f i .'.' V.";' ;--!
few vv
CHAPTER IX.
Cecilia's Silver Notebook.
M1
'ISS QOLLISTER disappeared
in the ball without excuse,
a iid I entered the library to
And Cecilia sitting alone by
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 Mr. Wig
gins since, unless I am greatly mis
taken." "Yes; ho called this afternoon. We
had several callers at the tea hour. 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."
"Uezekiah!"
"The same. And, oddly enough, I
had met her before, though I didn't
realize it was she until the meeting In
the orchard. It was in the Asolando
that I saw her; she was at the cash
ier's wicket the afternoon I met your
aunt there."
"You have given me information,
Mr. Ames. I did not know that Lleze
kiah hud ever been connected with too
Asolando."
"Oh, it was only that one historic
day. She says the place was unbear
able. She jarred the holiest chords of
the divine lyre by harsh comments on
the pro-IUpliaelite profile. One of the
devotees was so shocked that she drop-
Fied a plate or something and, to put
t coarsely, nezeklab got the bounce."
My description of Hczeklah's brief
tenure of office at the Asolando seem
ed to amuso Cecilia greatly.
"There Is no one like my sister," she
said. "There never was and there
never will be any one half so charm
ing, nezeklab is an original, who
breaks all the rules and yet always
sends the bail over the net. And It Is
because she Is so inexpressibly dear
and precious thut I am anxious that
nothing shall ever hurt her-nothlng
mar the sweet, beautiful child spirit in
ter."
It was my turn to laugh now. Ce
cilia's manifestation of maternal solici
tude for Uezekiah seemed absurd, for
Hczekiah In her way was older. Ueze
kiah had rVed with IMana and pluck
ed arrows from her girdle she had
heard Homer at the roadside singing
of Achilles' shield.
"Uezekiah Is reasonably safe, I
should say, because she Is so amazing
ly swift of foot and eye and so nimble
of speech. She Is not to be caught lu
a net or tripped with a word."
"I suppose that is so," remarked Ce
cilia soberly. "You thought her happy
when you met her today? She did not
strike you ns being a girl with a wound
in her heart? She wasn't particularly
sad?"
"Not more so than sunlight on rip
pled water or the song of the lark as
cending.'' "Of course you made no reference to
Mr. Wiggins? If I had Imagined you
would meet her I should have"
She ended with an cnibarrassnieut
thut I now understood, and I broke lu
cheerfully.
"We did mention him. She asked me
if I liud seen him, and it was the
thought of him that evoked her mer
riest laughter."
She shook her head and sighed, then
tier munner changed abruptly.
"You delivered my message to Mr.
Wiggins?"
"I did. He is badly out of sorts and
ees nothiug clearly. He I very bitter
toward your aunt. He thinks she bus
treated him outrageously."
"Aunt Octavlu has done nothing of
the kind," she replied with spirit. "Mr.
Wiggins has no right to speak of Aunt
Octnvla save in terms of kindness. If
her wits are sharper than his, it is not
her fault, that I can see. But there are
matters here that I do not understand,
Mr. Ames. I trust you, as my nunt
evidently does, or I should not bo talk
ing to you as I am, and .1 nm moved to
ask a favor of you, a favor of consid
erable weight, in view of the fact that
you are a professional man, with,
doubtless, ninny pressing calls upon
jour time."
I bowed humbly before this compli
ment. My time had beeu lightly ap
praised by Miss Oetavia and agnin by
Wiggins. A long telegram from my
""slstaut thot reached me while I dress
r
of the
Seven Suitors
By
MEREDITH NICHOLSON
Copyrlgbt, 1910, by Meredith Nkholioi
ed for dinner had urged" my ihiniefl late
attendance upon my office. Some of
my best clients, now reopening their
houses for the winter, were in desper
ate straits. But, Oetavia Hollisters do
not occur in the life of every young
nmu, and both Cecilia-and Uezekiah
had taken strong hold upon my imagi
nation. Wiggins' place among the dra
matis persouae would hi 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 Uollister," I said, "my time is
yours to command. My office is well
organized, and I nm sure that my as
sistant is equal to any demands that
may be made upon him. Tray state In
what manner I may serve you."
"I am going far, I know, Mr. Ames,
but I beg that you 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 hero on so short acquaintance. I
am confident that she has no thought
of your leaving. She expressed her
great liking for you nt luncheon, and
I am sure that she will see to it that
you do not lack for entertainment. 1
assume that you must have gathered
from what Mr. Wiggins told you of my
acquaintance with him the peculiar
plight in which I ojn placed."
