The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-12-17
BALLOON
No. 7
1t Clears Away the
Cloud
By cLARIssA MAcKIH

Maisie Pomeroy dismissed her pupils
and locked the door of the little school
house. 1t lacked three days Of the long
vacation, and the last hours of the
school year dragged heavily, for June
weather was insistently calling. Her
homeward walk led along pleasant
country lanes and through clover fields
crisscrossed with narrow footpaths.
In Maisie's pocket was her last
months salary. and in spite of June
weather and the calling bobollnk her
heart was heavy with disappointment
though her face wore its usual express
sion Of unruffied sweetness: Just the
amount Of that months salary would
take her to a large summer resort,
where she might have two weeks of
such enjoyment as she had never known
in her monotonous life. She had read
Of the pleasures of this city by the sea
she had known girls whose parents
were well to do to spend several months
there, and now Ella Shaw had written
to say they were going and wished
Maisie to join them. 1t was to be
dutch treat and she knew that
meant each girl was to pay her own ex
penses.
She had not even mentioned the mat
er to her mother, for she knew that
their resources were badly strained this
year. There was an uncle who had
been bedridden for two years, and they
were now maintaining his declining
days In the hospital, where he could be
best cared for. As Maisie was the only
wage Garner in their family of two. 1t
was Observation-Disclosures. rather
that not one penny be wasted
IF Bloomfield were not SO dull,' she
murmured wistfully Ever since |
can remember there has never been
any unusual happening here. No new
families ever move here. and nobody
ever marries anybody that lives farther
than Paramount ] don't wonder there
are so many maiden ladies' In this vii
lage" She smiled as she pushed open
the front gate. for there on the front
piazza sat her mother dispensing cake
and root beer to five of Rloomfeld's
spinsters. Some day she. too. would
form one of u similar group.
Lots of news. Maisie." cried Emma
Rtsley as the girl sat down on the top
step and slipped glass of the cool
beverage.
''News?" repeated Maisie; then she
added quickly: 'sOh, you mean the new
fiagpole in front of the town hall? l
saw that yesterday"
mo. indeed; that's oldl What do
you think is going to happen In Bloom
ield?" Emma was bursting with I'm
portance, and the four other spinsters
nodded their heads significantly.
"A-circus?" There we're painfully
few things that ever had happened in
bloomfield and Maisie's Imagination
was starved
mo. sirl What do you think of bal
loon races here?'' Miss Risley's voice
was triumphant
Balloon racesy' echoed Malsie
blankly.
ten balloons all starting at once
from Cabot's big hayfieldP
when Is It going to heS" asked
Maisie
"Ip three weeks. The men have
been here and looked over the grounds.
and the lumber Is Oh the way. All
the rooms Mt the hotel have been en-
gagged for the work men. You see, |
knew about it the first one because !
hold first mortgage ON Cahot's big
field" explained Emma Risley impor-
family, "and Joshua Cabot spoke to me
about the matter"
When they had chatted themselves
away Maisie and her mother sat on
the piazza until the sun went down
They talked about the coming of the
balloonists and how 1t had been learned
that Bloomfield was chosen because
OF some special advantage 1t possessed
for the purpose, and everybody said
that once the city excursonists saw
what beautiful spot Bloomfield really
was there would start an Influx Of
summer boarders and possibly land
boom.
"Mother, dear" half sighed Maisie.
! was complaining this very afternoon
Of the dullness here. and as walked
home through Cabot's Geld l was wish
Ing almost anything would happen to
break the mOnotony Now that some
thing is going to happen | am feeling
sorry about the clover fields They are
SO beautiful"
Mrs. Ponerog laughed softly and
caTRssed her daughters bronze hair
That's the way With all Of VA. my
dear. ! have known for long time
that you were weary of the monotony
Of your life. and cannot blame you
When | was girl somehow we seem
ed to get more out of life even If we
never went away from the village
There were parties every week and
socials and spelling classes and skating
parties. The winter was always to-
short for all the good times we had
Nowadays the girls and young men &c
away to the cities, and those that re:
main and marry here don't seem t.
care for the old simple pleasures"
Perhaps after the balloon races are
over we will rejoice in our old time
quiet But somehow would like t.
have just taste of life and pleasurs
before Maisie flushed and bit hel
lip
Before what. dear?"
II know I'm horrid. mother. but
was going to say before | settled dowE
into regulation bloomfield old maid,
cried the girl. hiding her face in heI
mothers lap.
Mrs. Pomeroy smiled indulgently
''You are sure of that, Maisie? Die
you tell Walter Avery never to come
back to Bloomfield?"
For a long time Maisie was silent
!! Then she threw up her head and TOSSED
the straying locks from her flushed
cheeks. Her brown eyes we're very
bright
Il told him things that | am sure b,
will never forgive" she said slowly
i said would never marry Bloom
field boy and settle down into hum
drum existence. l said could neve
think Of him seriously: that every tim
looked at him he seemed to be tn,
same chubby faced. apple checked lit
tie boy ] went to school with year
ago."
what did Walter say to that?" Mrs
Pomeroy's face was grave, though he
brown eyes were shining. too. and the
looked much like Maisie's.
"He didn't say anything. He jus
nodded his head in that awkward wa
of his and went Off The next hear
he was in New York studying to be
doctor. You know he has never bee
home since" Maisie's tone was III
consciously wistful.
The days before the great event tina
| was to transform Bloomfield from
sleepy country village into a fashion