f ;:.
ci J
: V- :': V; x' -s-.' "JS A
KEZEKIAH
CHAPTER VII.
I Meet Hezeklah.
WIGGINS asked me to lunch
eon, and on the way back to
the Inn, after Inquiring my
plans for returning to town,
be proposed that I delay my departure
until the following day. What he
wanted, and he put it bluntly, was a
friend at court, and as I had seeming
ly satisfied him of my entire good faith
and of my devotion to his interests he
begged that I prolong my stay In Miss
Hollistcr's house, giving as my excuse
the condition of the chimneys of Hope
field Manor. He brushed aside my
plea of other engagements and appeal
ed to our old friendship. He was tak
lug his troubles hard, and I felt that
he really needed counsel and support
lu the involved stato of his affairs. I
did not see how my continued pres
ence under Miss Hollister's roof could
materially assist him, and the thought
of remaining thero when there was no
work to be done was repugnant to my
lense of professional honor, but he was
eo persistent that I finally yielded.
While we ate luncheon I sought by
every means to divert his thoughts to
other channels. After we were seated
in tho dining room four other men fol
lowed, exercising considerable caro in
placing themselves as far from one an
other as possible. A few moments lat
er a motor hummed Into the driveway,
and we heard Its owner ordering his
chauffeur to return to town and hold
himself subject to telephone call. This
latest arrival appeared shortly, in the
dining room and, surveying the rest of
tta with a disdainful air, sought a ta
ble In the remotest corner of the room.
Others appeared,- until eight in all had
entered. The presence of these men at
this hour, their air of aloofness and
the care they exercised In isolating
themselves interested me. They ap
peared to be gentlemen. They were,
indeed, suggestive of the ampler met
ropolitan world, and one of them was
unmistakably a foreigner.
.While Wiggins appeared to Ignore
them, I was conscious that he reviewed
the successive arrivals . with every
manifestation of contempt. One of
these glum gentlemen seemed familiar.
I could not at once recall him, but
something in his manner teased my
memory for a moment before I placed
him. Then it dawned upon me that
he was the third man I bad met in
the field overhanging tho garden after
my eavesdropping experience the day
before. I thought it as well, however,
not to mention this fact, or to speak of
the man I had seen so grimly posted in
the midst of the cornfield. I was an
observer, a looker on, nt Hopelield, nnd
my immediate business was the col
leitlng of Information.
"V4tl . Am l-t,i,1lif Inll n.n Wlirnrv ivlin
if 4M jvu niuuij ivii tut., ? tee; , "
these strange geutlemen are and just
what has brought them here nt this
h()ur?
"I know them-they are guests of the
inn. Most of then were more or less
rnmnnnlnn, In nnr recession across
Europe last summer. Tho ono in tho
. . ...
tan suit Is Henderson you must have
(....! f Mm TIia ol.nrt Aorfc nat tt
atrabilious countenance is John Stew-
art Dick, who pretends to be a phlloso-
per. As for the others'
t?A fUemtacarl tlinm u'lth n fork nt tho
hoad. Mr wits Btrultl with his ex -
planatlon. It is my wish to reduce in
formation to plain terms.
"Are these gentlemen, then, your ri
vals for the hand of Miss Cecilia Hol
lister? If so, they are a solemn band
of suitors, I must confess."
"You have hit it. Ames. They are
suitors, assembled from all parts of the
world."
"Nice looking fellows, except the
chap with the monocle, who has just
ordered rather more liquor than a gen
tleman should at this hour."
"That Is Lord Arrowood. I have
feared at times that Miss Octavla fa
vored him."
'Tossibly, but not likely. But how
long is this thing going to last? If
you fellows are going to hang on here
until Miss Cecilia Holllstcr has chosen
one of you for her husband I shud
der for your nerves. I imaglno that
any one of theso gentlemen is likely to
begin shooting across his plate at any
minute. Such a situation would be
come Intolerable very quickly If I were
in the game and forced to lodge here."