I bowed. If she groped in the dark
and needed my help in finding the
light, I was not the man to desert her.
I had dropped my plumb Hue into too
many dark chimneys not to feel the
fascination of mystery. As I express
ed again my entire willingness to abide
at Hopefield Manor as long as she
wished, the footman announced Mr.
Hartley Wiggins.
We had hardly exchanged greetings
before another man was announced,
and then another. I should say that it
was at intervals of about three min
utes that the sedate servant appeared
In the curtained doorway and announc
ed a caller until nine had been admit
ted. My spirits soared high as the gen
tlemen from the Treseott Arms ap
peared one after the other. The ear
lier arrivals rose to greet the later
ones, and as they were all In evening
clothes I 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
them, in the Interest of brevity and
to avoid confusion, I tabulate them
here with a notation as to their resl
ience and occupation, taking such data
from the notelook In which, at subse
quent dates, I set down the facts
which are the basis of this chronicle.
Hartley Wiggins, lawyer and fann
er. Hare and Tortoise club, New York.
Linnaeus B. Henderson, planter, Hon
noke, Va.
Cecil Hugh, Lord Arrowood, no oc
cupation, Arrowood, Hunts, England.
Daniel P. Ormsby, manufacturer of
knit goods, Utlcn, N. Y.
S. Forrest Hume, lecturer on Scan
dinavian literature, Occidental univer
sity, Long Trail, Okla.
John Stewart Dick, prngmntist, Oma
ha, 'ob.
Perulennis .1. Arbutunot,- banker and
horseman, Lexington, Ky.
I'efeivul B. Shullenberger, novelist
and small fruits, Sycamore, Ind.
George W. Gorse, capitalist, Red
lands. Cal.
We rose and stood in our several
places when n moment later Miss Oe
i
i
tavia entered,
She greeted the suitors j
graciously and then in her most charm
ing manner called one after the other
to sit beside her on a long davenport,
the time apportioned being weighed
with nicety, so that none might feel
himself slighted or preferred. These
Interviews consumed more than half
an hour, and the movement thus occa
sioned gave considerable animation to
the scene.
It may see m ridiculous that nine
gentlemen thus paying court to a
young woman should cal upon her at
the snmo hour, but I must say that the
gravity of the suitors- and the entlro
sobriety of Cecilia did not affect me
humorously, nor did I feel at all out of
place In this strnuge company. I found
myself agreeably engaged for several
minutes In discussing Ibseu with the
Oklahoma professor, who proved to be
a delightful fellow. Ills experience of
life was apparently wide, and he told
me with an engaging frankness of bis
meeting with the Hollisters in France
and of his pursuit of them over ninny
weary miles tho previous summer. As
no one hod elected his courses in the
university at the beginning of the fall
tetni, he had been granted a leove or
absence, and this accounted for bis
freedom to press his stilt nt Hope
fleld Manor nt this season. He was a
big fellow, with clean cut features,
and bore himself with a manly deter
mination that I found attractive.
He alone, I ronjr soy. of the nine
men who "Had thus n p!""arl In M!;s
Ootavla's library met me in tt cordial
spirit. Even Wiggins seemed not
wholly pleased to tind me there again.'
though he had asked me to remain.
The manner of the others expressed
disdain, suspicion or tierce hostility.
When the last man rose from the
davenport Miss Oetavia called me to
tier side. She seemed contrite at hav
ing neglected me during the day, but
assured me that later she hoped to
place nn entire day at my disposal. As
we talked the nine suitors sat In a
semicircle about Cecilia, while the
group listened to an auecdotal ex-
I change between Professor Hume and
Henderson, the Virginia planter. My
opinion of Cecilia Uollister as a girl
of high spirit, able to carry off any sit
uation no matter how difficult, rose to
uew altitudes as I watched her. If
this strange wooing was not to her lik
ing she certainly made the lnst of It.
She capped Henderson's best story
with a better one in negro dialect, and
no professional entertainer could have
improved upon her recital. As she fin
ished we all Joined In the general
laugh, Lord Arrowood's guffaw boom
ing out a trifle boisterously, when Miss
Oetavia quietly rose and excused her
self. About five minutes later, when the
company had plunged into another se
ries of anecdotes, I suddenly became
conscious that the fireplace, near which
I sat, had all at once begun to act
strangely. Much In the manner of Its
performonce the previous night, It ab
ruptly gasped and choked, the smoke
ballooned In u great swirl and then
poured out into the room.
