The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-12-11

weight-the mothers Glanced to meet
at the counter Of department store in
the shopping section of their town.
some hundred miles from the place
where Tom and Nell made their home.
At first they bowed and smiled as
women whose children have married
usually do-and with more effort at
saccharine politeness than actual cor
diality.
Mrs. Bradford was buying lavender
ribbon and when she saw Mrs. Cole,
she, too, was buying lavender ribbon.
It. had come to both the women that
ribbon of that shade would better suit
their roles In life than the pink and
yellow and green ribbons that they
naturally would have chosen as orna-
mentation to their white frocks and
negligees.
Perhaps II was this that made Mrs.
Bradford assume an attitude toward
Mrs. Cole that was so totally different
from the attitude usually adopted by
women whose children have married
each other. At any rate Mrs Bradford
did approach Mrs. Cole with an air Of
camaraderie and two hours later Mrs.
Cole and Mrs. Bradford, both looking
particularly debonaire, were slipping
tea together-not in the inglenook Of
either ones fireside but in very fash
ionable and not at all sedate hotel
where the orchestra alternately muir
INJURED the latest waltz or whanged
out the most extreme of one-steps
They talked long and understanding
rs to. draw lots about It," said Tom.
"You know, before l was married,
thought maybe 1t was going to be so
l could make home for mother here
with us, and now l don't even feel free
to invite her here for Thanksgiving"
~ am sure / don't see why you
should have your mother here any
more than I should have mamma"
"And, of course, we couldn't have
them both p
"Oh, of course not. They would never
hit 1t off,"
And wisely, as they thought, the
Bradfords stopped here on the one
point on which they agreed and with
something of an ar.nistice, Tom Brad
ford went to his office.
No, there was nothing at all, In the
common acceptance of the word, con-
genial about Mrs. Bradford, ST., and
Mrs. Cole. Mrs. Bradford, at sixty
since her children had grown up and
made families for themselves, had
grown so used to playing the role Of
"old lady" that, in spite of her active
body and nimble mind, she felt that
her proper sphere In life ought to be
In the inglenook of some sons or
daughters fireplace, her task that Of
mending other peoples children's
stockings or putting patches on their
outworn clothes and her proper head
gear a sheer white muslin cap, topped
with ribbons Of faded lavender color.
Yet, at heart, Mrs. Bradford was still
the active, energetic woman she had
been when, during the lifetime Of Ma
jor Bradford, she had led social activi-
ties in thriving army posts and,
through her tact and more than ordi-
nary discretion, had held her place as
social arbiter and leader.
Mrs. Cole was of the housewifely
type She was more interested in
ketchup and mustard pickles than din
ner parties and after-dinner small talk.
At sixty-odd she was better able than
ever to do just what she had to do all
her mature years-to keep a family of
youngsters In health and happiness on
the maximum income. Her husband
had been a small professor in small
town, and experience had made her ex-
pert In the art Of thrifty housewifery.
And just when she felt herself most
able, she found herself dispossessed
of her life job and life interest. She,
too, felt the fitness Of the lavender
bowed white muslin cap of old-woman-
hood.
So, you see, the mothers of the Tom
Bradfords, were distinctly different,
and one would think that the only ties
that could possibly have drawn them
together Were the facts that their chill
~, ana wnen they came to leave at the
portal of the hotel, Mrs. Cole held out
her capable, plump hand Of the house.
wife to Mrs. Bradford's, that was slen.
der and blemishless.
'Well, good-by, Genevieve," she
said, albeit with little tug at that
last, unaccustomed word.
$50 long, Georgiana," replied Mrs
Bradford, with firm pressure of the
hand. "The Riddles will know all In
the morning."
The next morning the kiddies-Tom
and Nell Bradford-received letters
from their mothers and each one wait
ed for privacy to read the letter.
This was the one from Mrs. Cole
that Nell took from the folds Of hel
bodice and read as soon as Tom had
gone offlceward.
"Dear Nell:
"What dears you and Tom we're to
invite me for Thanksgiving, and, If
hadn't made other plans, should most
surely have come. But / have some
precious, important business on foot
and / must attend to 1t. Mrs. Bradford
and have seen good deal Of each
other lately, and we have little enter
prise on foot that will take up most Of
our time, so we have decided to rur
down to one of the resorts for Thanks
giving day and make the last arrange
ments. I've always wanted to get Out
and do something for myself, and now
that you children are all settled in life
I'm having the chance. Mrs. Bradford
Is writing to tell you the details of the
enterprise and we shall soon have ouI
prospectuses ready to send you a more
detailed account Of our undertaking
l am feeling splendidly. Don't worry
about me, and take good care of your.
self. I must close now, as l have q
date with the tailor and another with
the hairdresser. I'm having my hair
done In the French roll, which l think
makes me look lot spryer than part.
ed"
The letter that Tom opened in the
sanctum of his office was longer, for
Mrs. Bradford was of a more literary
bent than Mrs. Cole. 1t told of the
venture in full. She and Mrs. Cole, who
had been seeing good deal Of each
other of late, had gone into partner
ship. They had decided to open q girls
boarding school, "Georgiana is such
a splendid housewife and l know SO
many people whose children we could
get that all we need is the teachers
and, as one can always get inexperi-
enced young persons at reasonable
rates to do the teaching, there will be
no trouble on that score.
"And, by the way" remarked this
mother, you were very foolish to