HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Times, 1913-08-28, Page 7The Siege
of the
Seven Suitors
By
MEREDITH NICHOLSON
Copyright, 1910, by Meredith NietoIsoe
John situations, then? Weil, I should
say, Mr. Chimney Man, 1 should say" -
She made ready for flight, looking
ahead to be sure of a clear thorough-
fare.
"I should say," she concluded, set-
tling ber skirts, "that that Indicates
considerable intelligence on Wiggy's
part."
The tires rolled smoothly away, the
gravel crunching, tbe pebbles popping.
The white sweater clasped a straight
back snugly; then suddenly, as the
wheels gained momentum, she bent
low for a spurt, and her rapidly reced-
ing figure became a gray blur in the
purple dusk.
* * * * * *
Miss Oetavia was in the gayest spir-
its at dinner that night, and struck
afield at ouce with oue of her amusing
dicta.
"Human beings," she said, "flay be
divided into two groups-interestint;
and uninteresting, but idiots abound iu
both classes."
Cecilia and I discussed this with
More or less gravity, until we had ex-
hausted the possibilities, Miss Octavla
following with apparent interest and
setting us off at a new tangent when
our enthusiasm lagged, She referred
in no way whatever to her chimneys,
nor did she ask ale how I had spent the
day. 1 felt (lie pleading of Cecilia's
eyes 11 '.t I should accept the situation
as i ctuud, and having already agreed
%1R A
to \t•'I;: ins' snggeetiuu that 1 abide in
Mss 11>•llist('r's house as a spy --for
this v-:te the igeot>k' ftu•t--1 felt the
threw:, of eenseirney binding rue feet.
So f::r uty hostess was concerned,
I las 11•11 1'5s a guest than a member
of the household.
The variety of snbjeets that elks
Untaria suggested %vas nnmzing. I'ro(
aeronautics to the ilei' t'o Il tle5lia11,
from polar expintatii) to the !edition'
conditions in Ilulgar'ia. she payed with
the jauntiest ineotte•innee and app;irent-
ly +II a considerable fund or infor-
mationto support her positions. She
knew many people in all walks of life.
As we rose froth the table Miss Oe-
tavia declared that see must show me
the pie pantry. I was now so accus-
tomed to her ways that I should not
have been in the least surprised if
she had proposed opening a steel vault
tilled with a mummified Egyptian dy-
nasty.
ynasty.
"The gentleman who built this
house," she explained, "had already
grown rich in the manufacture of the
famous ribless umbrella before he ac-
quired a second fortune from a nos-
trum warranted to cure dyspepsia. IIe
was inordinately fond of pies, and in
order that this form of pastry might
never be absent from his home, he had
a special pantry built to which be
might adjourn at his pleasure without
any fear of ftndine the cupboard bare."
She lett the rya;- ttn•.'ilgh the butler's
pantry and into a emelt cnpboarded
room adjoining the tab;r linen closet.
At her command the batter throw open
the doors and diseloeed lines of shelves
se arranged as to meommodate in the
most entitle:et nal er1":ly form thing -
liftable several di:Ci1N of pie. These
pastries, in the 1,:::.s 115 ;hey !lad come
from the oven. !'1'1•pe'1 •stet int itiii ly.
:llfss (l.rtavia en:1:'.cine:1 111('ir !n'('senre
in ler usual in>preeeive Dimmer.
"It was me of the conditions of the
sale of this; lulls.' to me by the nrigi-
nitl owner's exeenter5 tl•at the pie
vault slionirl be held !Hied at all tildes,
Whether 1 ant in resi.lc'nee here or not.
Ile felt ereeltly indebted to pie for the
suece's.s of the dyspe; iia cure. It had
widened and steadily mere:toed the
market for tete dire, end pie was to
nl'A'
A. I1 11r n I'� r ..,,na I•
, 't'.L �:�� �s !) 11 'o1
l'.t•r:. N
i
re eel
• .•
. '•1' t:u'
11rrt
,3. •
a' 1
THE WINGLAM TUI ES, AUGUST 28 1913
ewe, . quite by ehiance Oafs afternoon in aq
orchard at no great distance from
this house."