After my examination of the flues In
the morning I had dismissed them
from my mind, and this extraordinary
behavior of the library fireplace as
tounded me. It is not in reason that
a perfectly normal fireplace, built in
tho most approved fashion and with
chimneys that rise into as clear an
ether ns October can bestow could act
so monstrously without the Interven
tion of some malign agency. We had
discussed nil the possibilities the pre
vious night, and I was not anxious to
hear further lay opinions. The chim
ney's conduct was annoying, the more
so that to my professional sense It
was Inexplicable.
Lord Arrowood had retreated dis
creetly toward the door, uud the others
had risen and stood close behiud Ce
cilia, whose gaze was bent rather ac
cusingly upon me.
A dark thought had crossed my mind.
As our eyes met I felt that she had
read my suspicions and did not wholly
reject them. Henderson was valiantly
poking the logs, while one of two of
the other men gave him the benefit of
their advice. I crossed the ball to the
drawing room, but no one was there.
I went back to the billiard room, but
saw nothing of Miss Oetavia. Cecilia
had rung for the footman, und I pas-ied
him in the hall nn liU wnv in ninn-nr
, her summons. I stopped him with an
I Inquiry on my lips, but I could not ask
, the question. Even lu my perplexity
, as to the cause of the chimney's re
markable performances I did not s)
( far forget myself ns to communicate
my suspicion to a servant.
, "Nothing. Thomas." I said, and tip
urn n passed on.
i It was possible, of course, that Mis.:
Oetavia knew more than she cared 1
, tell abort the erratic ways of the li
brary chimney, or she mUhl Indeed be
the cause of Its vagaries. Sittfl lent
time had elapsed after retirement from
the library to allow her to gain the
, roof and clap a stopper on the chlm
uey pit. This did not. however, ac
count for the fact that on the previous
' evening she had been present in the
library when the same chimney had
! manifested n similar wulklness. I was
! still pondering these things when I
heard loud laughter from the library
and on returning found the logs again
. blazing lu tho fireplace, from which the
smoke rose demurely In the flue,
j "This fireplace is like a geyser, Mr.
. Ames," said Cecilia, "and spurts smoke
! at regular Intervals. As I remember,
. the clock on the stair was striking 9
last night when the smoke poured out,
and there- It is striking 0 now!"
I She tossed her head slightly, and this
i was, I thought. In disdain of the sus
I plclon that must still have shown itself
ja little stubbornly in my fare.
I I withdrew again In a few minutes
and followed the great chimney's
eniir limvnril Miu ! n vl.i 'o ,11. .,.
nitn( wpre Mt t,0 fmnt (f tIl0 h(
her sitting room windows looking out
upon the Italiun garden. Her doors
were closed, but I knew from my ex
amination in the morning that the flue
if her flreploce tapped the chimney
that rose from the drawing room and
bad nothing whatever to do with the
library chimney.
From the fourth floor I gained the
roof by the route followed on my in
spection of the house In the morning.
The smoke from tho library chimney
w r,H,ng , tue cr)f,P( nlr b,lthe.
ly. I leaned upon the crenelatlons
and looked off across the hills, enjoy
ing the loveliness of the sky, in which
the plaueta throblied superbly. There
was nothing to be learned here, and I
crept back to the trap door through
which I had come, made it fast and
continued on down to tho library.
There somewhat to rny surprise I
found that in my absence all but
Hume had taken their departure. As
I paused unseen In the doorway I
caught words thut were clearly not in
tended for my ear.
Cecilia sat by the long tablo near the
, fireplace. Hume stood before her. hi
arms folded
"You are kind. You do me great
honor, Professor Hume, but under no
circumstances can I become your
wife."
I retreated hastily to the billiard
room, where I took n cue from the
rack and amused myself for perhaps
fifteen minutes, when, hearing the
outer door close nhii knowing that
Hume had departed with his congee,
I returned to the library.
Cecilia sat where 1 had left her, and
at first glance I thought she was read
ing. Hut she turned quickly as 1
crossed the room. She held In her
hand nn oblong silver trinket not larg
er than a card case. A short pencil
similar to those affixed to dance cards
was attached to it by a slight cord,
and she had. I inferred, lxen making
a notation of some kind on n leaf of
the silver bound booklet. Even after
she had looked up and smiled at me
her eyes sought the page before her.
