The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1918-06-11

CT Oh aSSOciaIlOn. 30 IFOm OelnS quite
cheerful about the recollections that II
aroused, she became truly pensive.
Susan was thirty and she had so Of
ten told herself that spinster of that
ge has grown too old and too sensible
for romantic recollections or senti-
ilents that she believed it. 1t was just
a little disconcerting then when, as
the afternoon wore on, she found her.
self In the mood Of love-struck girl
af twenty. She had planned to spend
the afternoon on the golf links getting
In trim for the weekend tournament,
but for o'clock found her reclining on
n wicker long chair under the trees in
the garden, shielded by the lilac hedge
with an assortment of once favorite
poets for diversion. This was not at
all like the thirty-year-old Susan. 1t
really did seem as If drop of the per-
fuyne must have spattered on Susan's
frock so persistent were the memories
1t had recalled. Eventually she rose
from her chair, walked along the lilac
row, retraced her steps, counted out
tiiC oCtCAlll Ou6Al lkOUl Tic C1Q
end then stood gazing down at the
earth beneath the bush. She went off
to the gardeners hut and returned with
q trowel, then she fell to work digging
with the intensity of one sure Of I'M
carthins Captain Kids treasure in q
certain spot. Once the old gardener
came along and asked her whether he
might help her. She said something
about wanting to see the condition of
the soil, and continued. Once she was
interrupted by q member Of her fam
lily; she hastily pressed back the sod
when she saw him approaching, re-
sumed her posture on the long chair
and remained there till he had gone.
Then she took up her digging.
Her first excavation was not In the
right place. nor the second. and 1t was
not till she had made a third hole o,
about foot's depth in the ground thni
she found her treasure. AS she liTteo
1t up from the earth that chung arouns.
it. it looked as IL 1t might have beer
the tear bottle of some long inferred
Egyptian princess, but as she scraped
off the mold from the sides it appeared
to be modern glass. After a little
effort she unloosed the stopper and
leaned over the bottle for the scent
there was no mistake about it. 1t was
souvenir glamour.
Twelve dollars a BOTTLE" sighed
Susan to herself. And then she fell to
thinking of what might have been.
She pressed back the sod under the
lilac bushes, carefully folded the
moldy bottle In handkerchief and re-
sumed her seat. She was really In q
most unusual mood In the magic
aroma Of that scent came rushing back
sentiments and illusions that she had
long forgotten. The sensible. perfectly
contented Susan went and, In her
place came a Susan that was not en-
tirely satisfied with the prosaic role of
being Susan Beverly, and playing of
golf tournaments.
The truth was that Susan was being
tormented by return of the only SEN
timent approaching love that had ever
marred the serene contentment Of her
existence; and the fact that she had
successfully put 1t from her for five
years-ever since she buried that bot
tile OF magic sweetness-did not make
1t any the less keen now that 1t re-
turned with the sweet scent. She was
thinking Of Tom Canton. She won
dered whether they would ever meet
again. Surely he must sometimes re-
turn to his home town and sometimes
ne must think Of the hours under the
lilac bushes that spring time five years
ago. But then, why should he? Susan
herself had succeeded in putting away
those thoughts and he was no less,sen-
ssible than she.
There was sound along the gravel
walk and Susan looked up to see Tom.
She passed her hand across her eyes.
1t occurred to her at first that this
vision was but the final and most tor
.menting effect Of the magic perfume.
But when she heard his voice calling
her by name she knew that 1t was re-
atty.
He called her Susan with all the ease
of five years before, and Susan sat
there on the long chair with Tom be-
side her just as they had sat five years
before on little rustic bench that had
since been demolished. First they
talked Of generalities, the weather. the
war and mutual friends. Then the con-
versation drifted back to the key In
which 1t had been pitched on evenings
like this five years before. The five
years that had gone between seemed
as but a day gone by and sensible
thirty-year-old Susan found her mus
cular, athletic hands held in Toms
with as complete surrender as In the
days when they had played off fewer |
golf tournaments and were perhaps
a little softer. Then-it was no more
Toms fault than Susan's, and surely
not Susan's In the least-Susan's head
leaned on Toms shoulder and there
were some stammered monosyllables
about love, and, on first regaining a
sensible way of looking at things. Su-
san wondered whether 1t all meant |
that they were engaged again.
1T has all come so quickly" she |
told him. Il thought If it ever did |
come there would be so much explain
Ing and 1t would be so hard for us
both to get back into the old mood |
again. You see. with me it came |
about this way. CHANGED to get a
Whit of perfume like a bottle that
you once sent me. five years ago. am
afraid l didn't realize then that You
really cared for me. After we had
that misunderstanding 1 returned the /
letters and the gifts, but this perfume
well. I didn't want to throw it away.
That would have seemed sacrilege,
and / couldn't beay to use 1t because