I Miss Oetavia paused in the hail and
bent her head In thought for a mo-
ment.
"May I Inquire whether she referred
in any way to Mr. Wiggins In this in-
terview?"
"She did, Miss Hollister," I replied.
And I could not help smiling as I re-
ECEZ EKl.A..H
11ii a cousoeiiiied and sacred food, it
was his habit to eat a pie every night
before retiring, and on the nightmares
thus inspired he had planned the strat-
egy of all his campaigns against dys-
pepsia. The ]nal had elements of
greatness, and these -shelves are a
monu>neut to his genius. In order to
keep perfect my title to this property
it Is necessary for me to maintain a
pastry cook, and as i do not myself
care greatly for pie the total output
is distributed among the people of the
neighborhood every. second day. The
statism agent at Bedford is a heavy
consumer, and a retired physician at
Mount Kisco has a standing order for
a dozen a week. My niece IIezekiah,
of whom you have heard me speak, is
partial to a particular type of pie, and
one only. It is the gooseberry that de-
lights Ilezekiah's palate, and under G
in file 8, in the corner behind you,
there is even now a gooseberry pie
that 1 shall send to IIezekiah, who, for
reasons I need not explain, does not
now visit here."
"But the dyspepsia man -you speak
of him as though he were dead."
"Your assumption is correct, Mr.
Ames. The builder of l:Iopefleld died
only a few weeks after he had estab-
lished himself in this house. Having
entered upon the enjoyment of his
well earned leisure and made it un-
necessary that he should ever go pie -
less to bed, he gave himself up for a
fortnight to a mad indulgence in me-
ringues and died after great suffering,
steadily refusing his own medicine to
the end."
We still lingered in the pie crypt
after this diverting recital, while Miss
Oetavia entertained ale with her views
On pies.
"The soul color of pies varies great-
ly, Mr. Ames. It has always seemed
to me that apple pie stands for the
Ltumeller virtues of our civilization. It
i, substantial, nutritious and filling.
The custard and lemon varieties are
feminine and do not, perhaps for that
reason. appeal to me. Cherry pie at
its best is the last and final expression
of the pie genus, and where cooks
have been careful in eliminating the
seeds and the jnine hasn't 'lade sod-
den dough of the (rust a ''berry pie
tweets the soul's highest delnat lis. In
the gooseberry 1 11+,11 :t ('•flail reel.
Imes or, if 1 may use the esprt..s;.at.
t
1 ,e: 1' v n 11 ;:.1 tee
Flt .. i' oie't
, yr 1,11'1111..1....1 .•1 f'.• •'t' • .
.. •..J : t•tol 1:i '::. e
t^ east(' ba 1 t 1 :••
•
, e 1 .11:11.•
1 t
1 11er 1101111 t N:
...d
membered Hezekiah's laughter at the
mention of my friend. My smile did
not escape Miss Octavia.
"Sust how, may I ask, did she refer
to Mr. Wiggins?"
"As though she thought him tbe fun-
niest of human beings, She laughed
deliciously itt the bare mention of his
name."
"It was not your impression, then,
that she was deeply enamored of him;
that she was eating her heart out for
him?"
' "Decidedly not, Miss Hollister. She
gave me quite a different idea,"
"You relieve mo greatly. Mr, Wig-
gins' sense of humor is the slightest,
and I should not in the least fancy
hila for IIezekiah. And besides, I am
not yet ready to arrange a marriage
for her."
She Laid the slightest stress on the
final pronoun, It was a fair inference,
then, that Miss Cecilia's affairs were
being "arranged;" when they had been
determined a husband would be found
for Hezeklah. I did not doubt that
Miss Hollister's intentions toward her
nieces were the friendliest, no matter
what strange devices she might employ
to bend those young women toter pur-
poses.