"I hope," replied Wiggins with heat,
"that you dou't imagine these fellows
run crowd nie out. I've paid for a
month's lodging In advance, and If you
n
me biese
7
of the
Seven Suitors
By
MEREDITH NICHOLSON
Copyright. 1910. by Meredith Nlcbolioa
will stand by me I'm going to win.""
"Spoken like a runn, my dear Wig
gins! You may count ou me to the
sweet or bitter end, even If I pull down
all the superb chimneys with which
Pepperton adorned that house up yon
der." lie silently clasped my hand. A lit
tle later 1 telephoned from the Inn to
my office explaining my absence and
Instructing my assistant to visit several-pressing
clients, and I instructed
the valet at the Ilare and Tortoise to
send me a week's supply of linen and
an odd suit or two.
At about 3 o'clock 1 left Wiggins in
first rate spirits and set out on my re
turn to Hopelield Manor.
I made a wrong turn on leaving the
Trescott Arms, and 1 came out pres
ently near Kntonah village. 1 got my
bearings of a shopkeeper and started
again for Hopefield Manor, but the
mldafteraoon was warm, and the hills
were steep, and as Miss Ilolllster's ad
mirable cob showed signs of weariness,
I drove into a fence coiner and loosen
ed the mare's check. On a sunny slopo
several hundred yards above the high
way lay an orchard, advertised to the
larcenous eye by the ruddiest of red
apples. Not In many years had I rob
bed an orchard, and I felt irresistibly
drawn toward the gnarled trees, which
were still, In their old age, abundantly
fruitful.
I drew down a bough and plucked
my first apple, tasted and found it
good. At my palate's first responsive
titillation something whizzed past my
ear, and, following the flight of the
missile, I saw an apple of goodly size
fall and roll away into the grass. 1
had Imagined myself utterly alone,
and even now as I looked guiltily
around no one was la sight. The ap
ple had passed my ear swiftly and at
an angle quite un-Newtonlan. It had
been fairly .aimed at my head, and the
law of gravitation did not account for
It. As I continued my scrutiny of the
landscape I was addressed by a voice
whose accents were not objurgatory.
Rather, the .tone , was good natured
and indulgent If not indeed a trifle
patronizing. The words were these:
Soup of the evening, beautiful iuup!
It was then that, lifting my eyes, 1
beheld, sitting lengthwise of the wall,
with her feet drawn comfortably un
der her, a girl in a white sweater, i
bareheaded, munching an apple. There
was no question of identity. It was
the girl whose head behind the cash
ier's grill of the Asolando bad inter
ested me on the occasion of my sec
ond visit to the tea room. In soliciting
my attention by reciting a line of
verse she had merely followed the
rule of the tea room in like clrcum
stauces. The casting of the apple at
my head possessed the virtue of nov
elty. While I tried to think of some
thing to say I pecked at my own ap
ple, but kept an eye on her. She con
cluded her repast calmly and flung
nway tho core.
"I mentioned soup," sho remarked.
"The courses are mixed. We have
partaken of fruit. Aro you fish, flesh,
fowl or good red herring?"
i-'uugnier or ave, i will be any
.. . ... ,
"""eu ior iue ap-
Pf' a,nd 1 T ?g 7',? fC havlDg enter"
ed Eden uninvited."
' "U'S "0t ,y Ko7 invited
S"y t,wt
. th9 PP? Ore grand."
la Klad were both In the snniP
boat I'm n trespasser myself I don't
even know the name of tli? owner.
i i l
j ?' , " J T nVl 8
j "J -' V"
"I dou't follow precedents, and I've
! frotten the namo of the boy who
in the race. It
doesn't matter, though. Nothing mat
ters very much."
ner hands clasped her knees, ner
skirt was short, and I was conscious
I that she wore tan shoes. She con-
llI,ueu 10 renru m W1 ""7 curi
II.. A (. k
osity. Mie seemed younger than at
the Asolando. Not more than eight
een times had apples reddened on the
bough in her lifetime. She .was even
slenderer and more youthful in her
sweater than in tho snowy vestments
of the Asolando. Her hair, which in
the glow of the lamp at Asolando cash
desk had been golden, was today bur
nished copper and was brushed straight
back from her forehead and tied with
a black ribbon.
