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

IN society. She Is hopelessly in debt.
We are spending the summer in this
little town because she dared not Dor
row the money to go to some fashion
able resort, as she has always done.
Do not look at me like that, Mr.. Mel
son. ] did not know the truth of these
things until few days ago.
so long as l can remember she has
had a friend, an enormously wealthy
bachelor, old enough to be my father.
1t has long been standing joke that
am to marry him. l never imagined
until this week that she meant 1t serl-
ously. He and his sister are to visit
us next week, and that is why we go
back to the city. She told me that
unless I accepted him we are ffnan-
cially ruined, and we shall have to
earn our bread. So I shall be COM
PEELED to marry him, for her sake"
wait" interrupted the man in a
strange voice, do you love this man?"
Love him2 l simply detest him Oh
l know what you are going to say, that
l am selling myself to him. But there
seems to be no other way. You see,"
with a pitiful attempt at a smile, chow
useless it is. Mother will never give
her consent :, and cannot marry even
you without it. And now, let us drop
the subject. please. Here we are at
the landing"
All this passed through his mind as
he sat staring into the dying Goals. He
had never written, had obeyed abso-
lutely her implied request for silence.
But day and night her face was be-
fore him. He avoided every nook
which reminded him Of her, and work.
ed with feverish energy one day, and
brooded the next. He read the society
notes In the morning paper before
looking at his correspondence, and al
ways laid them aside with relief at not
seeing her name.
He felt that the warning of the
senior warden was true, and that he
was losing his grip. How was he to
know that In the neighboring city a
girl often cried herself to sleep with
his name on her lips?
A falling log reused him from his
reverie. He rose, packed his bags, and
gave a few instructions to his house
keeper He would go to the city, catch
one glimpse of her face, and then hide,
no matter where.
The postman passed and threw
letter upon the porch. There was but
the one, and a glance at the super
scription brought his heart into his
mouth. He devoured, rather than
read, the contents:
my Dear Mr.. Nelson 81 feel that
you will be interested in a piece of
news. Mr.. Raymond has proposed at
last-not to me, but to mamma. No
wonder he was so long making up his
mind, for he no doubt chivalrously
hesitated at the pain his decision would
cause me. They are to be married next
week, and start at once for a wedding
tour of Europe. l shall remain at
the home of my cousin, Mrs Ransome.
of 326 Winton Place, indefinitely.
81 hope that all is well with you, and
that we may meet again some day.
every sincerely, Muriel Warning"
Ten minutes later the rector called
his housekeeper, and after a short in
terview with her, left her in tears Of
JOY. Then he stepped to the telephone
and called the senior warden, his voice
vibrant with happiness.
81 start for the city tonight" he
said, "and will be away for a month.
Do. not let the poor and sick of the
parish suffer in my absence. When
return, please God, my wife and 1 will
visit them together. Good-by." And
the telephone bell tinkled joyous re-
frain in the astonished senior vestry-
mans ear.