The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1918-08-06
Kitty Sat blight Beside Him.

superior In the Office, at salary that
quite warranted the extra expenditure
In offerings at milady's shrine. So it
kept Charlie busy trying to put his
best foot foremost to keep up with his
more substantial rival. The new
spring suit was a happy inspiration.
1t was almost unseasonably early, but
Charlie had learned the truth of sew
eral axioms In his counting, among
others that the early bird catchss the
worm. There should be q corollary to
this, however, for foolish young low
ers, that he also sometimes catches
cold. For Of course with the sun and
wind so balrny 1t would be quite awful
to eclipse the radiance of his new
wardrobe with an overcoat Besides
Charlie had had to use the scissors on
the stopping place of his overcoat
sleeves several times of late
In church, Charlie gazing reverent-
ly, not at the Reverend Mr.. Smith
In the pulpit, but at the back Of
Louise's blond head, did not see the
admiration in Kitty Parks eyes. Kitty
sat right beside him in the pew.
nifty Park had always sat beside
him In church, and lived next door to
him at home SO of course to Charlie
she was just Kitty Park. She was
taken for granted quite as much as the
sycamore tree on the lawn, or the
chimney on the roof. She was some
thing that had always been and always
would be-a fixture.
Kitty was very pretty. Up to the
time of the Jones' advent to town she
had been the acknowledged town beau
ty. But being domestic and somewhat
shy, she had affected none of the en-
bellishments that usually attract the
gullible male, as had Louise Jones
So the palm had passed from Kitty to
Louise without the former knowing
that she had ever owned Vt.
The fact that Roscoe Wright was
not at church was both balm and net
ties to Charles soul. Nettles because
his new outfit had lost half of It's in
tended triumph, balm because he saw
an unobstructed opportunity of walk
ing home with Louise.
The bright colors in the art glass
window toward the sun turned sud-
denly somber and darkened steadily as
a shadow crossed the path of old Sol's
rays, followed quickly by another.
Then tiny whistle of wind became
barely audible, increasing slowly and
steadily, however, until the benediction
tested the powers Of Mr.. Smiths al
ways powerful voice. An icy breath
pervaded the church. The janitor had
long before slipped in and closed the
red and blue transoms
Charlie, with chill creeping slowly
up and down his spine. tried to lock
stoically Indifferent to the change of
temperature. A man of the world, he
argued, always took things as they
came. If the weather changed, that
was up to the weather. He was ali
right.
But Kitty Park noticed with alarm
that the line around his lips was draw.
ing tight and his whole face had Il
blue look. She had heard him cough
In the night, his window facing hers.
and she had conviction he was try
ing to suppress cough now.
At last church was out And of
course anybody with the sense of
newly Matched egg would have gone
straight home taken hot bath and
rub down and hot lemonade, put on
warm house robe and stayed in all
day. But then that person didn't
think he was in love with pretty girl
who lived on the other side of town
nor had ne squandered a months sal
airy on a new spring outfit to flaunt
before the adored ones eyes. Charlie
was not going to hide his light under
bnshel even If old Boreas had taken
sides against him. Sun or clouds.
warm zephyrs or scurrying snow,
Charlie was going home with Louise,
and he did. 1t was showing In spells
and the wind was so violent by this
time they had to stand close to the
houses while the heaviest gusts passed.
Louise was inclined to be merry, al
though conversation was difficult She
teased Charlie about rushing the sea-
son. but owned up that he looked nice.
and she always did like gray for men.
If you can strain any sentiment out of
that you're a miracle, but Charles
soul sailed straight into the last heaven
of delight.
And when arrived at her own front
porch she asked him in, Charlie was
ecstatic beyond reply. How did he
know that. like Kitty, she knew that
he must be cold, and as she said after
wards, how could she let the poor
thing stand out there like a fieeced
sheep and freeze TO death?
Now tie Joneses had decided Tor