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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (June 5, 1913)
Siege The of the Seven Suitors By MEREDITH NICHOLSON I no wi W CHAPTER XXIII. The Ghost of Adaniram Caldwell. "E gathered close about her as she knelt beside the box. My hand shook as I held my candle, and I think Miss Octavia was the only one In the room who showed no Dervousness. We all exclaimed In various keys as the light fell upon the open chest. The muGty odor of old garments greet ed us at once. The box was well fill ed, and Its contents were neatly ar ranged. "It's his ragged regimentals!" cried Cecilia, as we unfolded ad officer's coat of blue and buff, sadly decrepit and faded, "and he wis not a British Midler at all, but an American pa triot" Time and service had dealt even more harshly with an American flag on which the thirteen white stars floated dimly on the dull blue field. It had been bound tightly about a packet of papers which Miss Octavia asked Tepperton to examine. "These are commissions appointing a certain Adonlram Caldwell to various positions In the Continental army. Adonlram had the right stuff In him. Here he's discharged as a private to become an ensign, rose from ensign to colonel and seems to have been in most of the big dottlgs. 'For gallantry in the recent engagement at Stony point, on recommendation of General An thouy Wayne' by Jove, that does rath er carry you back!" aim como'.'iiee 1 received as AJonrT;i:n CalJwt 11 ;it various times ami from vari ous personages of renown, both civilians anl la the aiUUary s rv.Vv. 1 place them under my hou.e now buildlnj;. where 1 liopo In Cod's care to end my days In rice. I would In like case make like choice again Ten lint's following this were wholly illegible, but just Ik? fore the d:ite (June 17, 17S:i) uiul the signature, which was written large, was this: God preserve these American states that they endure in unity and concord forever! We hud all been moved by the read ing of this long lost letter, and Miss Octaviu's voice had faltered several times. ' "Mr. Wiggins once told uie that his great grandfather had lived somewhere iu Westchester county, but I fancy he had no idea that IIoiefleld was the Identical spot," remarked Miss Octa via. "It seems incredible, and yet I dare say the hand of fate Is iu it." "Oh, it's so wonderful; so beyond be lief!" cried Cecilia, reverently folding the letter, which, I observed, she re tained in her own hands. "It's wonderful," added Miss Octa via promptly, taking the sword, which Tepperton had with difficulty drawn from its. battered scabbard, "that even a discerning woman like me could have been so mistaken. I recall with humil ity that last Fourth of July, at Berlin, I reprimanded Mr. Wiggins severely because his family had not been repre sented Iu the war for American Inde pendence. By the Irony of circum stances It becomes my duty to present to him the very sword that his admi rable gteat-grandfather bore In that momentous struggle." Several copies of New York newspa pers, half a dozen French gold coins, the miniature of a woman's face, which we assumed to be that of Roger Wiggins' mother or sister, were briefly examined; then by Miss Octavia's or ders we carefully returned everything to the chest. Several packets of let ters we did not open. "Arnold," she said when we had closed the chest, "wl'.l you and Mr. Pepperton kindly carry that box to my room? No servant's hand shall touch It, and I shall myself give it to Mr. Wiggins at the earliest opportunity." We had lost track of time in those hidden rooms, preserved by the whim of one man that the secret of another might be discovered, and found with surprise, after the chest had been car ried to Miss Octavia's apartments, that We had been 1b Newport which" she" pronounced" the most hidtvas pile of marble ou Ameri can soil. When we left the table at about halt past 10 Miss Octavia Insisted that we must visit the kennels. A friend had Calf a dozen of these documents traced Adonlram Caldwell's career tr It was after 7 o'clock tha end nf the Revolution and his rl a. m a i. i i i a i i . i hnura "We shall have much to talk about urement from the military service with the rank of colonel. A sealed letter attached to these commissions next held our attention. It was addressed "To Wliom It May Concern." "I suppose It concerns us as much as anybody," remarked Miss Octavia. "What do you say, gentlemen? Shall we open it?" We all demanded breathlessly that she break the seal, and we were soon bending over her with our lights. The Ink had blurred, and in spots rust had Obliterated the writing: I, Rogor Hartley Wigglna. some time known aa Adonlram Caldwell "Ilartley Wiggins!" we gasped. And I felt Cecilia's hand clasp my arm. Miss Octavia continued reading, and as she was obliged to pause often and refer illegible Hues to the rest of us I 3 if "I'm going to b married." Jnst sent her a fine Airedale, and she wished to make sure the kennel mas ter was treatiug the dog properly. Lat er we were all to ride. I made haste to excuse myself, say ing that personal matters required at tentlon. "Certainly, Arnold; you shall do as you like. Mr. Tepperton is a difficult bird to catch, so we hope for you at luncheon, and of course we expect you for dinner." Tepperton