The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1913-07-15

"T Neil Kittreu left the Office
of the Morning Telegraph In
a daze. He was insensible
of the raw February air,
H nj needless Of sloppy pave
ments; the gray day had
suddenly turned gold. He
could not realize 1t all at once; ten
thousand a year-for him and Edith
His heart swelled with love of Edith;
she had sacrificed SO much to become
the wife of a man who had tried to
make an artist of himself, and Of
whom fate, or economic determinism
or something, had made a cartoonist
What surprise for herl He must
hurry home.
In the swelling Of his heart he felt
q love not only Of Edith but of the
whole world. The people he met
seemed dear to him; he felt friendly
with every one, and beamed on perfect
strangers with broad, cheerful smiles.
He stopped to buy some flowers for
Edith -daffodils, or tulips, which
promised spring, and he took the daffo-
dis. because the girl said:
Il think yellow is such a spdrituelle
color, don't your" and inclined her
head in most artistic manner
But daffodils, after all, which would
have been much the day before, SEEM
ed insufficient in the light of new pros
perity, and Kittrell bought a large
azalea, beautiful In its graceful spread
Of pink blooms.
Kittrell and the azalea bowled along
Claybourne avenue; he leaned back on
the cushions, and adopted the express
sion of ennui appropriate to that thor
oughfare. Would Edith now prefer
Claybourne Avenue? With ten thou
sand a year they could, perhaps-and
yet, at first 1t would be best not to
put on airs, but to go right on as they
were, In the fiat. Then the thought
came to him that now, as the cartoon
list on the Telegraph, his name would
become as well known in Claybourne
Avenue as it had been in the homes
of the poor and humble during his
years on the Post Could he make new
friends here, where the cartoons he
drew and the Post that printed them
had been condemned, If not despised?
His mind few back to the dingy Of
fee of the Post; to the boys there, the
whole good-natured, happy-go-lucky
gang; and to Hardy-ah, Hardy
who had been 50 good to him, and CIV
en- him his big chance, had taken such
pains and interest, helping him with
ideas and suggestions, criticism and
sympathy. To tell Hardy that he was
going to leave him, here on the eve
of the campaign-and Clayton, the
mayor, he would have to tell him, too
oh. the DEVIL Why must he think
of these things now?
After all, when he had reached
home, and had run upstairs with the
news and the azalea, Edith did not
seem delighted.
But, dearie, business is business"
he argued, "and we need the money!"
Yes, know; doubtless you're right.
Only please don't say business is bust
uess: 1t isn't like you, and"
But think what it will mean-ten
thousand a year!"
"Oh, Neil, I've lived on ten thousand
a year before, and never had half the
fun that l had when we were getting
along on twelve hundred"
Yes, but then we were always
dreaming of the day when I'd make a
lot; we lived on that hope. didn't weY''
Edith laughed you used to say
we lived on love-"
You're. not serious" He turned to
gaze moodily out of the window. And
then she left the azalea, and perched
on the fiat arm of his chair.
Dearest" she said, II am serious.
l know all this means to you. We're
human, and we don't like to chip at
crusts like Hindus,' even for the sake
OF youth and art. never had illu-
sions about love in a cottage and all
that. Only, dear, have been happy,
so very happy, with you, because.
well, because I was living in an atmo-
sphere OF honest purpose. honest ambt
ton, and honest desire to do some
good thing In the world. l had never
known such an atmosphere before. At
home, you know, father and Uncle
James and the boys-well, it was all
money. money. money with them, and
they couldn't understand why -
Gould marry poor newspaper ar
tistl That's just the point"
She put her hand to his lips.
Nov dear! If they couldn't under
stand, 80 much the worse for them.
If they thought 1t meant sacrifice to
me, they were mistaken. l have been
happy in this fat; only" she leaned
back and inclined her head with her
eyes asquint-"only the paper in this
room Is atrocious; it's a typical land
lords selection-McGraw picked it out.
You see what it means to be merely
rich"
She was so pretty thus that he kiss
ed her, and then she went on:
And so. dear. If didn't seem to be
as impressed and delighted as you
hoped to find me, 1t is because 1 was
thinking Of Mr. Hardy and the poor,
dear. common little Post. and then-ofl
Mr.. Clayton. Did you think of himf"
yes"
You'll have TOTO cartoon himr"
Il suppose So"
The fact he had not allowed himself
to face was close to both OF them, and
the subject was dropped until, lust as