The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1914-04-07

cause you said 1t was a pity there
was no way of catching return train
to New York by tomorrow morning
/ thought maybe you were on a week
end vacation. I'm sure I've got you
right. My names Phil Graves.
used to have an account with you"
The other seemed stunned by the
recognition. II used-to be there,
he answered. his voice quavering
slightly. He wanted to go out, but
felt that the other suspected him OF
something 1t seemed hours before
his acquaintance rose, with a nod
and that same curious smile. Then
he made his way back to Section 8,
opposite the girl.
Hilda started and looked round al
him. Their eyes met, and the teller
rose up and stood before her
Don't you remember me, Mrs
Mercer" he asked, smiling forlornly
Her eyes lit up. IT'S you. Alfred
Burton!"
Burton sat down beside her.
II heard about your marriage five
months ago." he said. II meant to
write to Will Mercer and congratu
late him-but wasn't man enough.
Il wish you had" she answered
Eve should have been so glad to have
welcomed you to our home"
{ wills a fine, lucky fellow" said
Burton He's on the train, isn't he
You're not travelling alone%
YES" she answered. I'm making
q little holiday jaunt-a visit,
mean" She felt her eyes flooding
with tears again. She looked at Bur
ton in defiant, helpless loyalty to
Will.
"Hilda, there's something wrong
between Will Mercer and you" sale
Burton. You're running away
You're running away to think, just as
you used to do You mustn't think
but act l want you to turn right
round at Brattleboro and go back tc
him. There isn't a finer man living
than Will Mercer"
Il know there isn't!" she answered
impetuously, and then she saw how
hideously wrong she had been. 1t was
not VIII from whom she was running
away, but her own discomfort; anC
she wss carrying it in her heart, just
as she would always carry it.
'It's too late now" she answered
dismaily. and looked out into the rair
again.
It was impossible to return before
VIII got home. There was no train
from Brattleboro till morning. She
had made sure of that before she
! started in case her resolution weak
ened. He would discover the letter
that she had left; if she went back
he would forgive her, but things
would never be the same.
She was crying Historically Bur
ton let her hand fall and stared at
the cushions of the seat opposite. He
had urged her to go back, but what
about himself? He, too, must be back
by Monday morning or become fugi-
tive. Fate seemed to have lain in
wait for him. Two people had recog-
nized him in the same car, and he had
thought never to be recognized again.
When Hilda married Will Mercer 1t
seemed that all the goodness had
gone out of his life; he had plunged
into dissipation and changed COM
pletely; now. after seeing Hilda,
every point of vision was as it had
always been, and he looked upon his
crime as something unbelievable.
He swung round In his seat sud
denly. "Hilda," he said, 'T'm running
away too. l have six thousand dol
lars in my pocket that doesn't belong
to me-"
She looked at him in bewilderment.
There isn't any train" she gasped,
and Burton felt that he was no GRIM
inal In her eyes, but only a man
caught In the same fatal net as her
self. The train from Brattleboro
would not reach New York until nine
on the Monday morning. VIII would
be home before she got there. and his
bank open.
A jar shook them In their seats, a
whistle shrilled, and the train ground
its way to a standstill. Outside peo-