Then she closed the covers n ml clasp
ed the pretty toy in her band. As
though to divert my attention she re
curred at once to the chimney in a
vein of light irony.
"You see," she said, "there is ample
reason for your remaining here. You
would hardly find anywhere else so In
terestlng a test of your professional
powers as Hopefield Manor offers. The
bouse is haunted beyond question, and
I can see that you are not a man to
leave two defenseless women to the
mercy of a ghost who drops down chim
neys aCVill."
I suffered her chaff for several miu
utes, then I asked point blank:
"Pardon me, but have you the slight
est idea that Miss Oetavia is Itehlnd
this? It Is not possible that she was
responsible hist uight. But she was
not ou this floor nwhlle ago when the
smoke poured In here. I should be
glad to hear your opinion."
"I saw that you suspected her before
you left the room, Mr. Ames, and 1
must say that the Idea is lu no way
creditable to you. if you entertain such
a suspicion you must supply a motive,
and just what motive would you attrib
ute to my Aunt Oetavia in this in
stance?" Her tone and manner piqued me or 1
should not. have nuswered ns I did.
"It Is possible," I said, "that some of
these gentlemen who came here tonight
were not to her liking, and it may have
occurred to her to get rid of them by
the obviously successful method of
smoking them out."
She rose, still clasping the llltle nil
ver backed notebook, and looked me
over with amusement in her face and
eyes.
"You are almost too ingenious, Mr,
Ames. I hope that by breakfast time
you will have some more plausible so
lution of the problem. Good night."
Aud so, tightly clasping the little
book, she left the room. I followed
her to the door, and at the turn of the
stair she ganced down and nodded
Her face its It bung above me for an
Instant seemed transfigured with hap
pines.
(To Bo Continued.)
THE WATER OH THE IOWA
" SIDE RECEDING SOMEWHAT
The high water which has h'tn
prevalent in the bottoms on the
Iowa side of the river is gradual
ly lM-giiii) iiisr to drop, and in a few
dus, at the present rate, most of
ihe. higher land will be free from
the iIimiiI waters., although in the
iov.er places it will be some time
hi'h ii. i'.te water is dried up. The
water for several miles west of
the Junction almost completely
couts the fanning lands, and at
the big bridge, between the Junc
tion and th-' Missouri river, the
water has risen' In such a height
thai il great ly resembles a small
river. Several of (he farm houses
through this strip of territory
have been entirely .surrounded by
water and it became necessary for
the owners to get to ami fro in
boats, and m several instances
considerable properly was lost by
being washed away by Ihe Hood
water. The ridge of land near the
big liurlinglon bridge has protect
ed thai part of the district am) it
has been tho washing away of
this nMge at. Henton that permits
the river to break into !he low
lands each season. It is very for.
(mate for the residents in the
Im IIoius that (lie Hood was of no
greater duration or the loss to
properly would have been very
heavy.
I ORHST ROSKThe best (lour
on the market, dive it a trial.
LOW FREIGHT RATES on
Household Goods
W em five too towar freight rtUt thin too ctn ioi
on Hootohold Godi, Aulot.etc, to an? point intni
United Stiles. Let ui imp lor you. toa avb
YOU MONEY. Write oeereit oc for low met
Missouri Rlvr Fr.leht F'd'g Co.
Quit. Nab. lUnaM CltV. M
saws . . . . i
The Best Flour
on the Market
F0SE5T ROSE
t! W ii V Ii If I
WAHOOMILLCO
WAHOO.NEB. FOREST ROSE
A Telephone Builds Business
"The first requisite for doing business is
to be able to get a customer. The more cus
tomers you cau readily get at, the more busi
ness you can do."
"As it is "the mind that does business"
and "the telephone gives the mind wings,"
you can do more business by telephone than
in any other way, beeause you can reach
more customers. And you reach them in a
personal, voice-to-voice manner, that builds
business."
Do You Make Full Use of the
Telephoae in Your Business
Lincoln Telephone and
Telegraph Company
J. K. POLLOCK, Local Manager I
Local News
From Monday's Dully.
A. W. Meisiner of Myuard was
in the city Saturday nttendiiu to
business matters for a few hours.
Hoy V.. Howard of My nurd was
in tho city today for a few hours
looking after some matters of
business.
V. F. Ciillospie, tho Mynard
frrain man, comei u Saturday from
his home and spent several hours
here visitini,' with his friends.
County Attorney C. H. Taylor
was a visitor yesterday in Union,
where he spoid. the day with his
mother, Mrs. llarbara Taylor.
