Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-04-19
THE MELTING OF MOLLY
By MARIA THOMPSON DAVIES

telegram, but it might have been
nitro glycerin on a tear for the way
it acted. 1t was for me, but the
ginger barber handed it to Tom and
he opened it and, looking at me over
his full-after many times emptied-
glass, he solemnly read 1t aloud. 1t
said:
LANDED this noon. Have | your
permission to come to Hillsboro i'm
mediately? Answer. Alfred.
1t was dreadful Nobody said a
word and Tom laid the telegram
right down in his plate, where 1t
Immediately began to soak up the
dressing of his salad. He was so
white and shaky that Pet looked at
him in amazement, and then l am
sure she had the good sense to ind
his hand under the cloth and hold IT,
for his shoulder lowered against hers
and the color came back to his face
as he smiled down at her. ] don't
believe I'll ever get the courage to
look al Tom again until he marries
Pet. which he'll do now, | feel sure.
And as for the judge and Ruth
Chester / am glad they were sitting
beside each other. for / could avoid
that side of the>table with my eyes
until | had steadied myself few
seconds at least The surprise made
the others l had been dining seem
statues from the stone age, and only
Mr.. Graves's fork failed to hang fire.
His appetite is as strong as his
nerves and Della Halves looked at
his composure with the relief plain
.sI-.fA int f1sa in In
Judges direction was doubtful. But
they were not all my lovers and why
that awful silence?
[ couldn't say a word, and | am
sure / don't know what I would have
done Il it hadn't been for the doc
tor. He leaned forward and his deep
eyes came out in their wonderful way
and seemed to collect every pair of
eyes at the table, even the most as
founded, as he raised his glass. We
all held our breaths and waited for
him to speak.
mo wonder we are all stricken
dumb at Mrs. Carriers telegram he
said in his deep voice that commands
everybody and everything, even the
terrors of birth and death. THE
whole town will be paralyzed at the
news that its most distinguished citi-
zen is only going to give them two
days to get ready to receive him. / can
see the panic the brass band will have
now getting the brass shined up, and
want to be the one to tell Mayor
Pollard myself, so as to suggest to
him to have at least a two-hour
speech of welcome to hand out at the
81 time
for him when he lands in the old
town, and here's to him. God bless
him Every glass hight" They all
drank, and I suppose it helped them.
/ wish l could have drained a quart,
but l couldn't swallow a sip, though
did a good stunt of pretending.
The rest of this evening has paid
me off for every sin | have ever COM
mitted or am ever going to commit
Tom took Pet home early, and [ hope
they walked in the moonlight for
hours. Tom is the kind of man that
any pretty girl who is loving enough
in the moonlight could comfort for
anything. I'm not at all worried
about him, but
The hour | sat on my front steps
and talked to Judge Wade must have
brought gray hairs to my head if it
was daylight and | could see them
Ruth Chester had said good-by with
the loveliest haunted look in her
great dark eyes, and | had felt as IL
had killed something that was alive
and that ! hadn't killed 1t enough
Doctor John had been called from his
coffee to patient, and had gone
with just friendly word of good
night, and the others had at last left
the judge and me alone-also in the
moonlight, which l wished in my
heart somebody would put out.
They say among the lawyers that
1t is a good thing that Benton Wade
is on the bench, for it is no use to