'I quite ngreo with your philosophy.
Nothing Is of great Importance."
"So It's not your orchard?" sho asked.
"The thought flatters me. I own no
lands nor ships at sea. I'm a chim
ney doctor, and if necessary I'll apolo
gize for it"
"You needn't submit testimonials. I
tako tho swallows out of my own
chimneys."
"That requires n deft hand, and I'm
sure .you're considerate of tho swal
lows."
"You may come up here and sit ou
the wall if you care to. I saw you
driving in a trap. I hope your hors!
isn't afraid of motors. Motors speed
scandalously on that road."
"1 am not hi the least worried about
my horse. It's borrowed. As you re
marked, this is n nice orchard. I like
it hero."
"If you are going to be silly you will
find nie little inclined to nonsense "
"Shall we talk of the Asohuido? I
haven't been back since I saw you
there, and yet-let nie see, Isu't this
your day there?"
She seemed greatly amused, and
her laughter rose with a fouutaln
llke spontaneity and fell, a splash of
musical' sound, ou the mellow air of
the orchard. She had changed her po
sition as I Joined her, sitting erect aud
kicking her heels lazily against the
wall.
"Mr. Chimney Man, something terri
ble happened just after you left that
afternoon. I was bounced, fired-I lost
my job."
"Incredible! I'm sure It was not for
any good cause. I cau testify that you
were a model of attention you were
surpassingly discreet. You repelled me
In the most delicate manner when 1
Intimated that I should come often on
the days that you made the change."
"Tho sud part of It was that that
was not only my last day. but my first!
I had never been there before, except
for a nibble now and then when I was
In town. But I couldn't stand It. It
rv-as like being In jail-in fact, 1 think
Jail would be preferable. But I'm glad
1 spent that ono day there. They dis
pensed with my company because I re
marked to one of the silly girls who
are making the Asolando their llfework
that 1 thought the English pre Ra-
phaelltes had carried tho dish face
rather too far. The girl to wliom I ut
tered this heresy was so shocked she
dropped a tencup-you know how brit
tle everything Is in there and I came
home. You were really the only ad
venture I got out of my day there
And I didn't find yon entirely satisfac
tory." "Thank you, Francesca, for these
confidences. And having lost your po
sltion you are now free to roam the
hills and dream on orchard walla
Your scheme of life Is to my liking. 1
can see with half an eye that you were
born for the open and that the walls
of no prison house can ever hold you
again."
She nodded a dreamy acqniesence.
Then she turned two very brown eyes
full upon rue and demanded:
"What Is your name, please?"
I mentioned It.
"And you doctor chimneys? That
sounds very amusing."
"I'm glad you like It. Most people
think it absurd."
"What are you doing here? There's
not a chimney in sight."
"Oh, I have a commlssiou in the
neighborhood. Hopefield Manor. You
may buve heard of Miss Uollister'
place."
"Of course, every one knows of her."
"And now-that I think of It, it was
she about whom you asked In the Aso
lando that afternoon. You wanted to
know what she said about the tea
room."
"I remember perfectly."
She was quiet for a moment, then
she threw back her bead and laughed
that rare laugh of hers. "You might
let me Into the joke."
"It wouldn't mean anything to you.
I have n lot of private Jokes that are
for my own consumption."
"Your way of laughing is adorable.
I hope to hear more of It. In the Aso
lando you repulsed me tn a manner
that won my admiration, but i venture
to say now that, if you roam these
pastures, I am the grass beneath your
feet, nnd If yonder tuneful water be
sacred to you I sit beside the brook to
learn its. song."
"You talk well, sir, but from your
tone I fear you can't forget that we
met first in the Asolando. That day
of my life is past, and I nm by no
means what you might call an Asolan
ded. I don't seem to impress you with
that fact. I'm a human being, not to
be picked like n red apple, or trampled
upon like grass, or listened to as though
I were a foolish little brook. I'm great
ly given to the highway, and I prefer
macadam. I like asphalt pavements,
too, for the matter of that. I should
love a motor, but lacking the coin I
pedal a bicycle. My wheel lies down
there in the bushes. You see, Mr.
