The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-05-01

colder period, which would after few
days give ground before another warm
invasion. Carl and Bertha. when the
evening was not too cold, would sit
out ON bench in the Beckers' private
garden, as lovers have sat on garden
benches from time immemorial, locked
in each others arms.
The time was approaching when Carl
would have to go back to the front
His first departure had not troubled
him, for he had not then been aware
Of his love for Bertha; but now re-
turn to that which was almost certain
death or manning was awful. He was
not thinking of his own sacrifice. but
of Bertha's. Whenever he spoke to her
of re-entering those dreadful scenes
she would cling to him as if he were
about to be dragged away to execu-
ton.
One night they were sitting in the
garden together when they received a
shock. The darkness was relieved by
a moon nearly full shining out of
clear sky. The lovers were sitting In a
bower open only to the front. Sudden
ly a figure appeared at this opening.
"Heavens!' exclaimed Bertha. 1T is
Heinrich Borngesser!''
There was just enough light of the
moon shining full upon the figure to
show the features. The face was
deadly pale, there was a horrible red
cash in the cheek and bandage across
one eye.
Carl was visibly affected. Was this
really the man who had promised If it
were possible to prove to him that the
dead may communicate with the living
and had now come back to keep his
agreement? One would suppose that a
mind leaning toward a belief in ghosts
would accept the figure as the spiritual
body Of his returned comrade. But
now that test was put on his credu-
lily Carl doubted.
The ghost stood for a moment facing
the couple, then resumed its pace
across the opening. AS it passed out
Of sight something fiuttered from it to
the ground. Carl ran to it and picked
it up. Holding it in the moonlight, he
read with difficulty:
II forbid the banns.''
Bertha was near a state of collapse.
Carl turned to her and, taking her in
his arms, endeavored to reassure her.
What is on the paperF she asked
family.
Nothing of moment" replied Carl.
But she insisted, and he was obliged
to tell her. She sank back on the
bench and covered her face with her
hands.
1--WE must part" she moaned.
Not by this command"
HE has come back from the other
world to warn u.s. 1t is not Gods will
that we should live for each other"
Sweetheart" said Carl, ''there is
something wrong here. If he had real
ly come back from the dead 1 would
have felt the presence of a spirit On
the contrary, l felt the spirit of liv-
ing man."
"How do you explain his coming?
Did he not perish on the battle field?"
II don't believe he did. He was re-
ported among the missing. | believe
that he was made a prisoner and es-
capped. l am sure it was he in the
fiesh.'
Time proved that Carl was right,
but months passed before the matter
was explained. Borngesser had been
taken prisoner, but had got away from
his captors, had hidden in a wood and
burrowed into the ground. After many
efforts to return to his own lines, from
which he had been driven, he had
finally succeeded. He had sought
Bertha and found Carl in possession.
Taking advantage of this agreement.
he had yielded to a temptation to sep
arate Carl from her.
Borngesser returned to the front, and
neither Carl nor Bertha ever saw him
again, for he was killed in one of the
attacks the Germans made to possess
themselves of Calais. But before this
fatal ending he wrote Carl, confessing
the deception
Before Carl went back to the front
he married Bertha His experience
with a spurious ghost turned him from
his disposition to dwell upon the mar
velous. Carl was so badly wounded
as to unfit him for active service, so
he was discharged. Then he married
Bertha and settled down in Heidel-
berg as tutor