The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-11-19
What
Became of
AlVaretta
A Case OF Too Many
Lovers
BY CLARISsA MACKIE
BY cLARIssA MAcKIE

"AlvarettyT' shrieked Mrs. Winton
down the cellar stairs.
Silence.
"Alyarettyw she shrieked more shril-
ly up the attic stairway.
Silence here too.
ia Winton's mother as she looked into
the bedrooms and then made another
search of the lower floor.
The Wintons were still asking that
question at o'clock that evening, for
Alvaretta, the pretty daughter of the
house had disappeared as suddenly and
mysteriously as though the earth had
! opened and swallowed her up.
Neighbors had joined the anxious
family and perhaps dozen were sit
supper which Mrs. Winton had some
how managed to place upon the table.
Alva Winton, the Widows only son,
was nervously excited over his sisters
disappearance
Cant you remember where you saw
her last, MAJ" he asked for the hun
dredth time since o'clock that after
noon.
Mrs. Winton sank into a chair and
turned her Redeemed eyes upon her
son. Its the queerest thing, now that
think of it, she answered him for
the hundredth time. "She made some
remark to me while l was frying
those dOughnuts, and what with the
blue smoke in the kitchen and the sput-
terIng of the hot lard didn't sense
deprecatingly at the faces turned to-
ward her.
"Well, ma, what was the half Of
what you did hear?" patiently insisted
| Alva.
"She jest ran in through the smoke
and asked me If she could go some
| where or do something, and l says, as
/ often do to Alvaretty, oh, yes. run
along, do child; only don't be too later
She kissed me and went off, and that's
the last I've seen of my daughter"
Then Mrs. Winton broke down and
cried for the first time that trying aft
ernoon.
"That's all the clew we got to go on.
Now. suppose each one of you take a
street and go to every house and ask
| II my sister has been there or If any
body has seen her since noon. Well
all meet here at o'clock Young AL
vas voice quivered.
Where you going, Alva?" asked Cy-
rus Jenkins.
Down among the stores and along
the river" said Alva, dropping his
voice at the last word so that his moth
er should not hear.
"If I could only meet Irving DENLY
he might have seen her." unused the
troubled youth as he made his way to-
ward the stores which were grouped
around the postoffice
4 Irving DENLY was the youth in the
drug store who was deeply in love with
pretty Alvaretta Winton. He bored
her to death with his attentions, for
Alvaretta had already made her choice
and was engaged TO Dave Bemls, who
worked in the railroad office in the
city.
So Alva's first inquiry was made at
the drug store. where Irving's pale.
freckled face became elongated with
surprise at lie question.
"Alvaretta lost? Pshaw. you're josh
ing mep' he laughed incredulously.
tits the solemn truth. Irving. /
thought maybe you'd seen her go past
or something. thought you might
like to help find her" ended Alva. dis
appointed.
''Of course I would. Let me see
did see Alyaretta about-wby. it was
on my way back FROM dinner 1t must
have been O'clock She had on thar
blue dress she wears and white hat.
remember because she looked great.
and wondered where she was going,
confessed Irving. reddening to his
aomely ears.
(which way did she goT
straight up the hill"
''That's something I've learned" said
Alya. drawing a breath Of relief
You're the first one who's seen her
since before dinner"
At o'clock Alva was hurrying to.
ward his home anxiously hoping that
some Of the other searchers had been
more successful than himself in find
ing news of bis missing sister Be
yond the statement of Irving DENLY
that he had seen Alyaretta going M
the hill that led to the railroad station
there had not been single clew. Per
haps it was because the hour between
II and / is sacred to dinner in Little
River. and thus no one had observed
Alvaretta Inquiry at the station was
useless. for when Irving reached there
he found it closed.
Perhaps Alvaretta would have re
turned home when he reached there
This thought hurried his steps home
ward.
Eyes as anxious as his own ques-
toned him when he entered the din
ing room once more. He shook his
head slowly and then told them what
little information he had gained.
As he finished speaking the door
opened quickly and admitted Dave
Bemis. Alvaretta's sweetheart His
handsome face was quite pale. and he
was GREATNESS with haste. and be
spoke without ceremony.
"Where's Alvaretta?" he asked
sharply.
I'VE haven't found out yet" explain
ed Alva. "Who told you about it, any
wayT
"Why, of course 1 knew" Dave
laughed mirthlessly.
Knew what?"
'sThat she was lost I've been trying
to find her all the afternoon"
Alva redeemed angrily. "See here
Dave Bemis, you're crazy" he de
clared.
$50 are you," retorted Dave prompt
ly, when Mrs. Winton interposed q
slender form between them.
"Stop your quarreling this very in
slant. boys" she commanded. Nov
Dave, you tell what you mean about
your looking for Alvaretty. After
you've told. why. wen tell our story"
Dave Bemls hesitated. looked around
at the interested faces. flushed redly
and then plunged into his story.
"Alvaretta was to meet me in Mill
ton at AS. We were going to get mar
RED
"Married?" shrieked Mrs. Wintor
aghast
! "Married?" growled young Alva, dou-
bling fist. you mean you was run
ming away with my sister,"
"She said her mother gave her per