The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1913-10-07
LAUGH THAT LIVED
All of Which and Why Wedding
Bells PeaIed MerrIly Forth.
BY |. z. BELHAM.

Floyd Chalmers wanted Nellie Bost
wick about as much as any fellow
ever did want girl. And Nellie
wanted Floyd pretty badly, too. There
never was a surer case Of the magnet
and the needle than In the case OF
Floyd Chalmers and Nellie Bostwick
Why, they loved each other 30 ar
IDENTIFY that it fairly hurt.
But they both were sensible people
and that was where all the trouble
came in. Both had passed the cali
age and had enjoyed wide range OF
observation-and out Of their expert.
ence and observation had grown the
conviction that love in a cottage
ads happily only in certain class
-of papercovered novels.
1T is all right to say we will endure
all things just so we have each 9th
er, Floyd" remarked the little WON.
an, sagely, but am very much afraid
that l would not appeal to your fancy
half SO ardently in dowdy gown and
down on my knees scrubbing out the
kitchen as In white lawn and china
silk. And know very well that you
would become absolutely abhorrent TO
me coming home with baggy trousers
and scowling at the makeshift supper.
No, no, Floyd. let's start right II we
start at all. I'll wait forty years for
tou, because l want you or nobody
before we plunge into matrimony."
Chalmers demurred more or less
strenuously, but finally bowed to the
logic of Nellie's argument.
Il guess you're going to be boss
anyway" he said; so suppose you
might as we'll begin now as any time.
Chalmers was employed by a con-
cern that manufactured agricultural
machinery. He made a strong play
with the manager and secured a Job
to go down into Texas and sell ma,
chinery. The salary was not so awful
much, but liberal commission was
added for all sales In excess of a GER
tain sum.
That was the reason why Floyd
Chalmers went away from the clean,
cool shop and invaded Texas with a
decent salary, mild expense account
and wild hopes regarding commissions.
Chalmers worked hard-for he had
the zeal of the lover back Of him, but
there we're lot of other fellows down
thereabouts who seemed as anxious to
sell rival threshing machines as he
was to sell old Bearings. Just what
the moving motives behind the other
fellows were Chalmers did not ascer-
tain, and really is not pertinent to this
story. The fact remained, however,
that they, one and all, fought for
every possible sale as hard as Chal-
mers-and obtained their fair share.
So, after some three years Of hard
plugging, and close saving and skilful
use Of the expense account, Chalmers
found himself with some $4,000 ahead
Ia sum woefully inadequate to the
matrimonial venture upon which his
heart was set
In the meantime Nellie had taken q
Job as typewriter and was hanging
on by her eyebrows, as 1t were, wait
ing for Floyd to make good. Which
did not add to Floyd's peace Of mind
70 any nOtlC0dDlo degrees.
One day a great streak Of luck
came to Chalmers. A syndicate
bought great tract Of land and went
into the farming business on a whole
| sale scale. They were In the market
for many implements. Chalmers con-
ceived Napoleonic scheme and had
his firm send machines to the ranch.
taking chances on selling them. His
audacity won. The other fellows were
working from catalogues and pictures
! and plates. Chalmers had his ma
chimes on the ground, and knew how
to run them. The consequence was
that he gobbIed the order, which In
volved the purchase Of all the ma
chimes he had with him and an order
for many more OF the same Incident
ally, the purchasers paid spot cash for
the machines in sight-amounting to
some $4,00O-and paid Chalmers in
! gold
( He rode away with his precious load
in his saddle bags and a wild exulta
ton in his heart. Neither the load OF
the exultation lasted long enough to
hurt much, because, In a lonely stretch
OF road, three masked men bobbed UT
beside him, knocked him from the
saddle and, gathering in his richly
laden saddle bags, rode away. leaving
him rubbing his sore and dazed head
and cursing everything in sight. Az
they strobe on the leader gave q
hooking and exultant laugh. which
rang through Chalmers head like the
very cry of the evil one.
They had left his horse, and wher
he had recovered enough to stick In
the saddle he rode back to the towr
where he made his headquarters. He
was not injured much physically, but
mentally he was sadly perturbed
Instead of advancing his prospects by
his brilliant coup he was worse of
than when he came to the internal
country. He owed the concern "a, 900
less his commission. and the extent
of his savings was $4,000
As he entered the hotel he heard 8
man say to another: "The lid is of
at Antonio's. The limit is placed Al
the ceiling"
He scarcely remarked the incident
but in sort of sub-conscious way Il
chung in his brain, and he dreamed o.
It and awakened the next day with Il
ringing in his ears.
He never had been addicted Il
gambling. but that night saw him en-
ter Antonio's, famous gambling re
sort. In his pocket he had the 81. 0OI
he had saved so frugally. In his eyei
lurked a strange fire.
II might as well lose 1t all" he sait
to himself. Il am a pauper and al
embezzler, anyway"
He played feverishly, desperately
and lost steadily. OF a sudden he
paused and counted his money. He
had barely $500 left At the same
time he became conscious of the gaze
OF Mexican who sat next to him, and
there seemed something strangely ia,
miliar In the expression of the Mexi
cans eyes. 1t also came to him that
the Mexican had been winning stead
lily all the evening. while he had been
losing.
Il have been too feverish," he said
to himself. 1T Is that the winning
was too important to me. will fol
low the man with the cool head and
the luck"
Which he did. placing hundred on
the same card as the Mexican select
ed.
1t won and he followed the Mexican
again with two hundred and won. He
kept 1t up. doubling and doubling
! placing all his winnings on the next
play, until he was surrounded with
great piles of gold-more than ne