Chimney Man, 1 am a plain spoken
person and have no intention of deceiv
ing you. My name was Francesca for
one day only. It may interest you to
know that my real name is Hezeklah."
"nezeklahl Then you are Ceclllifa
sister and Miss Hollistcr's niece?"
"Guilty."
"And you Ilve"-
"Over there somowhero beyond that
rldee." And she waved her hand
vaguely toward the village and laugh
ed again.
'Tray tell me what this particular
Joke is. It must bo immensely fun
ny," I urged, struggling with these new
facts.
"Oh, it's Aunt Octavia! She will be
the death of me yet You know the
girl who waited on Aunt Octavla that
afternoon took all that artistic non
sense as seriously as a funeral, and sho
told me after you left, with the great
est horror, that Aunt Octavla had
asked for a cocktail." That laugh rip
pled off again to carry Joy along tho
planet trails above us. "But you
know," she resumed, "that Aunt Oc
tavla never drank a cocktail in her life
and wouldn't. She doesn't know a
cocktail from soothing sirup. She pines
for adventures. She is Just like
boarding school girl who has read her
first romance of the young American
engineer In n South American repub
lie
shooting tnc insurgents run '
tortillas and marrying the president's
dark eyed daughter. She reads pirate
books aud U crazy about buried chests
and pieces of fight And they say I'm
just like her. She is the most perfect
ly killing person lu the world." Heze
klah laughed again.
(To He Continued.)
. LOUISVILLE.
Courier.
I'lie lit lie son of Mr. ami Mrs.
Fred Neiiinan is lcporletl ill.
Mrs. Krancis Palmer ami Hirer
children of Oklahoma are isitintr
lie Conner's sister, Mrs. Henry
Slander ami family.
in a letter lo Louisville friends
Miss Minnie LehnliofT reports that
tier lirolher-in-Iaw. Attorney V.
('. Kramplon, has purchased a
irpe Packard louring car and
they expect in visit their friends
in this winily in the near
future.
Mrs. J. I). Ferguson of Lincoln
has received word from Colorado
thai her daughter, Mrs. Frank
Ivors, whose serious illness we
chronicled some time ago, is con
valescinpr. This will be pleasing
news to her many Cass county
friends.
Mrs. Louis Stohlmacher and
family of Omaha are visiting at
the home of Mrs. (ieorge Stohi-
man. At the time of the cyclone
in Omaha Mrs. Stohlmacher's lit
tie daughter was in a hospital
which was destroyed, so she
brought her to the country to re
cuperate.
There was mil little interest
taken in the village election last
Tuesday. The license ticket won
out by a good majority. The vote
was as follows: Funke, 102;
lteiehail, '.'.; Twiss, 8; Palmer
811. Nine ballots were thrown out
on account of an error, the
voters using their pencils loo
lreely. IL'8 votes were cast in
favor of Sunday base ball and 48
against.
W. F. Diet's received a message
Thursday morning announcing
the death of Dr. Harry Diers at
the home of his parents at Gresh
am. The young man passed away
at C o'clock on Thursday morning
He was about 27 years of age
The funeral will be held on Satur
day at 10:30 a. ni. Mr. and Mrs
Diers left Friday to be in attend
ance.
JmJLJS. Jf!3JL .fnT-.T..-!. .T..T..T..T..T.
NEHAWKA. f
I News. 4
a
W-Wf'W-M-i'WIWWi-P
George Reynolds, who lives over
south of Plattsmouth. was in
town a few hours Tuesday.
Mrs. George McReynolds and
daughter, Lena, who have been in
California during the winter,
came home yesterday.
Joe West of Ilelvidere, Neb.,
was here for several days this
week visiting his brother, D. C,
and family, nnd other friends.
The Alford and Fleshman
places were visited Mnuiay ny
scores of people in automobiles,
uggies and afoot, curious to see
just what a tornado could uo in
the way of destruction.
Monday was the thirty-fourth
time Dave West had celebrated his
sixteenth birthday, and Miss
Gladys came up from the city lo
help him celebrate it. His broth
er, Joseph, was also here.
