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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 27, 1913)
' . " ' ' - ' ' t s, ""V I' i iox'uuX"i.innriii.ri r .n..ri nnfin riii in--irirT'iri "'"i" -rri CHAPTER III. At Hopefield Manor. M' ISS IIOLLISTER'S summons lay on my desk tbe next morning and was of tlio briefest. I was requested to tall at Ilopefleld Manor at 4 o'clock the following afternoon, being Tuura tlay. A trap would meet me at Kato ab, a nd It was suggested that I come prepared to sicud the night, "so thnt tie condition of the flues might be dis cussed and any necessary changes planned during'tho evening. The note, wlgned Oelavla Hollister, was written h a flowing hand on a wholly impec cable note sheet Btamped Hopelield Manor, Katonah. Before taking the train I sought Wlg- fjlns by telephone at bis office and at the Hare and Tortoise, where he loilg ed, but without learning anything as to his whereabouts. Ells office did not answer, but Wiggins' office had never been responsive to the, telephone, so tkis was not significant. The more I considered his conduct during the re cital of my visit to the Asolaudo the wore I wondered, and In spite of my wish to ignore utterly Jewett's revela tions ns to Wiggins' summer abroad, I yraa forced to the conclusion that Jew tt had not lied. I had known Wlg fns long, and this was the first time that I bad ever been conscious of any -withholding of confidence on bis part, and on my own I had not merely con fided all my hopes and alms to him, Wot I bad leaned upon him often in ay perplexities. There was. indeed a kind of boyish compnet between us ftiat we should support each other . through all difficulties. Ills reserve Wd, I knew, a diffident and sensitive nature, and It was wholly possible that f bis affair with Cecilia Hollister bad not prospered he had fled to his ranch there to wrestle In seclusion with his disappointment. My mind was busy with such speculations as I sped to ward Katonah, where I found the trap from Hopefield Manor awaiting me. "It's rather poor going over the hills; nbout five miles, sir," said the driver as we set off. This was the first week in October. There was Just zest enough In the air to make a top coat comfortable. The team of blacks spoke well for Miss Hollister's stable, and the liveried driver kept them moving steadily, but ased the pace as we rose on the frc quent slopes to the shoulders of the pleasant Westchester hills. Early frosts had already wrought their mira cle in the foliage, and the battle ban dots of winter's vanguard flashed along the horizon. I rejoiced that my business, vexatious enough in many ways, yet afforded me so charming an outing as this. Presently we climbed a hill that shouldered its way well ubnve Us fol lows and came out upon a broad ridge, where we entered at once a noble gateway set in an old stone wall and struck off smartly along a fine bit of macadam. The house, the driver in farmed me, was a quarter of n mile from the gate. The way led through - wild woodland, In which elms and maples predominated, and before this had grown monotonous we came ab ruptly upon nu Italian garden, beyond which rose the house. 1 knew It at once for one of Pepperton's sonnd per formnuces. I'cpporton Is easily our best man In domestic Tudor, and thp whole setting of Hopefield Manor the sunken gardeu. the superb view, the billowing fields and woodlands beyond all testified to a i . te which no lgjo rant owner bail thwarted. The house was Tudor, but In no servile sense. It was also Pepperton. I lifted my eyes with immediate professional Interest to the chimneypots on the roof. It oc furred to me on the Instant that 1 had never liefore been called to retouch ny of Pepperton'a work. Pep knew as much ns I about flue construction. I had an Immense respect for Pep, uud s my specializing In chimneys had liecn a subject of frequent dialling be tweeu us, 1 anticipated with a chuckle ihe pleasure I should have later in lolling him that at last one of his flues had required my services. My good opinion of Miss hollister did not diminish as 1 stepped within the broad hall. Houses have their own manner of speech, and Hopefield Manor spoke to all the senses in ac cents of taste and refinement. A serv ant took iny bag and ushered