The Penn's Grove record., 1916-03-24
BY LoUIsE OLIVER.

like the little boy in the poem
I've got the hives
And a new straw hat,
And I'm goin' back home
Where my beau lives at"
He stopped as though a bullet had
put a hole in a vital spot. Il con-
graduate you, Molly" he managed to
get out. hadn't an idea you were
engaged" F.,
"Well-Im not exactly! I guess 1
shouldn't have said that. But mother
is making an awful fuss about my do
ing newspaper work and insists upon
my going home and marrying a man
she's picked for me-"
And your
She sighed. I'm going to look him
over. If he suits my fancy 1 may.
A hour later, the young man found
himself unloaded at the entrance gate
to the Harding-Haines place. He had
preferred walking the quarter mile to
the house to get a few pictures of the
grounds.
He had passed a group Of elms, a
wonderful shrubbery, and an Italian
garden, and was approaching a per-
COLA, when he spied a swimming pool,
cool, marble lined and inviting. He
looked around. Things were quiet, TX
cept for a woodpecker hammering
near, and somewhere in the distance
the dull hum of a grass mower.
He was hot and dusty and ever
since his talk with Molly there had
been a queer feeling in his head. The
solitude of the place spelled safety.
Why not take a plunge? So in a few
minutes he was in the bath, his clothes
and INT slowed away beneath a
h~ydrangea.
The water was soothingly refresh
ing and he swan slowly around, keep
ing close to the shadow of overhang.
ing shrubs. And then-as he neared
the place from which he had started,
he heard a voice, a woman's, quite
close:
Here, Jenkins, put the tea wagon
by this stone bench. I'll wait here for
Miss Mary"
oCAt tAOu6At VI LIS CAOtAObb hOS v
feet from the bench, and danger of dis.
covery became imminent when the
same person remarked: when you
90 back, Jenkins, send Green to me.
These shrubs are entirely too thick.
They need thinning around the water.
You may CO."
Bert shivered. The water became
cold as the situation grew warm.
Jenkins retreated and the voice spoke
no more, but Bert knew that madam,
probably Mrs. Harding-H aines herself,
was seated so near that be could have
touched her"
Then Mary" arrived. A car came
rapidly up the drive and stopped. Now
was the accepted time and Bert was
about to make a grab for his clothes
when Green appeared upon the op
posite side Of the pool. There was
nothing for it but to drop quickly back
into the water under cover Of the
bushes.
But in the instant something had
happened. Bert had seen the girl. His
heart nearly stopped beating, for
Mary" was his Molly.
But bark! Madam was talking. An
unwilling e~avesdropper, Bert couldn't
help hearing.
Mary, now that you have had your
W way and earned your own bread
for a year and lived a real life, as you
call it, I want you to consider what !
say. When you were quite tiny, and a
certain young man also was quite
small, his mother and 1 betrothed
you two. I've never mentioned it for
several reasons. Partly because I
changed my mind, as his family lost
every cent of their money. But his
mother was my best friend and I think
I've done wrong in waiting. If l pro-
duce him, won't you try to like him."
DO I know him? What is his name,
mother?"
"Bertram Van Buren,"
"Mother!"
Just then Green's quick eye noticed
a splash, and he exclaimed excitedly:
Madam, there's a man in the water.
II you and Miss Mary will please go
away IL SaiA Ahll duu Dull ulIu
out!"
Mrs. Harding-Haines rose quickly.
"Heavensi Come along to the house.
Mary. I'll call up the police instantly"
But Molly, recovered Of one shock,
was to have another. She had spied
the end of a well-known cravat pro-
truding from a bush beside her and
beside it a camera she had often used
herself on her travels. She smiled
and covertly blew them a kiss.
"Oh, don't, mother!' she pleaded.
Its some poor fellow just wandered
in to get cool. Let him go--do! II
you promise, I1l-TIl marry Mr.. Der
tram Van Buren,. Honestly / will, Il
he wants mel"
!! Copyright, 1916. by the Mcclure Newspa,
per Syndicate