looked at me inquiringly, I judged that he had known Miss Oc tavia a good many years the tone of their Intercourse was Intimate, and yet be plainly was at n loss to understand lust how I came to be so thoroughly es Ublisbed In her good graces. I confew "It's hit ragged regimentals!" cried Cecilia. have copied the following from the let ter itself, with only slight changes of punctuation and spelling: I, Roger Hartley Wiggins, some time known as Adonlram Caldwell, having now resumed my proper name and being about to marry and having begun the construc tion of a habitation for myself wherein to end my days, truthfully ect forth these matters: My father. Hiram Wiggins of Rhode Is land, having supported the royalist cause In our late war for Independence and an gered by my friendliness to the patriots, and he, with brothers and sister hav ing returned to Kngland after the evac uation of Boston, I Joined the Continental troops under General I'utnam on Long Island In July, 1776, serving in various commands thereafter to the best of my ability to the end. My father has now returned to Khodo Island and has, I lonrn, been making inquiries touching my whereabouts and condition, so that I have evry hope that we may become recon cllcd. Yet as my services to the country were against his wishes and caused so tnuch harshness and heartache, nnd being now come Into a part of the country wiirro I am unknown, 1 nm decided to re punse my rightful name, thnt my wife and children may hear it and In the hope that I may myself yet add to It soinu hon or. or Khali my wlfo or any children that "i.'iy be horn to nm know from me ba,iy blurred). Vet, not carliw: to lie .ri.y iy Huonl, whl-'h I l"iie with Kome crwilti.- t'.e-.ii li.'ti(in!!;ils cf resni" t tonight, and I fancy we are all a good deal shaken. It's not often we receive a letter from a dead man, so we shall admit no callers tonight unless, In deed, Mr. Wiggins should chance to come," announced Miss Octavia. "The next time Ilartley Wiggins visits this house he shall come as a conquering hero." '1 hope so," replied Cecilia brokenly We were still at dinner when the cards of Dick and the other suitors I had last seen at the Trescott Arms were brought In; but Wiggins made no sign, and I wondered. . The man who looked after my needs handed me a note the next morning which added fresh hazards to Cecilia's already perilous plight. "Left with the gardener before 8 o'clock by a boy from the village. Said it was most confidential, sir." I waited till he had left the room be fore opening it. It read: Gooseberry Bungalow, Before Breakfast. Dear Chimneys Pep stopped here yes terday to see B. H. Ho and C. old pais. Watch him. Where's Wig? H. H. The information she conveyed was startling enough. We had been deal ing with a company of suitors outside the barricade, now caino warning of the presence of a strange kulght with in the gates who greatly multiplied the perils of the situation. The com part among the suitors at the inn was n thing of the past, and I now ex pected them to exercise all the In genuity of which desperate lovers are capable in pressing their claims. The fact that both "Wiggins and Tepper ton were old friends of mine did not make my task easier. I not only felt it Incumbent on nie to prevent Dick, the holder of the clew, from taking ad vantage of it, but knowing Cecilia's own attitude of mind and heart toward Wiggins I wished to save Tepperton the pain of rejection if it could bo done. But what did Ilezekiah mean by the question with which she ended her note? If Wiggins, smarting under Ce cilia's treatment of him the day before, had quit the field here was a pretty how-d'-ye-do. Miss Octavia's refusal to countenance telephones made It nec essary for me to leave Ilopefleld to learn what had become of Wiggins, and I realized that I must act prompt ly If I saved the day for him. Ills con duct first nnd last had been spiritless, and I was out of patience with him. It seemed impossible to formulate any plan amid these multiplying uncertain ties. If Wiggins had decamped Dick knew it and would lay his plana ac cordlngly. I felt that It was base in gratitude on Wiggins' part to ask me to watch his interests whilo he went roaming indifferently over the country. One or two consoling reflections re mained, however Dick believed me to be n suitor for Cecilia's hand, and this doubtless caused him considerable up easiness, ami he did not know that Tepperton, whose acquaintance with Cecilia antedated the European flight, had to lie reckoned with. I wished Tepperton had kept out of It. Breakfast th.it morning was Inter minably long. Miss Octavia was never more thoroughly mousing, never more d roily inadvertent. S!ie attacked Tep perton for aii the evIN In American architecture In particular took him to t '!: for "''!o !".:,. be bad built at that as I glance back over these pages It looks odd to me! As I paced the hall waiting for a horse to be saddled. Tepperton led me out on the terrace above the garden. "I'm bursting with a great secret, old man. I'm going to be married." "What!" "I'm going to be married." I grasped a chair to support myself. This was almost too mut.ii. Could it be possible that Hezeklnh had tnlscal culated the list of rejections In the sll Ter bound book, or that Cecilia herself had bees