The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1916-01-25

boiler at him to show himself. He
did, and he made little speech. Told
them he'd got religion and he meant
to make Mosstown hive of harmony.
Those were his words, sir.
well, Mosstown, like most small
places, had it's own troubles. There
was Henson, the grocer, hated Bull,
the butcher, like mad. l don't know
what the trouble was, and most like
ly they themselves had forgotten.
Anyway, they wouldn't speak, and
when they passed on the street they'd
scowl as If each of them had met a
ravening tiger.
Then there was Miss Adams, who
had been engaged to Joe Wendell
some twenty odd years ago. They'd
fallen out over whether the solitaire
he'd given her had crack in it or
not. Miss Jane said 1t had, and Joe
said 1t was the edge of one of the
carats. In the end she sent him away
and had the ring enlarged and wore 1t
on her thumb to show that was where
she'd have had him If she'd married
him.
Then there was Miss Rose Robert
son. the pride of the Second church
There hadn't been trouble there in
twenty years that Miss Rose hadn't
had her finger in It. She'd sued one
pastor for breach of promise, and had
two dismissed, and was at daggers
with Reverend Aloysius over the con-
duct of certain ladies In the Sewing
Circle, and it was a tossup whether
Reverend Aloysius would stay through
the winter. Some bet he would and
some he wouldn't. In short, Moss
town was looking forward to lively
winter season.
We'll. sir. it was into the middle of
this that Hi Briggs took his plunge.
First thing he did was to get Henson
and Bull together and make them
shake hands. They hadn't expected
to meet, and they glared at each
other.
I'm never shake hands with a man
that tells me good dime is made of
lead and aluminium, says Henson,
glaring at Bull.
"Tll never shake hands with q man
that tries to pass lead and aluminium
dime on hardworking butcher says
Bull to Henson.
How Hi managed 1t I don't know,
but before he let them leave his
house they were fast friends. And
that set all Mosstown gaping, for they
went down street arm in arm, like
iong-lost brothers.
Next thing we knew, Hi had been
to Miss Jane and Joe. He didn't tell
US how he worked that, but next
morning Miss Jane was wearing a
smile that would have carried to the
post Office, and Joe was spruced up in
a new suit and escorting her down
the town.
Eyes, we're going to be married to-
morrow, thanks to that good old
man. says Joe to his cronies.
The news caused sensation. Got
into the county papers, and there was
some talk of Hi being asked to allow
himself to be shown at the county
fair. Lots of other communities tried
to start 'Make-It-Up Days but they
hadn't HIS powers. It's a gift, that's
what / call it, sir. and Hi, having
been naturally sour all his life, had
more sweetness to draw on than most
folks. At least, that's what / make
of 1t.
However, nobody believed that Hi
would have the nerve to tackle Miss
Rose. But that's just what he did.
Showed her the error of her ways,
and brought her, in tears, up to the
door Of the Sewing Circle, to which
men aren't admitted. That was the
real sensation of the day. News got
into the papers of the neighboring
counties. and made them hopping
mad.
Would you believe It? Every quar-
rel in town was ended. Hi went here
and there like one Of Elijah's ravens.
and that, sir, was the dullest winter
ever known in Mosstown.
I'VE hadn't appreciated before how
much our honest hate of our neigh
'bors had kept things stirred up and
lively. Jane and Joe got married
and went on their honeymoon to
Barnboro, ten miles away. Henson
and Bull no longer scowled at each
other, and the Sewing Circle had to
shut down, because there was NO
body to attend.
Hi had somehow begun to get less
popular as time went by. but 1t wasn't
until Joe and his wife returned from
their honeymoon that Mosstown sort
OF sized up the situation. There was
as prosperous little town as ever
existed been ruined by one benighted
old man. Rents were dropping fast,
because there was no interest in
Mosstown any more. The pastors sal.
aries had been cut, aud building ep