CHAPTER IX,
• Cecilia's Silver Notebook.
MISS HOLLISTER disappeared
in the hall without excuse,
and I entered the library to
find Cecilia sitting alone I•v
the fire. She put aside a book she had
been reading and, seeing that her aunt
had not followed me, asked at once as
to my visit to the inn.
"I,' conveyed your message," I an-
swered, "but you have seen Air. Wig-
gins since, unless I am greatly mis-
taken,"
"Yes; he called this afternoon. We
had several callers at the tea boor. 1
had rather expected you back."
'The fact is," I replied, "that after
I had taken luncheon at the Prescott
Arms I got lost among the hills, and
while in the act of robbing an apple
orchard I came most unexpectedly
upon your sister."
"tlezekiah1"
"The same. And, oddly enough, I
had met her before, though I didn't
realize it was she until the meeting In
tbo orchard. It was in the Asoiando
that I saw her; she was at the cash-
ier's wicket the afternoon 1 met your
aunt there."
"You have. given me information,
Mr. Anus. 1 did not know that I-Ieze-
kialt had ever been connected with the
Asolando,"
"Oh, it was only that one historic
clay. She says the place was unbear-
able. She jarred the holiest chortle of
the divine Lyre by harsh comments ot►
the pre-Itaphaelite profile. (?ue of the
devotees was so shocked that she drop-
ped a plate or something and, to put
it coarsely, ilezeIaah got the bounce."
My description of IIezekiah's brief
tenure of ()flk'e at the Aeolando seeta-
cel to amuse Cecilia greatly. '
"There is 00 one like my sister'," she
said. "'Thorn never was and there •
revnr will be any one half so ('harm-•
1:+4. Ileznkia11 is an original, who
l:rook5 nil the rules and yet always
:.•. le the ball over the net. And it is
l e,eUSC' site Is so inexpressibly dear
and ereeious that I nm ltnxluns drat
1'1:1 l,ln;; chili ever hurt her tle'tt!in
mar the sweet, beautiful child spirit In
her."
n
It was my turn to iangh now. Ce -
cilia's manifestation of maternal solici-
tude for Hezeltiall seamed absurd, for
IIezeidah in her way was older. How -
111th had ra:iod with Diana and pluck-
ed arrows from her ;••ir.11e she had
heard IIamer at the toetiside singing
of .'1.01 itle shield.
"Ilevekiah is rea.. nably Fe e. I
Amid say, because she is en :unzteing
ly swift of foot and eye and SO m'u'll('
of spe,reh. She i:3 Het to be caught !11
a net or tripped with a weed."
"I eteepv•e that is so,' permuted (.'e-
.' soleeely. 'Yon thou: ht her hrl'Py
when you met her trdty? She dill not
strike you as being zt girl with a tv0011(1
in Ler heart? She wasn't p: rticniariy
cad?"
"Xnt more so than sunlight en rip-
pled water or the son;; of the lark as-
c0113l:1;t:'
"Of rota'.e you made no reference t]
Mr. Wiggins? If 1 had ilna:;ieetl you
w0khi meet her I Oneild have" --
She Ended with 1121 embarr:ts1ntent
that I hots understood, and I broke in
cheerfully.
",i'0 din mention Lein. `he lulled 1k:0
if I had seen him, 0111 it was the
thought Uf slim that evened her- mer-
riest laughter."
She 1:hook her head mut si sited, then
her wanner eilnngcd ailruptly.
"Yost delivered 1113' mees: 1 to AIr.
1ii.1giles'f'
"1 did. He is leanly out of sort, and
tee's iitlrh>g nearly. IIe Is very fitter
tnw2u l your ataaa. • lie thinks she bas
treated bill] ontl'.';'t';•nely."