me Into a chnrmlug library. A fire sinolden-il lazily iu the great fireplace; there wns in the room the faintest scent ot burnt Siege the Seven Suitors By MEREDITH NICHOLSON Copyright, 1910, by Meredith Nlcholsoo wood, but "the smoke rose In "the flue in n perfectly mannerly fashion, and on thrusting in my hand 1 felt good draft of air. I instinctively knelt on the hearth and peered up, but saw nothing unworkmanlike Pepper- ton was uot a fellow to leave obvious mistakes behind him. But possibly that was not one of the recalcitrant fireplaces I bad been called to inspect, and I rose and was continuing my en She Advanced at Once and Spoke My Name, Joyment of the beautiful room when I became conscious, by rather curious and mixed processes not wholly of (lit eye, that a young woman had drawe back the light portieres they wert dark brown, with borders of burn! orange and stood gravely gjv.ing t' me. She held the curtains apart tlv made, Indeed, n kind of frame for lid -but ns our eyes met she advanced at once and spoke my name. "You are Mr. Ames. My aunt ex pected you. I regret to say thnt slit is uot In the house Just now, but sli will doubtless return for tea. I air her niece. Won't you sit down?" As tlie found a seat for herself, I made hold to survey her with some particularity. She carried her Hut height with beautiful dignify. Slit was a creature of grace, and it was a grace of strength, the suppleness ami ease that mark our later outdoor Amer ican woman. She could do her mile over those hills 1 was sure of that Her fine olive face, crowned with dark hair, verified the Impression I had gathered from Jewett, that she was n woman of cultivation. She had read tin poets; Dante and Petrarch spoke. fron her eyes. Cecilia was no bad name foi her; she suggested heavenly harmo tiles! And as for Jewett's story of Wig gins' infatuation, I was content. She was talking meanwhile of the day aud Its buoyant air and of the tapestries hung iu the woodlands in 8 voice deep with rare intimations oi viol chords "Its veiy quiet here. It doesn't seem possible that we are so near the city. My aimt chose tbe place 'with care, and she made no mistake about it. Yes. the bouse was built by Mr I eppertou. but not for us. My aunt bought It of the estate of the gentle man who built It This will be bet first winter here." Miss Hollister herself nppeared. Slit greeted me without surprise and much as she might have spoken to any guest in her house. I had sometimes beeu treated ns though I were the ugent ol a decorutor's shop, or a delinquent plumber, by the people whom I served but Miss Hollister and her niece rstub llshed me upon n plane that was vholl social. 1 was made to feel that It wo the most natural thing in the world for me to be there, having tea, with nc business ahead of me but to be agree able. Tbe fact that 1 had come to cor rect the distemper of their flues win Utterly negligible. I remembered with satisfaction that I had Journeyed from town In n new business suit that mailt the best of my attenuated figure', aud I will nofjleny that I felt at ease. Mis? UoHlster talked briskly an she made tea "It Is not necessary for yon to take tea If you don't cure vr it. Mr Anies." she said, ns I rose and bonded the first cup to Cecilia. "If y.u will touch the bell at your elbow con mav have ll(uids of quite another sort." "You are mosl geiiemiiSj Miss lloi The of lister. Tea will suffice for the rwv! ment. It is fitting that I should takt! it here, it having been a weakness foi tea as well as curiosity and chance that; threw hie In your way ct the Aso lando." "That nbsnrd that preposterous bole In the wall!" She put down her cup and fared me continuing: "Mr. Aims. I will not deny that If It had not luvn for lieneriil (Uendetrtilug's cordial Indorsement of you, uud the further fact that I had met your late father, 1 should not have invited you to my house on the occa sion to which you refer. My contempt for the Asolaudo and the things It stands for Is beyond such lauguage as a lady may use before the young. I fall back upon the privilege of my age to beg that you will hereafter give the Asolaudo u wide berth." 