Tom Kivett is having his share
of hud luck.
Last July a team of
mules got
to cutting monkey
shines around him nd broke a
bono in his foot. It was a bad
fracture and Tom limped for a
couple of months. Monday he
was trying to drive some unruly
hogs and had the same hone in
the same foot broken. He has
our sympathy.
At a meeting of the ladies of
this vicinity Saturday afternoon
il was decided to give a public
dinner at the Nehawka house for
the benefit of those most needy
one who lost through the storm
Wednesday. The dinner was
given and netted the ladies over
$85. A committee of 5, 3 worn-
en and 2 men, were to decido as Adolph Rosenkoctter is build
to the disposition of the funds. ing a fine new collage on his
Last Friday just at the noon
hour a rinnle of excitement stir-
red the town, hardly quiescent
from the egects of tho storm the
Sunday before. Andrew Sturm,
on his way to dinner, discovered
that Vilas Sheldon's house was
apparently on fire and spread the
alarm as he ran. Those who
gathered discovered it was only a
bad case of flue burning out, but
il looked like a fire for a few
minutes.
A lazy liver leads to chronic
dyspepsia and constipation
weaken (he whole system. Doan's
Regulels (25c per box) act mild
Iv on the liver and bowels. At nil
' drug stores.
l. . , -. . i
recorded in the Percheron So
ciety of America, No. 81875. Jaloux has a splendid record, a strong
pedigree, and is an excellent foal getter.
Jaloux will make the season of 1913 as'follows: Monday, Tuesday
and Wednesday of each week at tho barn of Henry Ragoas, five miles
southeast of Louisville; Thursday Friday andSaturday at Wm. Wetten
kamps, two miles west of Mynard.
TERMS-$15.00 to insure colt to stand and suck. Care will be taken
to prevent accidents, but will not be held responsible should any occur.
August
EAGLE. 4
-I- Beacon. !
Martin Herman loft for Staple-
hurst, Neb., Monday evening, hav
ing resigned his position as clerk
at V. P. Yoho's.
William Oelsehlager left Tues
day for McMullcn county, Texas,
to look after laud interests. lie
expects to be gone about fifteen
days.
Several friends surprised W. P.
Yoho last Friday evening by com
ing in and -spending the evening
in a pleasant manner, the oc
casion being in Honor ol his
birthday.
Mrs. Francko is having a nice
four-room cottage built on the
lots just north of Fred Spahnle's
where she intends to make her
future home. John Root com
pleted the foundation this week.
I'.d Can is having his homo
north of town remodeled into a
modern farm residence. Jess
Johnson is doing the work. We
understand that Mr. Carr will in
stall a gas light system.
Mrs. N. J. Vinson returned
home from Palmyra Tuesday aft
ernoon. Mrs. Vinson recently un-
derwent an operation at the hos
I tn'tnl in Cinnnnun n n A Vt f nmnu
""u
irieuu.s win ue pieuscu iu leurii
that her condition is greatly im
proved. Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Setz of
Plattsmouth visited the first of
the week at the home of Mrs.
Setz's mother, Mrs. A. II. Van
landingham. They left Thursday
and will make short visits at Tal
mage and Omaha before return
ing home.
Just before going to press we
were informed of the marriage of
Mr. August Bergman and Miss
Mamie Price, Wednesday, April z,
at Lincoln. They returned to
F.agle Thursday night, after hav-
ing taken a short trip to Omaha.
JH"H JHM H-I-M H-H
ELMWOOD.
Leader-Echo. 4
IH-H I"HW H-H-I H-W
Floyd L. Woolcott and family
moved into the Oehlerking home
in West F.lmwood the first of the
week.
A handsome baby daughter ar-
rived at the norno ol sir, ami airs.
Clarence Schlanker Saturday
morning.
Miss Matilda Meisinger came
out from Plattsmouth Tuesday
for an extended visit with her
sister, Mrs. George Stoehr.
Mr. and Mrs. George Winkler
are rejoicing over the arrival of
a bouncing baby boy at their
homo Saturday night.