"Aunt Oetavia hue 1111110 iot11itte of
the kind," :-he tc ,li.'.! with spirit. "oar.
\\Te'at's !mei 110 1•ir;ii' 10 speak of .haft
Ortavit% e.tt a 1'> ;cries of kicdnese. If
her wife ate t leareer than his, it ie not
her fault, that I ran ]ce. Itut there are
1i ttera here the:t. 1 do not under:daiid, •
Mr. :'lite.:. 1 trust you. as 10y taunt
evide']ttly d 1:-, 1.r I 141011141 nret 11>' ton,: -
1>1;3 to y00 a:: 1 uta, and I aim moved to
th.l. a Liver of yea, n favor ef rancid -
trail :e tS c i tt in 1 tett' e:f the fart that
e'en are a i i feetfeted teal, 'ttfih,
t
.1 c14 l.f% .pend Money
to t. a.n It end Cold it
ay HOLLAND.
jY1)1'lt eon lite' 11.0 Is 110 115-
j s('1 11nt1 every ma!mfne-
tures of r('patahie goods
s('e6• Ile spends money to
gain 1t and will take all nee-
('5s:u'y pains to retain it. Your
coutitiellce i>1 the integrity of
a uaunlfaeturer, your belief
that goods bearing a certain
brand are always up to stand -
nit. Is one of the intangible
assets itnowu as "good will"
and wide!) Is regarded by a
business man as essential to
his success.
Manufacturers spend mil-
lions telling you about their
goods. They cannot hope to
get this money back by the
first transactions. They must
make you a customer and
keep you it customer. To do
this they must make honest
goods at an honest price.
This accounts for the fact
that advertised goods are al-
ways of high class. It would
not pay to advertise goods
that will not bear rigid test.
The -
ADVERTISINGi
CREATES
CONFIDENCE.
Then the manufacturer de-
pends on the quality of his
product to still further adver-
tise It and still further in-
crease the customer's confi-
dence.
doubtless, many pressing calls upon
your time,"
I bowed humbly before this compli-
ment. My time had been lightly ap-
praised by Miss Octavio and again by
Wiggins. A long telegram from my
assistant that reached me while I dress-
ed for dinner had urged my immediate
attendance upon my office. Some of
my best clients, now reopening their
houses for the winter, were in desper-
ate straits. But; Oetavia IIollisters clo
not occur in the lifo of every young
man, and both Cecilia and IIezekiah
had taken strong hold upon my imagi-
nation. Wiggins' place among the dra-
matis personae would in itself have
compelled my sympathetic attention,
and the nine silk hats that I had seen
bobbing over the stile still danced be-
fore my eyes.
"Miss Hollister," I said, "my time is
yours to comnmute'. My office is well
organized, and I ani sure that my as-
sistant is equal to any demands that
may be made upon frim. Pray state'in
what manner I may serve you."
"I am going far, I knots, Mr. Ames,
hut I beg that yon will not be in haste
to leave my aunt's house. She must
have been strongly prejudiced in your
favor or she would not have asked
you here on so short a''gnaiutance. I
am confident that sl:e has no thought
of your leaving. :Nee expressed her
greltt liking for you at l tneheon, 111111
I all sure that she will i'oe to it that
you do not lack for ('rte:t:tinnlent. I
assume that you meets have gathered
from what Mr. Wiggles told you of 1113'
acquaintance with Lint the peculiar
plight in which I tun !:laced."
I bowed. If she groped in the dark
and needed my help in finding. the
light, I was not the r.ten to desert her.
I had dropped my p1(1101, line into too
many dark chimneys not to feel the
fascination of mystery. As I express-
ed again my entire will!•igness to abide
at Flopefleld AIanor as long as she
wished, the footman announced Mr.
Bartley Wiggins.
We bad hardly exelte i'ed greetings
• t.
:1.