O. J. ("iilson and wife departed
this morning on No. 0 for Kasl
Mediae. Illinois, where (hoy will
visit relatives for a shorl time.
Henry Horn of Cedar Creek was
in the city Saturday for a few
hours visiting with his friends
nd attending: to business mat tors.
P. A. Horn, one of the pood, re
liable fanners of Kig-ht Mile Grove
precinct, drove in Saturday from
liis homo to look after some trad
ing. 1'red Knuelkemeier, from the
vicinity of Murray, was in town
Saturday attending to some week
end shopping and visit inR nnionp
friends.
Robert Filch, jr., of near Hook
MhifTs, drove up from his homo
Saturday morn inn and spent the
day looking- after business mat
ters. Mrs. Mary Allison was in Union
yesterday, spending Ihe day with
relatives and friends, returning
home on tho afternoon Missouri
Pacific.
Henry Horn drove in Saturday
from his home, southwest of Ihe
city, and spent several hours look
ing after some matters of trading
willi Ihe merchants.
Mrs. William MeCaulcy was a
passenger this morning for Oma
ha, accompanying her sister, Mrs.
Messeisinilli, of Havclock. that
far on her way home.
Miss Iliilli Chapman of Lincoln
Sundaed in this city with her
mother, Mrs. Agnes Chapman and
family, returning ' to the capital
city eslerday afternoon.
Sluarl and John Janda, who are
employed at llavelock, came down
Saturday evening on No. and
spent Sunday with their par
ents, Frank Janda and wife.
Henry fluthmann of Murdoek
was in the city yesterday visiting
with his father, I'. H. Ciuthmann,
who is quite sick, returning to his
home this morning on No. 1!.
Albert Funk departed yesterday
morning for Lincoln, taking six
men with him, who will he em
ployed by the Nebraska Const ruc-
I ion company in their bridge gang.
Max Adams returned this morn
ing to his home al York, Neb., af
ter a few days' visit with his par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. V. T. Adams,
at their farm homo, south of this
city.
Walter Hriggs, who is employed
in the McElwuin jewelry store,
departed this morning for Ran
dolph, Neb., where ho will make
a short visit with relatives and
friends.
T. M. Carter departed this aft
ernoon on No. 23 for Hlair, whore
ho will visit for a few days. Mrs.
Jerome F. Jacobs and baby of
Iloise, Idaho, who have been here,
guests nt the Carter home for a
few days, accompanied him as
far as Omaha.
W. S. Smith came no this morn
ing from his home al Murray to
spend the day with his friends in
the county seal. Mr. Smith is en
joying a short vacation from his
duties on the road.
Julius Sprioek of Pi Igor, Nob.,
came in Saturday evening and
spent Sunday with tin family of
his ralher-in-law, John Albert,
departing this morning on No. 15
for his homo.
County Superintendent Mary E.
Foster and her guest, Miss
Sweeny of Nebraska City were
passengers yesterday morning for
Union, whfre they visited for the
day with Ihe parents of Miss
Foster,
Or. II. C. Randall of Juleshurtr,
Colorado, came in yesterday ami
made a short visit wjth his
friends, Superintendent and Mrs.
W. S. Askwith, at tho Masonio
Home, returning to h home this
afternoon.
N. P. Schullz tiiiil Dwight Pat
terson were in Union yesterday
for a few hours attending to some
matters of business, and were ac
companied home on Ihe eveniiif?
train by J. M. Patterson, cashier
of tho Union bank.
t
Frank A. Cloidt and wife de
parted for the country yesterday,
spending the day at Ihe hospitabio
homo of Mr. and Mrs. George A.
KafTenberger, west of this city,
and enjoyed a dinner such as can
only be found at this home.
Another Old-Time Dance. '
The Rod Men have arranged tot
give their old-fashioned dance on
Wednesday evening-, April 16, at
their hall on lower Main street,
and Ihe committee has begun al
ready lo make preparations for
making (he event one "of (he most
enjoyable thai the order has
given. A regular old-fashioned
good time is in store for all those
attending and a big crowd is
looked for.
IK
A Bath Tub
for the-
(Q)
Plans and Specifications
Free for the asking.
Are you raising Pi$
and Parasites in the
same Pen? Get rid of
the parasites and you can
raise more pigs.
kills the parasites every
time. Ask for samples.
For sale by
F. G. FRICKE 5 CO.
The Rexall Store
kh- mi
v