The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1918-11-26
'What Is II, kent7"

Eleanor Meade had admired and
loved her. Both were trained nurses,
but Eleanor had hated work and had
eagerly seized her opportunity to
marry a rich man. Then two years
later in the face of Eleanor's strong
disapproval and insistence that she
was throwing herself away" Anas-
tasia had quit the nursing which she
loved for Kent Traile, whom she loved
even better.
An attack of pneumonia had almost
ended his life, but her fingers had held
him back, and when he could sit up
he had talked to her very confidential
ly. He had tried many things in his
life, he told her, first school teaching
two years of it-then he had given
up that and studied law while; then
he had inherited a little money and
tried farming, but he'd lost money at
that, and, trying storekeeplng, lost the
rest of 1t.
"Pve nothing to offer you," he had
whispered, his dark eyes brilliant with
feeling, land so l don't dare ask you
to marry me. But I want you to know
love you, and shall be loving you all
my life-I want you to know that, An
astasia, dear p
And with his wasted hands holding
her strong fingers Anastasia had felt
her better judgment swept away.
"Oh, Kent" she had said, II want
you to ask me to take you for better
or for worse |"
For five months after their mar
rage Kent had held his place as book
keeper for a soap manufacturing firm,
and Anastasia had made his salary go
long way in their modest house
Keeping. Then he thought he saw a
better opening and left the bookkeep-
ing. and it was weeks before he got
the next job, clerlSing in hardware
store. After that he had retained his
Jobs for shorter and a shorter time,
and in the last year he had done any
thing he could get. Six weeks before
he had given up carpenters job,
thinking something better would turn
up. But nothing had turned up I'M
til he had seen the hop growers adj
vertisement. 1t would be more pleas
ant for Ana etasia to be with Eleanor.
he thought, and when the hop-picking
was over he could meet her at the
station near the Meades' and they
could come home together. Then he'd
try TO get job and keep it permanent
ly; he was afraid Anastasia was get
ting out of patience with him. He was
still sitting, planning, when Anastasia
came back with her bundles.
week in the Meades' luxurious
home had not passed before Anastasia
made up her mind to something she
had contemplated for months-to leave
Kent.
She was weary of financial uncer-
tainty, she had to draw on her savings
in the interims between Kent's jobs,
until there was but pittance left; he
had never wanted her to work, but she
would go back to nursing, for which
her heart craved, and be earning while
she was in her earning years, and let
poor Kent go his foolish, impractical
way alonel
Early one morning Mt the end of the
second week, Arnold Meade announced
hat he was going to take Anastasia
md Mrs. Meade to see some hopyards
20 miles from their home. Anastasia
sealed the letter she knew would be
knife thrust in Kent's heart, and
slipped it In the pocket of her skirt
or mailing in the next town.
They passed through one town, an
'ther, a third, but Anastasia still
lutched her letter.
'I'll mail it tomorrow" she thought
nhappily, there's plenty of time to
reak his hearth"
Here we are, at the Blooms ~
Meade called out as he drove into the
wooded campyard. Anastasia caught
her breath. Kent was here and she
must not see him-she must not
Suddenly. and without warning, a
standing dead tree crashed across one
Of the tents. Anastasia felt her heart