The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-11-12

only with the hazard of going away
from her home and leaving it to take
care of itself The occasion of their
caused them to leave a window I'M
locked, and they had not even taken
time to put out the fire burning in the
CRATE 1t was a wonder, she said, the
house had not been ransacked.
With Mabel it was different. A girl
must be devoid not only of romance
but an interest in her personal appear
ance, who would not be moved by such
a note as she had found on her re-
turn. 1t was now three years since
It had been received. and she had not
ceased to wonder If the writer would
keep his word Evidently he had not
thus far kept it as to buying the house.
for having received an offer for more
than it was WORKMAN offer they could
not afford to decline-they had sold
it and to man with a wife and a
family of children. The property had
passed out of their hands, but they
were to occupy 1t till the following
oRA4AS. as LII Lie A1du WIZ udO uAdt1c
himself at home in 1t, he had not yet
come a-wooing. Indeed, not a word
had ever been heard from him.
Mabel Hinckley sat before the fire
place on Halloween night wondering
what had become Of the person who
had been charmed with her picture. 1t
hung where 1t had hung when he
entered the house. and as she looked at
it she mused:
when that picture was taken / was
barely sixteen I am now twenty and
much changed. If he comes and
tive and all that, when he sees me he
will probably not be so much pleased
with me as with my likeness taken
four years ago Twenty is quite old
for girl. Heigho! If he's coming l
wish he would come"
The clock on the mantel struck IL,
and, arising. she started to go upstairs
to bed. A mirror hung on the wall,
and she paused to have a look at her
face to see If she was really very
much changed. The mirror faced the
fireplace and window beside it. Sud
denly she saw reflected In the mirror
the face of man at the window.
II it had not been Halloween and
Ii the face at the window had been
repulsive Miss Mabel Hinckley would
have screamed. AS 1t was she stood
perfectly still The eyes of the stran-
ger were darting here and there, final
ly resting on the face in the glass,
which was as plain to him as the face
at the window was to her. When the
two pairs of eyes met there was a
momentary recoil on the part of the
man; then half dubious, half implor
ing smile came over his face. 1t was
answered by the lips reflected In the
mirror. which gave it more confidence.
And why not? Surely it was Hal
loween, and what girl on that even
ing on seeing a face reflected in q
mirror would doubt that she was look
ing upon her future husband?
There was more in the face in the
window than this Something told the
girl that she was looking upon the
iAdA WIZ Hdu WfllLeu her LudC ne
would some day come to marry her.
Furthermore, she saw frank, ingenu
ous face, and the smile It wore was
very winning.
The girl turned, advanced to the
window, threw up the sash and ex-
tended hand to admit the visitor.
When he stood in the room before her
he began:
81 am
She lowered her eyes to the floor
Il am the man who three years ago
fancying that the world was intended
to b" seen rather than for workshop.
made tramp of myself. / came in
here one night, saw your picture, and
It made great change in me- prom
ised myself that / would go to work
and make the money to buy this house
That have done through another per
son. I promised myself that l would
come and marry yeu. cannot do so
without your consent"
He was a stranger to her. But she
had been waiting for him for three
years. 1t was Halloween, and he stood
looking down upon her with that pleas
ant smile. She said nothing but he
knew what she meant.