The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1919-04-01

And Tom logged out In a fineman suit.
took two men and FASTENED over to the
Bradford place.
The kitten could be seen-an i'm
mense fellow he was, q terrified white
and yellow BALM the very top of a
huge cottonwood tree, and his mistress
was vainly trying to coax him to come
down. Tom came forward politely and
sympathetically, expecting to find a
little school girl. Instead 1t was Chris
tie Bradford. the young lady of the
house. Her eyes were red, her beauti-
full brown hair was In braid down
her back and she had slipped a big
coat over her morning dress. He
looked his establishment; she smiled
apologetically and exclaimed: 81
haven't slept all night; the poor thing
cried so. thought l couldn't stand
it another minute; 1 was so afraid
he'd get so cold that he could not hold
on longer and would fall-poor old
Dominic"
The ladder was soon in place and
Tom, talking reassuringly to Dominic,
was just ready to pick him up when
the kitten, encouraged by his presence,
turned and walked down the tree by
himself and was snuggled In Christie's
arms. He was truly beautiful kitten,
and Of course Tom had to stop mo-
ment and talk about pets and assure
Miss Bradford that he could not accept
pay for getting Dominic out of trouble.
Soon after this Miss Bradford was
returning on the train to college, and
as she sat glancing through her maya
zines young man stopped by her seat
and spoke to her. She didn't recognize
him as he was not In lineman garb,
and he had to remind her about the
kitten, asking If 1t had given up ex-
ploring big trees.
Miss Bradford politely answered
him, thanking him for his interest but
she was not friendly; so he moved on.
She was much surprised that a tele-
phone lineman could look so handsome
and SO dressed up in a business suit
but she did not want to encourage any
intimacy, so she pretended an absorb
ing interest in her reading when he
was near.
Tom guessed that she did not know
him, but was piqued that she did not
give him a chance to tell her who he
was. But when they changed cars at
Buffalo she saw that his luggage was
marked T. Carruthers. He was the son
Of the president of the telephone COM
pany.
OF course, on arriving at school she
wrote to her chum and casually re-
marked that Mr.. T. Carruthers had
gone East on the same train with her,
and Immediately received a reply laud-
ing Tom and wishing that she, the
chum, could have the opportunity to
travel in his company. So Christie was
quite prepared to be much more so
ciable when on entering a crowded
Pullman on her way home for Christ
mas holidays she was asked to share
the seat with Mr.. Carruthers, who was
returning from New York where he
had been placing some telephone
bonds. She dimpled with pleasure and
held out her hand saying: "It is good
of you to let me sit with you and
will share my magazines and bon
bons with you in return"
An ocean-golng voyage speeds up ac-
quaintance as does nothing else under
the sun, but long ride in a Pullman
Is quite next, so before the end of the
journey Tom was asking her to attend
the Christmas hop with him. "Thank
you so much" Christie replied cordial
ly, "but my big brother Jim is to be
home and I've promised to devote the
party to him. He'll have my program. F"
"Oh, Jim is an old friend of mine
and I'll ask him to waive his rights
-"
mo, no, you mustn't do that" de-
clared Christie seriously "Jim and
are longtime pals. 1 couldn't let him
think I'd go back on him, ever. I've
bought the kind of dress he likes and
we are planning to have a gay old
time"
Tom was secretly pleased that girl
i like Christie Bradford should put 10y
atty to her brother first. "T'll bet they
are great pals" he thought enviously I;
"Pll have to cultivate old Jim myself"
When he saw Christie, a dream Of
delight in a filmy, ruffly dancing frock,
talking animatedly to Jim, who was
proudly filling out her program in a
crowd of persistent youths, he hurried
forward and Joined the throng, to pre-
empt few dances for himself.
"Oh, / say, Jim, don't leave an old
friend out-anyway, I've been prom
iSed-"
Christie was pleased at the way Jim
received him. sect move, get a
move. Tommy. boy. But here; you