1 laughed at her earnestness, but on turning toward Miss Cecilia I saw that Bhe was placidly stirring her cup. It might be that one was uot expected to manifest amusement iu Miss Hollls tor's utterances, and 1 was anxious to adjust myself to the proper key in my intercourse, no matter how brief it might be, with this remarkable old lady. In my embarrassment I rose nnd of fered the bread and butter to Cecilia, who declined it. Tbe austerity of her rejection rather unnerved me. "I assure you, Miss Hollister, thnt I have no wish to become a habitue of the place," I said. "And yet you will pardon mo if I repeat that, but for It, I should not now be enjoying the hos pitality of Hopefield Manor." She lifted her head from her cup nnd bowed, but I was immediately interest ed in the fact that her niece was speaking. "I think Aunt Octavla Is hard on the Asolando," she was saying. "Aunt Octavla is Interested In the revlvai of romance, and romance withoii. rt'iry seems to me wholly impossible '' "The age is decadent, and 1 kno (V no better way of restoring the race to Its ancient vim nnd energy than by send ing men back to the camp and field or to sail Hie high seas In new armadas The men of this age have become n lot of sordid shopkeepers, and to my moral sense the looting of cities is far more honorable than the creation of trusts nnd the manipulation of prices, though I cannot deny that but for my late father's zeal In destroying bis competi tors In the baby buggy business we might not now be enjoying the deli cate fragrance of caravan tea." "I assure you. Mr. Ames." said Ce cilia, "that the Asolando Is a very harmless place, and that as a matter of fact Its alms nre wholly consonant with thoso of Aunt Octavla. I myself served there for a time, and those were among the most delightful days of my life. There are times when I miss llio Asolando." "Mr. Ames," began Miss Octavla presently in her crisp, direct fashion, which bad the effect of leading uie In my anxiety to appear ready with an swers to take a flattering view of my own courage and resourcefulness. "Mr. Ames, are you equal to the feat of swimming a moat under a shattering fire from the cnstleV" "I have every reason to think I am. VNm Hollister.'' I replied modestly. "And If a white hand waved to you from the grilled window of the lonely tower, would you ride on indifferently or pause and thunder at the gate?" "While hands hae never waved to me. save occasionally when I have gone a riding Iu the Sixth avenue ele vated, but It Is my honest belief that my sword would promptly leave its scabbard If the hand ever waved from the lvled tower." My friends' at the Hare and Tortoise would have heard this avowal with some surprise, for no man's life bad ever been tamer than mine. 1 am by nature timid, aud full but a little short of being afraid of the dark. Prayers for deliverance from battle, murder and sudden death cannot be too strong ly expressed for me. My answer had, however, pleased Miss Octavla, nnd she clapped her hands with pleasure. "Cecilia," she cried, "something told me that afternoon at the Asolando that my belief lu the potential seven was not HI placed, mid now you see thnt In Introducing myself to Mr. Ames at the seventh table from the door, In the seventh shop from I'ifth aveuue, 1 was led to a meeting with n gentleman 1 had been predestined to know." As we talked further a servant ap peared anil laid fresn logs across the still smoldering fire. This I thought would suggest to Miss Hollister the professional character of my visit, but the Are kindled readily, the smoke rose freely in the flue, and Miss Hollister paid no attention to It. The merits ot chain armor, 1 think it was, that held us for half an hour, Cecilia and I lis tening with wspect to what, iu my ig norance, seemed a remarkable fund of knowledge on this recondite subject "We dine ot 7, Mr. Ames, and yon may amuse yourself as you like until thnt hour. Cecilia, you may order din ner In the gun room tonight" "Certainly, Aunt Octavla." Ouce more I glanced ot the girl, hop ing that some glimmer in her eyes would set me right and establish a com mon understanding and sympathy be tween us, but she was moving out of the room at her aunt's side. The man who had tended the fire met me in tbe tiall and, conducting me to my room, suggested various offices that he was ready to perform for my comfort. The house faced south, and my