The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1919-02-25


life make a wonderful change in her
tastes and habits and choice of friends
Almost the only place she had gone
during the four years that she had
been at home had been to Red Cross
meetings. In this organization she had
worked untiringly and now, when the
war was calling forth to the limit of
her capacity every woman in the vii
lage, Gladys was one of the most de-
pendable.
Then came the call for a woman's
Liberty Loan committee to supplement
the work of the men.
"But-Pve never done anything of
the kind" Gladys demurred, when they
asked her to serve
Neither have we," said the COM
mittee In unison.
And Gladys, having previously no
ticed the name of David Stapleton, the
cashier of the village bank, on the list
Of men, accepted.
David Stapleton waS widower. He
had known Gladys as a girl in her
teens and had always liked her. Since
she had returned home he had seldom
seen her. His activities lay along lines
that did not include women. He hard
ly ever saw a woman outside of his
own household, where there were a
number of aunts and near aunts.
"This is my first experience in this
line" Gladys said to him when they
came face to face the first morning
that she appeared at headquarters to
begin work on the big drive
This is our first war, you know"
David laughed, as he let her pass
through the door.
"And our last-I hope" Gladys re.
marked.
"At least give 1t one blue ribbon"
David found himself saying as Gladys
busied herself arranging tables and
chairs as part of her work on the COM
mittee on headquarters decorations.
what forT
For giving me the pleasure of see
ing you again"
Gladys pretty white skin warmed
perceptibly, and David, unaccustomed
as he was to observing feminine
charms, thought he had never seen
anything so lovely as her cheeks.
Every day the two had work to do
together, and occasionally in the eve
ming Gladys found herself being es-
ccrted to or from a Liberty Loan
meeting by David Stapleton.
I've filed my QUESTIONABLE" he
said to her one night on the way home.
"Your QuestionnaireY she asked.
"Yes-Tm in the draft, you know"
"Oh-," Gladys breathed, II"
"You thought 1 was too old-now
confess it y
Gladys said nothing.
didn't your"
perhaps I hadn't thought Mt all
about the draft" she added.
Are you thinking now?" David ask
ed pointedly.
Gladys nodded.
They drove on in silence. Both were
thinking in a new vein.
When Gladys stepped out of the coy
little runabout before her own door
she seemed to feel III at ease. She
could not explain her more or less shy
ness with this man whom she had
known always and yet with whom now
she seemed to be so strange.
Don't you want to steal an hour
away from your desk at headquarters
tomorrow and have lunch with me at
q teaheuse on the outskirts of the au-
tumn woods?" David asked, OBTAINING
Gladys by very gentle touch on her
arm.
Gladys caught her breath-and was
almost afraid he could hear her catch
it. What was the matter with her,
she wondered? Why did the touch of
David Stapleton make her heart leap
SO wildly, and why did his voice sound
so low ard tender?
After she reached the house she re-
membered having promised to go with
him on the following day. She could
have shaken herself for having acted
like girl .of sixteen instead of like
woman nearly thirty-a at the mere invi-
tation to have a bit of lunch with a
man whom she had known all her life.
On her desk the following morning
she found note 1t told her that the
president of the bank had had an ac-
cident to his eyes the previous night
and would not be in the office that day
the last but three of the loan cam
paign. Therefore, that note went on
to say, David Stapleton would be I'M
able to leave his desk for so much as
a half hour.
Gladys did not know whether she
was disappointed or relieved. But
there was much work to do; the hui
lGan tide of patriotic citizens flowed
constantly toward her desk all day,
and she had little time In which to |
think of herself.
Not so with the cashier-David !
Sfapleton. His work had become so |
nuch mechanical part of his every |
day life that, though his hands were |
constantly busy, his thoughts were not |
on Liberty bonds. On bonds they |
might have been, but
The telephone rang. "Hello-Mr.
Stapleton?"
"Yes-Gladys," he said, recognizing |
her voice at once.
I've just received my call"
Call ~ exclaimed David.
'Yes-didn't tell you the Other
night that you wouldn't be the only |
one in France-before long?"
"No-you did not tell me-"
Gladys did not reply. Each held tn,
receiver while NJ sound came over the |.