Dick Wall of Omaha, who is
afflicted with rheumatism, was
brought lo the homo of his par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. Rob Wall, Sun
day.
property in the northwest part of
town. James Durbin is tho con
tractor in charge
Andrew Heltrick returned this
week from his several months' so
Mourn in the Dakolas. He will as
sist his parents, who moved a
short timo ugo to their farm,
southwest of town.
Grandma Turner wishes us to
express ner thanks lo me mem
bers of the Workman lodge for
the large bouquet of bcautifu
(lowers sent lo the bedside o
I Grandpa Turner. We are sorry to
learn that "Uncle John" is no
belter at this wrilin
l The Journal for tVDewrlter
I supplies
The CelebratalPcrcheron
Stallion
Mm
Jaloux is a beautiful black
Prcheron, weighing 19 5 0
pounds, foaled March 5, 1909
bred by M. Durand, Depart
ment of Orne, and imported
by E. J. Heisel, Fremont,
Iowa, in October, 1911, and is
Ktemimi
UNION.
Ledger. 4
4II!' 4J1'
Abe L. Decker had a shipment
of slock on the South Omaha
market Tuesday morning.
Let us feed you food cooked be
fore your eyes while you wait, at
Hop's short order room.
Miss Jessie Todd and her guest,
Mrs. Tracy, of Pawnee City, re
lumed Monday from a few days'
visit with friends in Omaha.
James D. Peckner and wife ar
rived on the Monday midnight
trainfroni Wausa, Neb., being
called to Nehawka ou account of
the serious illness of their
daughter, Mrs. Charles Hanson.
C H. Dysart and wife and Amos
McNaniee went to Omaha on the
Monday morning train, and Mrs.
Dysart remained there for treat
ment in the Methodist hospital.
She has not been in good health
for some time, and it is hoped she
will be benefited by tho treatment
in the hospital.
Frank Larsh, a former resident
of this vicinity, now located in
the city of Portland, Oregon,
showed his generous spirit by
sending to W. R. Cross a $5 check
and requested that it be added to
Union's donations for aid of tor
nado sufferers. Mr. Cross turn-
I ed the check over to the Commer
cial club and it was used as di
rected.
Surveyors were here Monday lo
measure a yo-acre tract or tho
DuBois farm south of town, the
rnct, which is the northeast pari
of the farm, having been pur
chased by Henry Ruhman, a form
er resident of this vicinity, but
iving the past few years in Den
ver. e are inrormer inat Mr.
and Mrs.iluhman expect to return
n the near future to make their
home here.
An Avoca bank check I hat had
evidently been carried some (Us
ance by the tornado of March 23,
was lound Sunday by Milt r.rvin
on I ho hill northwest of where the
Alford home was destroyed. Tho
check is dated Nov, 3, 1911, given
by Jas. F "Fleshman for $25, pay
able lo Nancy Carsten, and cash
ed nt the Bank of Avoca. It is a
memento of the great tornado, and
if the owner desires ho may have
it by calling at this office, other
wise we will add it to our collec
tion. The block on the south side of
Main street that was burned out
December 6, 1909, will present a
belter appearance, the workmen
now being busy on the Pierson
bank building and the Barton bar
ber shop building, and they are lo
be rushed to completion as rapid
ly as possible. Material is arriv
ing for tho erection of the new
school building, which will cost
$11,000 exclusive of the healing
plant and furniture, and W. B.
Banning, tho contractor, will soon
have a force of men at work on
the hill.
J j 11
I- Dr. H. Thomson, dentist,
of Plattsmouth, will make 4
J Union one day of each 4
! week for the purpose of 4
4 looking after the dental j
I- work of this community. He 4
4 will be In Union on Satur- 4
4 day of each week, beginning 4
4 January 4, 1913, until fur- !
4 ther notice. 4
Itch! Itch! Itch! Scratch!
Scratch! Scratch. The more you
scratch, the worse I ho itch. Try
Doan's Ointment. For eczema,
any skin itching. 50c a box.
A Want Ad In the Journal will
brlnq what you want.