1t-
'1
0.1
:2
T. elite. •
>• 4•., l.r ..1,'t L.•.i1..,t .31,
before another elan waft announce$,
and then another. l should say that 1t
was nt intervals of about three min-
utes tbalt the sedate servant appeared
in the curtained doorway and announc-
ed a caller until nine had been admit-
ted.
dmitted. Aly spirits soared high as the gen-
tlemen from the Prescott A,rms ap-
peared one after the other, The ear-
lier arrivals rose to greet the later
ones. and as they were all in evening
clothes 1 experienced, as when I had
seen the same gentlemen in their after-
noon raiment crossing the stile, a sense
of something fantastic and eerie in
theta. In the interest of brevity and
to avoid eotlfpsion, I tabulate them
here with a notation as to their resi-
dence and occupation. taking such data
from the notebook In which, at subse-
quent dates, 1 set down the facts
which are the basis of this,chronicle.
Hartley R'iggins, lawyer and farm-
er, dare and 'Tortoise club, New York.
Lbm:tees Ii. lIcuderticu, planter, Roa-
noke, 1'a.
Cecil 17ugh, Lord Arrowood, no oc-
eupa tion, Arrowood, Hants, relighted.
Daniel P. Ormsby, manufacturer of
knit goods, 'Utica, N. Y.
S. Forrest Hume, lecturer on Scan-
dinavian literature, Occidental univer-
sity, Long Trail, Okla.
John Stewart Dick, pragmatist, Oma-
ha, Neb.
i'eudcnnis .1, Arbuthnot, banker and
horseman, Lexington, Ky.
Percival iI. Shallenberger, novelist
and small fruits, Sycamore, Ind.
George W. (horse, c'apil:Inst. Red-
lands. Cal.
\1'e rose anti stood in our several
places when n lnoulem later Mss'Oc-
tavin entered. She greeted the suitors
grecivasiy nod then 111 her most charm-
ing manner called one atter the other
to sit besi[le her on a lung du V eupurt,
tn,• tune apportioned fining weighed
with nicety, so that none might feet
himself slighted or preferred. 'These
interviews consumed more than bait'
an flour, and the movement thus ecca-
:doued gave euusi:lertible animation to
the scene.
• It may seem ridiculous that nine
gentlemen thus paying court to a
young 'roman should call upon her at
the same beer, but I must say that the
gravity of the suitors and the eutire
sobriety of Cecilia did not affect me
humorously, aur dill 1 feel at all out of
place in this strange company. I found
myself agreeably engaged for several
minutes in discussing Ibsen with the
Oklahoma professor, who proved to be
a delightful fellow. His ex(ierienee 01
life was appareutiy� wide, and he told
me with an engaging fladkuess of bis
meeting with the Ilullisters in France
and of his pursuit of them over many
weary miles the previous summer. As
no one had elected his courses in the
t1ntV-ersity at the begiuuing of the fall
term, he had been granted a leave of
absence, and this accounted for his
freedom to press his suit at Elope -
field Alanor at this sooson. Ho was a
big fellow, with clean cut features,
and bore himself with a manly deter-
mination that I totted attractive.
He alone, I may say, of tbe nine
men who had thus appeared in Miss
Octavia's library met me iu a cordial
spirit. 1•:ven Wiggins scented not
wholly pleased to lied me there again,
thnnfh he had asks l nie to remabl.
The manner of the (•Hier? espaessad
1:u dein, sn5piciuu of tierce bnstiiity.
