The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1918-07-23

wrapped himself well, and drove
across the road bridge that paralleled
the railroad bridge across the bay and
into Falmouth Town.
In the afternoon the section of the
road bridge next to Falmouth Cape
succumbed to the strain of the winds
and the rising pillows. Cracking and
crashing, 1t was swept away, and the
flooring of the structure terminated
abruptly over the seething, tar-black
waters an eighth of a mile from the
cape shore. The arch still stood, and
the wooden Orders on which the floor
/ Ing had been laid.
All that afternoon Mrs. Doherty
rushed about beseeching some one to
go and save her boy. Every one an
/ swered that her boy would not at
tempt to make the journey home that
evening. In the morning, perhaps, the
wires would be working again, and the
town end of the bridge could be
warned Of the damage at the cape end.
Any way, they said, there was no
practicable way Of reaching her grand
! son.
| Myrtle, to whom the old woman
went in final appeal. scoffed at the no
ton Of Larry's attempting to return
in the evening.
/ ''He wouldn't be such a foofl" she
said conclusively.
'FoolT" cried his grandmother, In
anguish and evaporation IT'S us that
knows the bridge is broke, not him.
All was safe an well whin he went
over this mornin'. Why wouldn't he
be comm home tonight? He'll start,
all In the dark an the wind, an he'll
drive, an there'Il be no seem the end,
an'-are We goin' to do nothin' at all,
at allT
"What could doT demanded
Myrtle, sullen, but sufficiently reason
able.
IF 1t was the man I was goin' to
marry" declared the old woman, with
red spots in the wrinkled hollows Of
her cheeks, and glittering points in
her eyes, I'D crawl along the broken
wood, over the pillars there, till L
could reach the boarded part of the
bridge. An thin I'd walk an run, an
run an walk, till came to Falmouth
Town, an there I'd stand to wait an
warn him"
La, Mrs. Doherty, you certainly do
make me tired" retorted Myrtle. 81
amt so dead set on keepin' a beau as
you'd be, If you had oneI'
Something in the brutal egotism
| which she had uncovered silenced Mrs.
Doherty. She started and shook her
head in dumb uncomprehension, then
turned and walked back to the cabin.
Maybe was meant for the say,
afther ALL" she said, as she moved
| about putting the cabin to rights. Then
she went out, a quaint and sturdy fig
ure with her tight, white cap, her
short, quilted skirt, and her red shawl
crossed on her bosom and tied at her
waist in the back. Down to the place
where the bridge had been she trudged.
Later, one of the cape children came
home screaming that old Mrs. Doherty
was crawling along the Orders that
remained on the demolished section of
the bridge-he had seen her red shawl.
=
"A nice notion of lovin' you've got"
stormed Myrtle, angry tears in her
eyes. Thrown me over for an old
woman-an old scarecrowI Some girls
wouldn't put up with It'll They'd make
you suffer. you an her, too. But 1
won't. l don't believe / could have
brought myself to marry you, any way.
Don't talk TO mel don't want to hear
any more about the wind an the
blackness an the water, an how the
voice was like ghosts or a banshee'sl
She's been savin' your life ever since
you were a baby, an you're goin' to
make her happy as long as she lives?
Well, she'll live forever, an get more
an more unreasonable every minute,
an hope"
She broke off. Down the road a
cheerful old laugh was sounding in the
spring sunshine. Larry turned from
her to listen to it. his eyes alight A
mellow old voice spoke.
"Ah, there was small danger afther
all, ma'ami Thin that's born for
bangin' We can't drown, We knowl
Sure was safe enough; but Larry
he mighn't have beenT