The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-01-09

| stable. The automobile Is at the door,
and Peter will drive you there at once.
l send the note by you because 1t is
upon a matter of unusual Importance
am Mrs. Gonagle's secretary. She
is a wealthy woman and a philanthro-
pist am unfortunate enough to have
been born and reared in afluence and
then forced to make my own living.
confess | do not take to the work
kindly Mrs. Gonagle is very good to
me, telling me that | should marry q
man able to take care of me in style,
to which l reply that fate has deprived
me of an opportunity to meet such a
man.
| was driven to Mr.. Constable s
house and admitted to a sumptuously
furnished room that was used for his
office. All knew about him was that
he was worth several millions, and like
Mrs. Gonagle, philanthropist, the two
occasionally working together in their
benefactions. A young man not more
than twenty one was sitting behind d
rosewood desk writing. | advanced to-
ward him with the note and said
Twill you please give this to Mr.
Constable and say that Mrs. Gonagle
would be obliged for an immediate
answer
The young man looked at me, and
could see In his eye that he admired
my appearance. But 1. being woman
of the world. knew how to appear un-
conscious of his appreciation. Then he
glanced at the address on the note and,
inviting me to be seated, left the room.
After a short absence he returned and
handed me reply addressed to Mrs.
Gonagle. 1t was unsealed
"Win you kindly mention to Mrs.
Gonagle," he said, that Mr.. Constable,
understanding that the bearer of his
note is her secretary, does not feel
warranted IN sealing the reply? He
wishes Mrs Gonagle to understand
this, for the subject matter Is of con-
siderable Importance, and the note, II
carried by an ordinary messenger,
should be sealed"
Now, while am to the manner born
and thoroughly understand the motives
that would induce Mr.. Constable to re-
frain from sending a sealed communi-
cation by me. am nevertheless a
woman. The sense of honor supposed
to exist in a highborn dame. claim,
is as strong In me as in the rest Of my
class, but that does not necessarily i'm
ply that am devoid of curiosity. At
any rate. what l did on this occasion
was to prove that l am gifted with
my full share Of that feminine trait.
had not long been seated in the auto
when ! took out Mr.. Constable's note
and read 1t.
Great was my establishment. This
was what I found in it:
Dear Mrs. Gonagle-I am delighted with
your secretary / am sending this reply
by her unsealed If she reads it she has
not the high sense of honor and the DELI
cacy / would require in a wife. And If
she does read 1t l shall know by the con-
seriousness she will display that she has
done so and shall be ready TO have you
recommend another helpmeet. trust she
will not. for l am half in love with her
since this single meeting Cordially and
thankfully yours.
DONALD CONSTABLE.
Heavens. What had lost7 A mil
nonaire husband! 1t was plain that
Mr.. Constabl instead Of being a mid
die aged or an old man, was the young
fellow / had taken for his secretary.
And had spoiled 1t by my curiosity.
In another moment l resolved to
fight the matter to the bitter end. But
howl Ten minutes more would serve
to carry me to Mrs. Gonagle, and that
would be insufficient time for me to
form a plan. had owned an auto
before the collapse of our family for
tunes and knew how to run one.
Peter" l said. '1et me take your
seat. / wish to drive awhile"
Peter stopped the machine. and got
Into his seat.
"Are the tires in good orderY' ask
ed
"All but this front one on the left.
I've got a new one I'm going to put
on there"
l determined to obtain delay by
bursting that tire. Turning into a
street in which / knew the pavement
to be badly broken. | drove vigorously
over several holes. at the last Of which
there was report. and the imperfect
tire was bursted.
II shall have to leave you, Peter"
said. ito get out of this trouble as
best You can. I am carrying an i'm
portant message to Mrs. Gonagle
which must be delivered as soon as
possible"
Alighting. | walked on. The ten
minutes that had been necessary for
me to get home was now extended to
nearly an hour. for had driven the
car as far as possible from a trolley
line. When | reached Mrs. Gonagle |
pretended to be 80 full of the break
down as to forget Mr. Constable's
note. I talked "a blue streak" about
the former not mentioning the latter.
Finally Mrs. Gonagle spoke Of my err
rand.
''I saw no one | said. hut an I'M
derstrapper. who took the note to Mr.
Constable and brought me this one In
reply. He old me to say to you that.
though It was on matter of great
Importance. he did not seal II, since
he sent 1t by your secretary. All that
was entirely unnecessary. I'm not in
the habit of poking my nose In other
peoples business"
This latter assertion / made with a
toss of the head and left my employ
er to read the note by herself.
So far so COCO had got over the
danger of showing consciousness to
Mrs Gonagle. and this was a great
aid. She would doubtless tell Mr..
Constable that so far as she could dis
Germ | had stood the test. This would
incline him to infer. unless | quailed
under his searching gaze. that ! had
stood It. Emboldened by my first sue
cess, / determined that / would de-
ceive him If it took all the talent for
deception there was in me. Besides,
now that my blood was up for the
fight, | would teach him that he could
not play such a game on me with i'm
punity.
Nevertheless l knew that unless
could at my next meeting with him
throw up dust as ] had done with
Mrs. Gonagle would be beaten. What
was my CONSERVATION when Mrs. Con
agile came into the room where l was
writing, not ten minutes after my ar
rival, with note in her hand and told
me that must go right back with II
to Mr.. Constable. She had telephoned
for an auto and it would be at the
door in a few minutes. Il will trust
to your high sense of honor" she said
las Mr.. Constable has done, leaving
my note unsealed."