windows, midway of the east wing, afforded a fine view of the bills. The room was large enough for a chamber of state, and Its furniture was massive A four poster invited to luxurious repose; half U dozen etchings by famous artists -Parrlsh and Van Ulteu among tliem hung upon (he walls. My ba had been opened and my things put i.ot. so that, there being more than a;i hour to pfi.ss before I need ihvss tor dinner. I went below and explored the garden and wandered off along a winding path that stole with chain. lug furtiveness toward a venerable orchard of gnarled apple trees from the height thus gained I looked down upon the house, and caught a glimpse beyond it of one of the chain of lakes, ou which the west ern sun glinted golilenly. Thus seeing the house from a new angle I was im pressed as 1 had not been at first by Us size. It was a huge establishment, and I thought with envy of Pepperton, to whom such ample commissions were no rare. I 'eppertou, I recalled a little bitterly, had arrived, whereas I, who bad enjoyed exactly his owu training for the architect's profession, had fail ed ot it and been obliged to turn my hand to tin; doctoring of chimneys. Hut as 1 reflected upon the odd cir cumstances of my being there my spir its rose. Miss Hollister was beyond question u singular person, but her whims were amusing. 1 felt that she was less cryptic than her nelec, and the thought of Cecilia drove ine back upon Jewett's story of Wiggins' inter est in that quarter. I resolved to write to Wiggins when 1 got back to town the next day and nbuso him rouudly for running off without so much as goodby. Thnt, most emphatically, was not like dear old Wiggins. i To Bo Continued.) ANNUAL PARISH MEETINGS AT ST. LUKE'S CHURCH from Tuesday's Dflllv. I'lic annual parish meeting of SI. Luke's parish was held al the church lasl evening after a short cued I'nini of even sour. TIk rector, itev. Allan (. Wilson, pre sided at Ihe meeting ami (ieorgi ll..l'allci' acted as secretary . Re pot Is were received from Ihe various (iuihls and oi'gani.al ions and the parish treasurer, all showing the parish is iu excellent financial condition. Walter J. While was clcclctl senior warden and (leorjio 1oiIi junior warden; Carl (i. Kricke, treasurer, and (1. W. Kaylor, secretary. Col. J. II. Thrasher was elected as vestry man for Hie ensuing church year. Thinks Advertising Pays. From Tnendav's Dntlv. Mrs. W. J. Carslens, who has been advertising her residence properly, located in the south portion of (he eiiy, through the colu'nns of the livening Journal, has just disposed of I lie place to Anion Velisnek. who wjil remove there Willi his family and make I heir future home. Airs. Carslens is ureal ly pleased with the prompt results ol' I lie advert isinjr ami is a llrm convert In the I henry (hat In vll anylliiiiii you must lei the people know i 1 1 ) i M 1 1 it. 11 v'HH a A..."..j...t.fj. CASS COUNTY ITEMS, I PERU, NED. -J- .-'.AA.AAAA William Roellper of Klmwood went o Veriloii to till Ihe assist ant iHincuiai s mace or two weeks. .Mrs. was in week i . i:. Cass of I'latlsmoulh I'eru several days last il iny her daughter, Lucih Xoel I son has accenled a splendid po ion at SI a n I mi for next year. The senior class reyrels very much Ihe losing of Miss Lucile (lass during I lie last iuarler of school. However, they are di lighted In hear that she will he hack for summer school. The Whilleinore art studio of Omaha. Kave an excellent art ex hihit here, last Thursday, Friday and Saturday. An excellent pro gram was piven during each ses sion. Mary Jameson has accepted a position in the intermediate de parliiienl at Rising City for next year. Tin; Athenian and Ciceronian Debating societies held a joint meeting last Saturday evening at IMiilotnathaen hall and were entertained with a vocal selection by Rachel Livingston. any of the Cass county students are looking forward to their spring vacation, which be gins March 20. Suit to Quiet Title. Yesterday afternoon a suit to quiet title to some lots in the vil lage of Avoca was tiled in the office of tlie district clerk. The title of Ihe case is Jacob II. Con rad vs. I',, (i. (iray, el al. J. K. Douglass of this city appears as attorney for the plaint iff. For Sale. A pair of horses a mare com ing I) in Ma, and a