The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1919-09-09
Hurried Down the Main Street.

I opposite direction-for Bank street"
Bank street! At this time of day -
CALCULATED Ogden.
Yes. Bank street, this time of day
alone" repeated Ruth. "You had
! better hurry or you'll lose your car"
Bother my car" returned the man.
Pm going to put you on yours first.
Here it is now" Ruth hurried out and
Ogden after her. 'But, please, Miss
Devereaux," he pleaded, "let me go
with you; that's a bad neighbor-
hood"
Nonsense I'm as safe down there
as in my own home. Why, some one
out of nearly every family has been
in my class at one time or another.
| go every week and have supper with
! Katy and Virginius."
Plainly this explanation was Greek
| to Ogden. Ruth's foot was on the
step of the car as she laughed at his
puzzled expression. Come and see me
some time and I'll tell you all about
it," she said.
Tomorrow evening?" questioned
the tall man eagerly.
YES" Ruth flung back over her
shoulder.
When Ogden crossed the street next
evening-for he boarded directly OPP
posite to Ruth's home-March Wind
was still on his job. But the bright
fire on the hearth In the big quiet liv-
ing room, and Ruth In a rose crepe
dress, with rebellious curls neatly
coiffed, made a decided contrast to
their meeting of the afternoon before.
You see. nothing happened to me
down In the bad neIghborhood," his
hostess remarked. brightly. Have
this comfy chair; it's dads favorite,
and here's his smoking stand It's
bridge club tonight, Sc I'm alone"
| Though this was the tall mans first
call at the Devereaux home, he felt
Immediately at ease and sank into the
bis chair after few words of appre-
citation Of the cheer and comfort of a
tie on such night
| tAot Va etAi A A AMPLY lily rather
enigmatical explanation of my expe-
l.tions into the Italian quarter" Ruth
began. Then We can have cosy talk
about things In general You see. /
taught in the evening school here the
first three winters after. leaving col
lege. There wasn't as much interest
taken in Americanization then; the
compensation was small and there was
trouble in finding competent teachers.
was restless doing nothing, and that
work appeals 20 me.
'Virginius is strapping young Ital-
ian who came to me the first year. He
was deep-sea diver then. and highly
paid; but he gave that up and took
something at the submarine base
which paid less because he hated to
miss a single night at school. Well
naturally, such perseverance pleased
me, so ! was glad to find him on hand
promptly the opening night of the
next year That year Katy came to
school-a little Irish-American who had
been taken out of school too young
She worked In mill. and was passion.
ately fond of reading"
Ruth had been watching the fire as
she talked, but now she glanced up
laughingly at the tall man sitting op
pOsite. Mother says I'm bern
matchmaker. and fear she's right, fol
from the first time I saw VirginiuS
watching Katy with that faithful
adoring look you see in the eyes of al
old setter dog. l made up my mind rC
help things along. When there Were
rumors of a Jack the Hugger' ir
Katy's neighborhood / asked the bis
Italian to see that Katy got home safe
ly. So he established the habit Of
going home with her About this time
the shipbuilding boom struck on, ant
at my suggestion Virglnius tried for {
job at the shipyard and, because M
was a diver, they offered him $50 {
week. But soon after that fallin;
beam struck him on the shoulder, anC
he was in the hospital two weeks.
took Katy to see him, and on enc o
our visits what / had been hoping TO
happened. l left them alone for mo
ment, and when l returned Virginiu
told me the old. old story; but puz
sled me by adding, with longing eye
. fixed ON little KATY we muSt-a wal