When the last 11>21 rose !'ruin the
davenport Miss Or.Livia called ale 10
!a'r side. FM. ('vela('(( contrite at hav-
ing t:e';leeted tae t11u'0141 the (lay, Hatt
21rr••:1 tee that leter s;:, 1101.0d to
!'i arc• an entire 'lay :11 my di.;; '..:!h At;
tie 111130,11 the 1111:1• „lieu'•, sa11 111 11
:•cllnrire•le 1111001 ('el' !i11, V:11(3* the
enp 1i•:felted to en eeeell'tail ex -
11'.(216; e letwec•2: I'rri. r [l::ane :fain
V••••1,:,•;•;40±1. '•c,:,:':011, the \: . • ,ata 1•laltilr. M;,
n' :.. ;1 (.t ('eel,( i. •Teeter 0s :t %.l:I
11 1.1 ,,1 ••:Legis. ab1.' to 4•11'1'yt M 11::; (,1••••
:•••31'.:1 ..> 11::afe•1` h:e•,y est - t i. fes.. t >
::i 1 vedell.at ail'.•If
.... , est t.,>. it', .... het 1•e h1 snit.
1'.:.011a1y 1:.'a i,' !l:o t>:.': t et is
1-110 0, 3 1 11 -3 -.3e22.••: -.'e melt stuffy
with a l.•'t'.e1' 02e. 0t a I!i::lr•ct, end
ter paefe.elonal v :t:re:l. e1 *1.1:141 have
e .ave.1 meet tier recital. As s!0. 1'181•
14-11411 we all j.siut 11 lu the 1. •urr.'1
lau:h, Lurd Arrow/e:1'a 1aft• beer•
hie out :1 trill:' 11(•2•441'9:1•4y. 22',.•"l \l1
Oetavia e;111ttiy rose and t'lO r...1! .1tr:
self. About: 11 v t:1:i1(1'., 2 , wile:. the
v..7.13.0117 iia.1 eller a•tl Lee 020>t ., . `••'.
riee of 111(0eal11,•: 1 ..,.".'..12;y
that the . 1 I . '0..:.',.. ....:,
I vet. 110.1 al! et et et, e.... 1 .
2 it'.''11•eci;. Me:': 10 ie. .........•8• n: 32 •
1•teteete..e' 1,", . . , . •t:: i_. lint, it 0 >•
... rl:t.!, the 34011:..
•i', :1 . . .62;1H 11n:i thee
peel el r1 t...1 ii'"::' !'. 1 IA,
After `a;' e;... ,. . Hi of the tier: in
112.3'3 my. rehaorslitetry
t 1 a' 01 t': ..`1: 'ry lh'eeeth1'e 05•
me. it ....'.t iu reasen,th11
I: • • • %!y sere ..of ..r epi:age. built in
i s n' .. o! ; r.n (2! ,:c;t,;on anti with
......_ .. t•:.4: 1.2 :. 11:1e> as clear :1n
a' : (ic:••l'1•: .• 1..•,t.m' could net
e., L.:•e'-...:ram: Ay '6l:l:.'lit the tott'rvell-
.. • ( , ,• . tee s:..,. 1 a:tettey. 'Ce had
1 f :;i: t!. r (.>••-iltiti410>1 the pl•e-
V eee, ,zetei 1 V.,•44 not anxious iu
hear fe+ras.,•1 lilt• e! !viol's. The (411111-
1, .;••• ,o: :19 1,••••,••• .. :utyiug, the inure
;.e t!•:.1 'et 111y !hl,1..:•ri0llal sense it
N1.7:1 frr�; 12,. tste,
M.+.l,: A:•. S'a'o.: 1 it, 4 1'etre':tteeel dial•
t:o 0.111 t!:.• 12',•1', and the Others
11 a:' 2' : • n dad 1.t, (11(1 close behind Ce -
t•"1 • mime. goer. wa.r bent rather ae-
ri:• :;„ly r,;.:fin
A •Iola. 111.1:edit tied erossed my mind.
c'nr ('i5 net 1 felt that she had
read lacy fa'e.11ielon0 cad dill not n'llolly
Ide :i:?crson was valiantly
Ohne d ,9on Cry
Gey
Firillnurs
monommininimmeimmimmum
Chiidren Cry for Fletcher's
The Bind You have Always Bought, and which has been
in use for over 30 years, has borne the signature of
i
and has been made under his per-
4.4 sonal supervision since Its Infancy.
