The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-04-17

missed it. was in the bank the very
next morning, and as came out Anan-
las was polishing the front windows.
thought he looked mighty sour, and,
says In. kind of a joking way, What
you been up to now, Ananias?' And
he turned on me like a spiteful little
cat, and, says he. None of your gol-
darned businessP So l shifted my
helm and steered clear of him, but /
knew something had happened to up
set him. That night he came to me
for help, but he was close mouthed
about his trouble.
Last night at the engine house
when the meeting was over some of
'em got to telling stories about fires,
and all to once they fell to laffing f1t to
kill over the fire that started In the
wilder Rowell's house the night we
was over to Rockybrook camp meet
ing. So me, not being there and not
knowing about it, the chief told me the
story. and it explains why Ananias Is
SO glums just now and why he looks on
all the world as his enemy.
~"To begin, it seems that the wilder
has staying with her a woman can
vasser from Little River, her name
being Phoebe Pringle, and for looks
she's quite trim sailing little craft
not so tubby as the widder-with a
tongue as sharp as her shoulder blades
and little black eyes that snap you up
sharp"
''She came here" interrupted Maria,
threading her needle Miss Telham,
you remember that impudent little
gossip that tried to sell me a cookery
book-me who can cook all around
anybody who ever wrote a cookery
booky'
remembered the episode Of the can.
vasser, and l had enjoyed her battle
Of wits with Maria Fish, who justly
prided herself on her culinary tri.
umphs.
"Well, 1t seems Ananias met this
Miss Pringle three times day at the
widder's hospitable board, as they say
in story books" went on the genial
captain. "and. her being kind of fas-
cinat1ng as well as some younger
than the wilder, who considers her.
self engaged to Ananias, s'pose you
know, ma'am. and the Pringle woman,
being fascinating
"Humphr' shifted Maria scornfully.
yellow as saffron!"
'Well, yellow was becoming with
her black eyes" said the captain sol
EMMY, "and her being fascinating to
Ananias, he got to paying her teeny
little attentions, like passing the but.
ter without her asking for 1t and help.
ing her to pudding sauce three times
and forgetting all about the wilder
Rowell, who didn't get any.
Then, the wilder watching them
like cat and mouse, it seems Ananias
took to writing poetry to Miss Phoebe
and leaving it around where she'd be
likely to find 1t. One day he made a
poem and dropped it In one of her rub
Der overshoes In the hall rack, and Miss
Phoebe wore that poem underfoot all
one rainy day before she found 1t, all
damp and muddy. Another time he
dropped poem in her umbrella, that
being handy, too, in the front hall, and
when she opened it in front of the
postof1ce some silly girls got hold of it
when it dropped out, and Miss Phoebe
had to pretend she didn't know where
it came from.
Il guess Miss Phoebe as well as An
anias was having hard time, both of |
'em being under the widder's eagle eye.
But 1t was worse for Ananias, for he
had to keep two jealous females apart |
and
IT told you he was double dealing
and cat footed" interrupted Maria.
well, to make my story short, it
seems that the night Of the fire the
wilder Rowell had been burning some
rubbish in her kitchen stove and when
she went to bed there were some rags
smoldering there. In some way the
fiue was stopped up-swallers' nests in
the chimney, guess-and along about
midnight the house was filed full of
smoke.
Lie W4uuer ScreecueO n Ire! anu ran
out into the road In a blue flannel
nightgown, and Miss Phoebe screamed
herself hoarse as she stood. beside her,
she wearing a pink fannel-ahemP
said the captain hurriedly, in response
to a awarning glance from his wife's
eye.
II don't see why them details are
chided Maria severely.
The captain scratched his chin
thoughtfully.
Seems funnier to think Of the two
of 'em, one in blue and t'other in pink
well, Maria, I'm going on with the
story.
Seems Ananias had been out to a
lodge meeting and he was just getting |
home when it happened. and he found ,
them hollering fire. Cap'n Charlie VII
lis had already telephoned to the en-
CINE house, and there was nothing for |
Ananias to do but try to save some of
the valuables.
1T was an exciting scene, Cap'n