The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1914-03-10

HIS LIFE WAS DULL
Bv cLARIssA MAcklE.

fToWned impatiently.
1t was annoying indeed to have his
summer evenings disturbed by silly
chatter and senseless laughter; he had
come to Littleport to spend a few
weeks with his sister Hannah. and he
had expected to find the sleepy village
life an antidote for the nine months of
excitement he endured at the hands of
prankish students in university
town
Now he went indoors, his tall, lean
form making a grotesque shadow on
the gravel path as the front door
opened and closed.
Hannah" he said to his sister who
was embroidering a bureau scarf for
the coming church fair, 1T must be
very disagreeable to have those young
people across the way-why, thought
the Browns owned the place." He sat
down in rocking chair and swayed
slowly to and fro, the lamplight falling
on his fine gray eyes and revealing the
thick hair.
Hannah smiled cheerfully. Amos
Tringle, believe you grow more alb
sent-minded every day." she said.
placidly. Il told you in my letter that
the Browns had sold the place to city
folks for a summer home. This Is the
first time the Desmonds have been
here, and l must say l like to have
young folks around-it makes 1t real
cheerful for me. told you all this in
my letter, but 1 do believe that you
skip everything like that-you think
I'm gossiping.
II dare say" murmured Amos
guiltily. only there isn't much
peace"
Who wants peace?" interrupted
Hannah quickly; "for my part may
be fifty-five years old, but I'm not so
old that l can't remember how blissful
it was to feel young and foolish-and
to laugh and talk and have a good
time! Why, l just laugh right out
sometimes at their nonsense! It's
company for me. They're real good
neighbors, too; Mrs Desmond has tax
en- me out in her motor car once or
twice and the girls are sweet and
pretty-especially Desdemona."
''Desdemona! Listen to that-and
her name is Desdemona!" groaned
Amos as a rich chorus pulsed across
the street.
IN love you. nah honey-if you've
got money!"
"Ragtime music!" shifted Amos con-
temptuously.
Il like it," cried Hannah excitedly,
beating time with her embroidery
hoop, humming the refrain, entirely
off the key.
Amoswatched her in growing amaze
ment Hannah had always been the
impersonation Of old-maiden dignity;
recollection of other summer vacations
assailed him-long, quiet days when
the bees doomed In and out of the
flowers. birds sang in the little or
chard, and Hannah moving quietly
about the house preparing delicious
meals that they ate without enthusi-
asm; delightfully."- dull days during
which he dreamed of many things that
might have been or that might be, but
never living in the present save when
he went back to his college classes.
Across the street, in those days, the
Browns, an aged couple, sat and stared
at the few passersby from their big
chairs on the long piazza. 1t had been
very quiet, very peaceful very dull!
He reused himself to hear Hannah
speaking.
It's bad enough for me to be fifty
five and getting on in years, Amos, but
you're Is years younger and you act
like an old man. I should think you'd
like to have a motor car and get out
and have some fun. / would If l was
a mani"
"A motor carr" repeated Amos
Are you crazy, Hannah Tringle?"
Hannah laughed heartily.
of course, I'm not crazy-but you
can afford to buy one-why don't you?
I'll learn to drive 1t If you don't! I'd
like to have it tomorrow-Fm going
over to Petawick for the day and Sam
Pinney's going to drive me over In his
surrey-seem's II horses were slow
beside motorsl-
Hannah" gasped Amos, realizing
that all his plans for a drowsy old age
with Hannah as sole companion, were
tottering to earth.
I'm not going to be a back num-
bert" protested Hannah as she folded
up her work and took the clock key
down from the shelf; Pm not going
to be has-been!"
"A-what?" gasped Amos.
"a has-been," repeated Hannah, glo-
rying in her newly acquired slang ex-
preston. Il heard Cleopatra Desmond
say that-it's very expressive, isn't
it,"
1T is-very expressive" assented
Amos dazedly, as he kissed his sister
good night, going out on the porch for
final pipe.
Across the street there was the
sound of laughing goodbyes in which
the bass of mems voices mingled with
the sweet treble of the Desmond girls.
Then motor horn honked loudly, and
with a rasping "swo-o-o-osh" a large
car swept out of the Desmond gates
and disappeared down the street. He
could see the white gowns of the girls
In the front doorway as they entered
the house and presently the lights
were extinguished and quiet fell upon
the street.
It was very quiet-it was deadly
still save for the crickets chirruping
in the dewy grass and the distant call
of whippoorwill.
Suddenly Amos Tringle felt very
lonely He realized that his life wa
dull-that he was in fair way to di
lonesome death; for Hannah, In
spired by the Juvenile spirit of tn
age. would slip off the years while h
| shouldered them until there could b.
no sympathy between them.
There was only one thing to do
either to give up his hopes of quie
old age with his sister-or else to sill
| off some of the staidness that his ag
and profession had brought him.
Il believe really could enjoy goo
time," he said wonderingly as he wen
to bed.
The next afternoon Professor TIL
| gle sat in the orchard under a low
hanging apple tree. He was in Han
nah's favorite seat, an ancient win
chair covered with oilcloth. Her
| Hannah could sit and sew or read
sleep entirely protected from draughtf
Amos Tringle had spent a lonel
day. He had seen the pretty Desmon
girls-he didn't know how many Their
were, four or five altogether
away in the motor with their hano
some mother; and there was no SCUM
of piano or of merry voices from tn