horse coming (1 in May. Inquire of Henry Kikeiibary. .'MIMt-wkly that are 100 per cent. EFFICIENT We guarantee you absolute Satisfac tion from our Clothes. No questions asked if you are not satisfied a new Suit or your money back QUICK. $10 $15 $20 $25 $30 C. E. Wescott's Sons Always the Home of Satisfaction THE LATEST IN AUTO CYCLE MODELS ON EXHIBITION The motorcycle experts, Henry Sleinhauer & Son, have on cxhibL tion in the windows of Warga &' Cecil a line new 1913 model Ex celsior auto-cycle, which is the lim-st machine of its kind that has been brought into this city. The machine is the very latest work in construclion of these kind of ma chines and is equipped with all the conveniences for the drivers. The aulo-cycle is a 7 horse power machine, but can develop 10 horse power, which makes a very fast machine, It is belt driven and is equipped with the improved Scheliler carburetor, as well as Ifoseh magneto, and the control is regulated in the handle bars, Ihe right grip controlling throttle and valve left, 'eft grip operates clulrh-spark advance lever which is located on the left side of tank, making the machine one of the easiest to regulate on the market. The Kumfort Kushion seat on the machine, with its strongly con structed springs, lakes away the jar so common to most motor cycles, and makes riding on it truly a joy and pleasure. DEATH OF THE MOTHER DF MRS. JOHN GORDER Yesterday morning Mrs, W. II. I'elers, one of Ihe old residents of this part of the sjale, died at her home near Springfield, Neb., from the ell'ects of a stroke of apoplexy, after only a few hours' illness. Mrs. Peters came to Ne braska in inri) and has resided near Spriimlleld since that lime. She was the mother of Mrs. John iorder, residing west of this city, who was al her mother's bedside when the end came yesterday, She leaves surviving her a hus band and four children Mrs. John (ionler of IMaltsmouth, l)r. A. J. Peters of Springfield, Joseph W. Peters of Florence, and Miss Marl ha Peters of South Omaha. The funeral was held at the late home today and interment made iu the cemetery near there. A household remedy iu America for -T years Dr. Thomas' Kclec lic Oil. For cuts, sprains, burns, scalds, bruises. 2 fie and 50c. At all drug stores. Tornado and Cyclone WHY DELAY TAKING TORNADO IN SURANCE when the cost is only $5.00 for $1,000 for three years? Phone 28 P. FfiLlEB, Agent AETNA and QUEEN Insurance Go. Last Call. If you are going to plant out any fruit or ornamental trees this spring, now is the time to buy, as I only have ten days to take orders for the spring delivery. Fine stock of grape, . gooseberry, currant, blackberry, raspberry, asparagus, everblooming and climbing roses. Thorn; ine or drop a card and I will cull at once. Remember, I represent one of Ihe best nurseries in the world Stark Urol hers. Find out what you want and let me hear from you al once. I K. RulVner. a-i'j-int-ii&w HEROLD WILLIAMS ELECTRI CIAN AT BURLINGTON SHOPS Harold Williams, who for the past year has been employed at the Missouri Pacillc shops in Falls City as an electrician, has returned to this city and is now employed in the LUirlington shops as an electrician, taking the posi tion made vacant by the resigna tion of Charles Leighty, who has removed to Omaha, where he will lake charge of a motion picture theater. Mr. Williams is a young man of much ability and should make a good man for the IHirling lon in the position he has been selected for, as he possesses a natural talent for electrical work. 0. H. PARKENIN6 ESCAPED STORM'S FURY IN OMAHA O. II. Parkeniiig of Omaha, a son of our worthy friend, Chris Pai'kening, residing west of this city, was most fortunate in the tornado that visited Omaha Sun day, as the slorni passed within a block of where he and his fam ily reside, and they were not harmed in the least, although the death-dealing tornado had barely missed them. Chris Parkening and wife returned last evening from Omaha, where they at once hastened on hearing of the storm, as it was impossible to reach their son by telephone, and I heir fears were such that they at once left for the metropolis to see how their sou and his wife had fared. They report, Ihe scene as most heart rendering with the miles of wrecked homes and Ihe lives that were lost.