The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1916-04-18
Stared In Amusement.

usual. Besides, it would have been
hideous to say anything when Maudie
was suffering even more than usual.
Little Joel went away, and he was
nearly home when the great idea came
to him,
Maudie's foot must be cured. But
how could he go to her and ask to pay
for the operation? How could he tell
them, and, If he did, he knew they
would refuse. The Stevens were very
proud. So little Joel set his brains
to work.
What do you think has happened,
JOEL" cried both the girls in a breath,
when, q week later, he visited the
house in an agony OF shyness. "A
godmother, of whom l had never
known, has left us five thousand dol
lars! An old lady in Boston! She
had quarreled with mother at the
christening Of Maudie, but she had
watched over us like good fairy, and
she knew Maudie's lameness, and
and one condition is that she has to
be operated on at the Boston hos
pital.
The girls thought little Joel even
less enthusiastic than usual.
You never know" he said dismally.
1t may be Just a fraud
But we've got the money in the
bank" exclaimed both girls together
A week later Joel went through a
causeless agony of fear until he was
called up from the Boston hospital, a
hundred miles away, and informed
that the operation had been COM
plete success. And a month later
Maudie was home, her foot in plaster,
but the pain gone and hope in her
eyes.
And two months after that she was
romping with the dog on the lawn, as
straight and active as any of them.
Joel crept back to his prize cows.
1t was astonishing how many be-
quests were left to Fouracres people
during the next two years. 1t got 80
that the newspapers began to notice
it. There was old, half-paralyzed Mr..
Cooper, who had been afraid of the
poorhouse himself, and his aged wife.
They were left $4,000 too, by dis
tant relative in New York, of whose
existence they had been ignorant And
Mrs. Patrick, the widow, who had such
a task trying to make both ends meet,
and was afraid she would have to
marry Old Man Green. She was left
$4,000 by a cousin in Alabama, Of
whom she used to speak vaguely and
not affectionately. She at once re-
jected Old Man Green. And he, to
mollify his disappointment, as it were,
received a legacy from a nephew in
Ireland, who had died intestate, worth
$4,000, and said he was glad now that
he could afford to get housekeeper,
instead of having to think of getting
married.
Then gifts began to flow in to the
Cripples' Home, and the Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,
and the Job Nimble Home for Incura-
bles. In short, after five years Joel
had only $4,000 of his capital left.
And Maudie was growing up and go
ing to college. And Dolly had mar
ried the finest man in the world. q
lawyer, who often came over to Joels
to sit and chat Of an evening, and
ask disconcerting questions. Joel be-
gan to be afraid that folks would find
out the truth. But presently the ques-
lions ceased, and the lawyer became
still more kind and friendly.
How wonderful 1t was, at thirty, to
have done so much good to others, in
stead of having spent ones money on
oneself. Joel began to forget the
heartache that he felt whenever he
saw Maudie back from college, always
with the same kind word for Joel. He
had really had more out of life than
he deserved, even though he was still
the butt Of the young folks.
But when Maudie came back for