Allow no one to deceive you, in this..
All Counterfeits, Imitations and "Just -as -good” are but
Experiments that trifle with and endanger the health of
Infants and Children—Experience against Experiment.
What is CASTORIA
Castoria is a harmless substitute for Castor Oil, Pare-
goric, Drops and Soothing Syrups. It is pleasant. It
contains neither Opium, Morphine nor other Narcotics.
substance. Its age is its guarantee. It destroys Worms
and allays Feverishness. For more than thirty years it
bas been in• constant use for the relief of Constipation,
Flatulency, Wind Colic, all Teething Troubles and
Diarrhoea. It regulates the Stomach and Bowels,
assimilates the Food, giving healthy and natural Sleep,
The Children's Panacea—The Mother's Friend.
GENRE t E CASTORIA ALWAYS
Bears the Signature of
The Ed You Illave Always Bolght
6n Use For Over 30 Years
THE CENTAUR CCMPANY, 77 MURRAY STREET, NEW YORK CITY.
u.�erttzisw�. • ,
poking file log., while one or two oY
1110 oilier men gave hint the benefit of
their 1:dviee. 1 *10.;sed the hall to the
dt:nvitlg room, but no oue was there,
1 lt'eat heck to the billiard room, but
let not it ng of Hiss Octavio. Covina
1:a1 mug fur the footman, and I passed
hint in the hall on his way to answer
her sn::utt ms. 1 stopped him with an
inquiry on 111y lips. but 1 ('0(11(1 110111sk
the questem. Even in my perplexity
its to the ('(((1se of the 0himuey's re-
markable performances i dict not so
fur forget n:yec''f 120 to (•titntnunicate
1(13' s(72pieion tU 1: set'Vtta t,
"Notl>ing, 'themes," 1 Feld, and the
111111 linseed on,
It was prs;al:'.,'. et taus,•(', that 'Miss
Oetavia knew 112.2.) then :she eared to
tell about the erratic nays of the 11-
' !wary chimney, 1:ey, oe she tniel21 indeed be
the ('ane(' til' i15 1:>go;'i:•s, 511f11rient
time bed elapeed teem. refinement from
the library t0 anew her to gain the
roof and clap a 341(113(0 on the e11:72u-
! 11ey pest. '1'1:le: (11 . 0' 2. 1.
e•eunt for the Met ((:;:t • 0 1114.22;, •..
evening she heel been preeent in the
• ail:racy tt'hen the 01(0:e •':ai:ltuc'y bed
Ilul113feestt'd a similar e•." 1•..•,:s. 1 t::;:t
.Mill (t,>III3,:111ly tl:ere fl:..:•oS when I
heard tend en:Pifer free. the librery
• and on returnine t'',00,l ti:,.
' blazing ill the Melee -v. tr.')l, . , !: •:.e
t-moke rose demurely le cane re,.
"'I'M,: fireplace is a reee ., ._- .
Antes," said 4'e•Ee1 .,..•i .i•t ,.,.'co
at regular it:terve,.;. ... 1 :t•:,., ..,.
the elate, on the 1-;..., . , ...... ;1
1:1St 2[1;2111 N11(011 1110. . .;:t•14•1::•••••:
a';1
121>4 there—it is -:rig.. 0...203"
23"
Flu terse:l lr••.: t 2'e ti...
ty:1S. I 1l.0 1^alt, i:t .' . !:t of
pi(1011 that 11:•;•-t s1!,: 1
a little silll 3:..' 32' f:1• .
1 tt'i:h31'0w 1117 i:: a
t ,
c
..1 fr ui'"d.
end >1 e 1
course It/mated.l-. ...
111011(0 W000 01 tiwn,
her >•lati , !•.;.>1H t:' .: ....a fru
21110) the lteii.:;,.. 1.,
were t•1. '.rt. 1 re 1 •. . . (•••
in tilt . . ':,,3
0f Ler fie ' q. t. ' 1
the; tree . tie.r i
trial 0e:t:,3car., ti! 1>'at. ,
3'1'raly elthe 34')'.
