danvers' ranch house die
not melt in the sun.
Down at the corral there were life ant
motion. but up here in the big Living
room Of the house it was very quiet
Old Bill Danvers had been dead fol
several years past, and so had his frat
little wife. But there was sister o.
Bills who managed the household will
firm and kindly hand. Aunt SusaI
was sitting upstairs in her room now
writing letters to all of her friends IL
Ohio. Mabel sat in the big rocking
chair at the front window of the Hv
ing room and watched the trail will
strained eyes.
HE said on New Years day, an(
the day is almost gone. I might havt
known that It would not happen. 81
couldn't help 1t. It's mans weak
ness. might have helped him to b.
strong" she accused herself bitterly
"He needed help and encourag cement
not sneers. from me! And all tn,
years will be blank and dreary withou
him. God forgive mel cannot help it!
She did not see a horseman COM
slowly up the trail; she did not se
the dainty tracks pricked by his blacl
horse She heard no sound Of ap
preaching footsteps on the veranda
and when his knock came sharply OF
the door she sprang to her feet witt
a colorless face.
She pulled the door wide open, ant
he came In 1t was the Lem Pike o
old-talI and fair haired. with clean
clear blue eyes and frank features
now Swallowed by some bitter ex
perience He was straight and stronl
looking. and he carried himself witt
the old time swing of the shoulder
that marked him out from other ant
smaller men.
81 am beginning all over again,
he said quietly, land I've come t
you first so you could see the begin
ming, and I'm coming the first 0
every year to show you that I've KEEP
it up. | owe 1t to you to be what yol
thought was" He was holding he
hands in bis. though neither OF then