The Mount Holly news., 1919-12-16
A Romance
In Colors
eA0
By VICTOR RFDCLrPFR
sCeeyrigAe, Sele. By the western Newn.
DA0eR UnieAl

Something Of q mystery. your new
boardsr, isn't heY" Queried Mrs. Dot,
OF her neighb0r at the nearest farm
place to her own home.
"Oh, think not" was the smllinf
reply OF the young matron, Mrs. Ran
som, who was the mother Of two chill
dren whom this new boarder had ali
but adopted 80 far as kindness and
iiberality were concerned. "On the
contrary Mr.. Wharton is bluff. free
and open, and acts like man glad to
get out in the country where he can
do Just as he pleaseA No, indeed, not
at all mysterious. but 1 can say
queer"
In what way, uowr urged Mrs.
Doty, who was confirmed gossip.
well, he spends half Of his time
with the children. romps with them,
takes them on long auto rides, buys
them all kinds Of toys and makes kites
for them; In fact he seems extrava-
gantly fond OF juvenile company"
Going to stay long with your"
"A week or two vacation he told me
when he nrst came" replied Mrs. Ran
som. "But It has run into his third
week. and he shows no signs Of going
as yet"
The inqulsitive Mrs. Doty having dis
appointedly exhausted the theme un-
der discussion, chose new subject
challenging her iuQuisitiveness.
"Who are the folks who have taken
the Gale place9" she Inquired.
Now. there may be q mystery"
spoke Mrs. Ransom snrIshtly. They
are new people and keep closely to
themselyes-a sour-yisased old man,
his splDstsr sister. and, they say. a
niece. Ihayen't seen the girl close at
hand. foy. you know, the Gale place is
surrounded By that high-spiked brick
wall, but glimpse now and then from
our bay window shows that this niece
is graceful. end. thiAk, pretty. She
never leaves the grounes. and one or
the other Of the man and woman is
with her whenevsr she is in the gar
den."
Juet then there sounded out echoes
Of joyous. excited shouts and, pointing
through the open window space, Mrs.
Ransom said "There 10 Mr.. Wharton
now" and the neishbor peered curious
ly az the new boarder.
Mrs. Ransom had reason to especially
notice this fact, for the day previous
he had presented one Of the children
with Q large rubber ball tastefully dec
GRATED with alternate red and blue
stripes. In . game Of toss and catch
he had sent It spinning over the brick
wall Of the Gale place, and that was
the last seen Of IT, and he consoled the
little lad to whom he had presented
It with promise to place It.
That night ct dusk Mr.. Wharton had
an animated juvenile escort as he sent
up the red and blue kite with q red
and blue lantern attached to its tail.
AS he guided 1t aloft the string broke,
and 1t. too, fell within the extensive
grounds OF the Gale place.
"And he did II a.purpose," de-
ciared little Benny to his mother
later on. II saw him snap the string"
II was two days later that the man
who had taken the Gale place came
over to the Ransom home and ar.
ranged for regular supply Of fresh
eggs, butter and milk. Their delivery
became the task Of little Benny. The
second evening Of this function he
startled his mother and very much in
terested Mr.. Wharton by handing the
latter q folded note.
The pretty girl over there gave me
the letter." said Benny, "and half a
dollar not to tell anything about It.
She said was 10 give the letter to the
red and blue man and forget all about
It,"
That's me. and here's . dollar to
help you forget It. Benny" observed
Mr.. Wharton, and he hastily perused
the note and went ct once to his
room. chuckling riotously.
"Mrs. Doty was right-there IL q
mystery herep soliloQuixed the pug
zied Mrs. Ransom.
Mr.. Wharton was gone into the vii
lage all that evening and Mrs. Ran.
som went to bed after his return to
be awake trying to solve the enigma
Of his queer actions. She dozed, to
be awakened by q soft chugging sound
coming apparently from the rear Of
the house, and hastened to window
that overlooked the back garden.
There stood an automobile, red and
blue. and Mr.. Wharton was just help
ing young lady into It, whom the
driver drew into his arms and kissed
rapturously. Away went the machine.
MIR. Wharton, all smiles, waving his
hand after Its inmates suggested IA
theriy blessing.
Next morning. when Mrs. Ransom
came downstairs she found her board
er awaiting her. his suitcase at his
side.
"You dear little woman" he said.
I'm leaving a neat little bonus In ad-
dition TO my board money, as l have
got to get back to business"
"And the young lady. sir. and the
young man and the automobile?" iut-
tered Mrs. Ransom.
"Ohl You saw the elopement, ehf
Well, my SON was the young man,
whom I have assisted In getting away
with the poor. prosecuted victim Of
relatives interested In her fortune.
Man and wife By this time. You see,
I had to use Dcn's favorite college col-
OFs, with which Lucia was familiar,
to attract her attention and get q
note to her. You like a romance,
don't youf Well, you have been an
indirect agent in making two loving
souls happyI"