I'ro10 tier a,.lase:
reef by the
lion et the l.:',. ;•.
fy- I 21; ._ 2.4
ti lee: '.et
the pia.—.e 11..
..
22 11l1,111i:.0' „ !_ . 1
rt`..1.1 120,0 10 ti . , ..`i
.14.•h 1 11.1.11.•'... .1
. ;lh`:a•.1 ''11 11..'.• ti,4,t .
'.i::t.0 s.:. '.V11:21 . Y
11121 1112,1 0t 1 e.•
3.,i::i!• il0 i i ..•. . , .
1 !'.10se'tl l..1> i:> 1': 1 e
111...110 t'ietR .
21.. t.l
24[41021 f"1• 1;•:'.:.
( ec lid s::1 h;• the 1' . ;.:..' . •
[at•lr1:lt.e. Ili:;.•. , ,.1;'•:'t .,
•.1'2(1: foltlnll.
"You are heel. 4.•0 1:. t .•
11'13.1•, PI'uta '•r' 111:;. t.
11,:t ;:'•- • .
t'is'e'ullir
tit:antas ,:e11 1 1•e , y, ..
wife."
I retreated beefily to tee 1, 1.. 'i
room, where I took a etre foe!.
rate: and as0tse1 114:1.•!.41 for g:2 :..
•
fifteen tribunes, wll:.in,
outer door ('lose and 1:1►:Wi:'g
Iit me had *'s0('a'ted wild Lie ,.ree.e.
I returned to the lith.
Collie sat where r ' 1•• • ft
at erre. glance I til. 'least cat' vete 2, ., ;•
ing. But 010 tile: 1•,t ., :eel:1y '.o 1
crossed the r1.o:11. : he 10111 lit Ia,
hand all 014,0:li: silver 1r18(l44.4* hat i.-
er than a card tate. :1 sheat 1 ('•5:x'1
S11111lar to those ai. 220,! to 11:1.,4' c..
was attached to it by 0 Miele t '•:.1,
and gall'' h:ill I i6rf• 1 11. i,;e11 ..t .
retail 31: of . • t. l . ► cad a '),0 II
.a .1 u
,1
fie sfirer bound 'booklet lilven'afte`r
she had looked up and smiled at me
her eyes sought the page before her.
Then site closed the covers and clasp-
ed the pretty toy in her hand. As
though to divert my attention she re-
curred at once to the eldru Icy in a
vein of light irony.
"Yon see," she :lid, "there 14 art's•!('
reason fur your re:uainieg hone Tcu
would hardly find anywhere else 0') in-
teresting a te::t et' ,x1.101 probeeional
powers as Ilopi.'ik:A! Manor ..Cel',. 'litO
house is haunted be :,au giee,t3en, and
I 0011 St.() that yea are not (1 'mile to
leave two defclt-eleee wnmant 50 the
mercy of a ghe t who drops dere eeete-
ne;•s at will."
I suffered' her el.. - for sere::.' L::n-
aieR. then 1 atlkr•.1 i 13:1 ennui.•
P'a'rdon me, but l:;,2O you the slight-
est
i llt-
est idea Haat -".lis. (;••urea ire i.eltind
tail;. it is slut l:'>:_•.•,b that ...0 110 1i
1,'"07134j''!' I:1st 0 .'a. Itt:f 12. 'as
2:1,1 ._ �`
:l;.. -. . i 4,e •. , .i Via'!
S.:11••.•:70 pouted In' i -re. I sit ..111 be
t1 beer r yc.02' t ; a.; il. •
.2 •r •..1 : • ;t . ,.-, r14-.. hie: . :v
.127t' 1112.1....1 , way
., (:a la 3 a'::1. .. . :eh
•
.12'
I
•'oi
4