The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-04-09

mystery Of the ring Perhaps he had
taken it away with him and Molly had
invented the story Of its disappearance
till she could get it back. Perhaps
there were number of other perhapes
equally farfetched-but to one bitten
by the serpent of jealousy very palpa-
Bile. Joers manner became quite cool
What does all this meanY asked
Molly. Didn't | tell you when
made my choice between you and Sam
that It was irreyocable-at least If
you're not going to cause me to think
I've made mistake. He came to wish
me happiness in my engagement, and,
though it was evident he suffered, he
said not one word in complaint at my
having declined him for you"
Joel rose. He said nothing till he
reached the door, then told Molly that
he would think the matter over and
let her know. What he was to think
over he did not explain. Molly kept
her eyes fixed on him till he had with
drawn, but spoke not a word. She had
looked upon Joel Armstrong as one
with too noble a nature thus to accuse
her within a few weeks of their en-
gagement. This was a surprise and a
shock to her.
The next morning Joel received a
note from Molly breaking their en-
gagement. The shock was now with
him, though he was no better salts
fed that there was not something I'M
derhanded which he could not under
stand. He made no reply to the note
He did what a man usually does in
such cases-he sulked
The next thing he heard was that
Molly had gone away on a visit. He
was beginning TO find by this time that
he had overrated his ability to get on
without her, even though she might
have deceived him. His farm duties
were light, for the planting was I'm
ished, and there was little to do but
wait for the first reaping. So he sat
In the barn when idle and thought
about Molly. Sometimes it would sud
denly come over him that all this trou-
Bile as to the loss of the ring was non
sense; that it had been really lost and
there had been nothing to cover up
But this view Of the case would not
last long. Besides, If Molly had really
loved him she would have shown more
distress at his suspicion Of her. 1t
did not occur to him that the more
sensitive she was to her honor the
more indignant she would be at being
falsely accused.
One day while he was in the store he
heard two men talking.
THAT was QUAR- up to Ashurst's yis-
tedy, WANT it?' said one.
What was it?"
why, they got pet daw up there
They've been missin' things for long
while and didn't know where they
went to. Mrs. Ashurst saw the daw
fly into a winder. light on a bureau,
pick up a tortoise shell comb and fly
away with 1t to the cote. Ashurst he
climbed the post on which the cote sets
and pulled out hull lot o. things
Among others was ring that disap-
peared some time ago."
Joel waited to hear no more He
staggered out Of the store and walked
as fast as his legs would carry him to
the Ashurst farm. Mrs. Ashurst saw
him coming and inferred his errand
She met him in the doorway.
where's Mary?" he asked
Away. She hasn't come home yet"
when will she conner"
Don't know"
''Will you give me her address?"
She wrote it on a bit of paper and
handed 1t to him. AS he took it Mrs.
Ashurst noticed his hand trembled.
Joel wrote penitent letter. Inclined
to extremes, he had as little hope Of
forgiveness as he had had doubt that
there was something undetermined GO
ing on. He calculated exactly by what
mail he would receive a reply and was
at the postoffice with wildly beating
heart to receive it. He was doomed to
disappointment. No reply came.
1t was now reaping time, and he
went to work cutting the wheat Sud
denly he saw Molly coming from the
house and making straight toward him,
just as she had done the day she lost
her ring. He got down from his seat
and FASTENED through the grain to meet
her. She suffered him to take her IL
his rms Thu aDionda xuoa auaH