The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1919-03-04
The
Plain Kind
III
BY r. RAY BAKER
BY R. RAY BAKER


ESsccsSaeeesH<S&ee4eS @eaaasAscc>eSasoES |
There was no question about it, |
Martha Balm was not beautiful |
Freckles are not necessarily rocks on
the road Of romance. Neither Is |
rug nose, nor stringy hair Of a rusty |
hue. But Martha had them all, and |
was not given part in Cupid's drama |
That is, she had no part in it until
well, this was the way Of it:
Perched behind the desk in Eagle
Heights hotel Martha watched the
summer lads WOO the summer lassies. |
and her little heart, which really was
very big, thumped away unnoticed
and neglected. Perhaps if she had
obtained polished personality at a
finishing school she might have made |
herself interesting to the knights from
the big town; but Martha's father con
sidered high school education SUI
ficient for his hotel clerk, specially
since people went there In quest OF
the rustic.
Nevertheless, Martha often dreamed
when she sat at the edge of Walloon
lake in the light of the moon, that she
had knight of her own-sometimes
two of them.
Harold Kingsley came to Eagle
Heights for a months recreation from
his literary labors. He was tall and
slim, almost to the point of lankiness,
and he had black hair and deep brown
eyes from which a soul seemed to
shine.
When he came along the beach
Martha was throwing sticks into the
water for a white fox terrier to chase.
Harold stopped and watched, standing
some distance behind the girl, so she
did not become aware of his pres
ence.
"Come on, Knight" she admonished,
and the dog emerged from the water
holding a jagged stick, which he
dropped at the girls feet. Then
knight spied Harold and went to him
just as shaking spell seized him.
"Oh, beg your pardon" Martha ex-
claimed, when she turned and saw
Harold brushing drops Of water from
his clothes. That Is, Knight begs
your pardon"
Harold laughed lightly and reaching
down, patted the terrier regardless
of the latter's dripping skin.
Don't bother about the apologies"
h< 81 tod drvv in
Besides, this is not my best suit.
have another-honest."
From that time they were friends,
the three of them. Nearly every eve
ming they were together, walking
along the tanbark paths In the woods
or seated in q secluded nook on the
lake shore.
Sometimes he talked to her of the
big town and the sights he had seen
on his travels; at other times he read
or recited poetry.
AS the days rolled past their rela-
lions became more Intimate, and fire.
quently they talked Of personal things.
The man proved fascinating beyond
her most imaginative dreams Of
knights, and she held an attraction for
him to which none of the patrons of
the hotel, who were bound to notice
what went on, could reconcile them
selves, especially the feminine ele-
ment, which was in the majority.
One night Harold grasped Martha's
hand and told her:
Martha, somehow. I've come to
care for you lot"
"Why" she wanted to know. "Why
do you like me? l know 1 am not
good looking, and have just loads of
freckles."
He was silent, while he watched a
star blink from afar and wondered
whether people lived on 1t.
Because you are so natural" he
finally said. You're not the least bit
artificial, like most girls know. You
are not tainted from contact with the
world. You are just yourself, and you
don't try to be anything else. And do
you know, Pm rather fond of freckles,
particularly that one on the end of
your nose"
The next night-it was nearly q
month since his first appearance at
Eagle HeightS-hiS manner was en-
tirely different, He answered her In
monosyllables and appeared wrapped
In thought.
"Why are you so very different to-
night?" she asked. They walked on
and came to the steps of the hotel
veranda before he answered:
"Ill tell you. Today 1 received
word that Elizabeth Ross, the girl
am engaged to marry, is coming here
tomorrow. She expects to stay sew
eral days, and then 1 am to go back
with her. hated to tell YOU"
She left him there ON the steps and
went to her bed, where soon she was
sobbing herself to sleep. He went out
on the dock and found q bench and
sat smoking his pipe for full hour
thinking.
Elizabeth Ross took the place by
storm. Attired In clothes that were
the last word In style, she swept into
the hotel, greeted Harold with an en-
brace and a kiss, and complained be-
cause the best room already was oc-
cupied and she had to put up with the
second best.
She was pronounced blonde, with
a clear, olive complexion and dreamy
gray eyes. She was nearly as tall as
Harold, and. II anything, simmer.
Watching from behind her desk,
the lady clerk had all she could do to
keep the tears away when the new
conner assumed possession Of Harold.
Il hate that girl" said Martha, and
she meant 1t so much she broke the
point of the pen when she jabbed ii
into the potato that served al
holder.
Martha's feelings toward Elizabeth
hoss were not improved by an Incl
dent which took place the day after
the latter's arrival. Knight, the ter
rier liked to be friendly with all tn,
guests, and he tried to be with Mis-
Ross when the latter assembled the
steps to the veranda after walk Will
Harold along the shore.
Did Miss Ross stoop and pat Knight
as he frisked about her? Decidedly
she did not. Instead, she kicked him
with her dainty foot, and knight went
away with his tail between his legs,
surprised and mortified.
Came the day when Harold and his
bride-to-be were to leave. Martha
had her eyes open for q last glimpse