deceived? Tepperton misread my agitation and with a hearty laugh clapped me on the shoulder. "Oh, Tru not intruding on your pre serves, old man! Cecilia Is the second finest girl in the world that's all. I'm engaged to Miss Gaylord of Stcck bridge. Va telling a few old friends, In advance of the formal announcement to be made next week at a dance the Gaylords are giving." I crushed his hand in both my own and. seeing that he misconstrued the fervor of my emotion, I hastened to set myself aright. "You're a lucky dog as usual, Pep But you don't understand nliout Cecilia Ilolllsler. It's not I I'm not In the run nlng at all, but Hartley Wiggins is Tm here trying to help him score.' "What's this? You're here to repre sent Wiggy?" "Well, he didn't exactly send me here, but when I came I found that Wiggy wasn't playing the game with quite the necessary zItolojry. There more required than appears a little of the dah and sr-ip of the old adventur ers-the ready tongue, the eager, thirsty swor.i:"- Teppertou pursed his lips and looked me over carefully with a twinkle in ills eye. "You are contributing those element You are Octavlaized-ls that It?" Tep perton laughed until the tears came "I prefer llollisterlzed as the broader term. Brother Bassford has It, too, and there's always Ilezekiah!" "Ah, Ilezekiah the unpredictable! I knew there was a skirt fluttering some where. I paw her yesterday stopped to see Bassford, who's a good old chap. Ilezekiah of the teasing eyes was whitewashing the chicken coop, and Michelangelo couldn't have done it bet ter." "Tep," I said, lowering my voice, "if you love me keep closo to Cecilia all day. You're an engaged man and In practice. Give an imitation of devo tion. Keep her out of doors keep male human beings away from her. Don't fall me in this. I've got to pull off the greatest coup of my life today. There's a band of outlaws hanging round here who will propose to Cecilia the first chance they got, and they roust NOT. Wig's got to speak before night or lose out forever. No not a word of explanation. You've got to take my word for It." "I'll be the goat. Go ahead, but build a fire under Wiggins. I can't stay here forever." Pepperton's engagement smoothed out one wrinkle, and I felt sure that I could trust him as an ally. The groom was holding my horse In the porte cochere, and I mounted nnd rode away to the Trescott Arms. I found Orinsby, Shallenberger, Ar buthnot, Henderson, Hume and Gorse fcluinly sitting In a semicircle before the hall fireplace. Deepest gloom per vaded the inn. I have rarely seen uitl- auchoiy "so UarkTy stumped upon the human countenance. They turned in dilTereatly and glared as they recog nized me. Shalleuberger alone rose and greeted me. "I hope there Is no bad news," he said chokingly. "Bad news?" "I meau Miss Holllster-Mlss Cecilia. We were all deeply grieved last night to hear of her sudden Illness. There's always something so terrible iu the very name of diphtheria." My wits had been so sharpened by my late adventures that I readily ac- unted for these false tidings. Dick was absent. Dick alone would have been equal to this diabolical plot for keeping Lis rival suitors away from Ilopefleld. The despair In those faces taxed my gravity severely. It is extremely sad, but the first diagnosis was erroneous," I answered. think it more likely to prove to be chickeu pox when the truth Is known." "Not diphtheria?" "No immediate danger of diphtheria, assure you," I replied, "though of course with winter coming on and ail that, one must be prepared for the worst." While he repeated this to the others I Bought the clerk, who promptly hand ed me a note which Wiggins had left late the previous afternoon, to be de livered In case I called. lie had gone to apend a day or two with Orton, the playwright, who was at his country house, In the hills beyond Mount KIs eo, rehearsing a new piece, in which a Mend of Hartley's waa to star. I galn- sd the telephone booth In one Jump, tnd In five minutes I was bawling rlldly Into Orton's ear. I had known tihn well in the Hare and Tortoise, and he answered my demand for Wiggins with the heart breaking news that Ilartley had ridden off with some oth- r guests In the house, Orton daln't Itnow whire. "I threw them out. I've got to re write my third act. I don't care wheth er they ever come back." boomed Or ton's voice. "If you don't send Wiggins back to me at ITopefleld as fast as lie can get there, my third act Is ruined." "What?" "Tell Wiggins to come bnck on tho un. Tell him the world s coming to tn end any minute." "Til be glad to get rid of blm," snap- fed Orton, in the harried tone of a mat whose third r.ct has wilted In r Searsal. fr -NEW IDEA (To be Continued.) FORMER PLATTSMOUTH PEOPLE ATTEND FUNER AL OF MRS. HELPS onuro Spreaders The Best Manure Spreader CI THE MARKET TODAY! This machine may be seen at my implement department a new addition to my general black smith and wagon business. I also handle the AVERY Corn Planters and Cultivators! c In fact it is my intention to carry a general line of Farm Implements of all kinds. Call and see me for whatever you may need. 0. B. SOUTH SIXTH ST wamm, Pl2tifsr.:uih, I.'cb. JUDGE BEESQN IS SUES TWO MORE JUNE WEDDING LICENSES The olllce of Comity Judge Bee- sou has been rushed for tho past few days by I lie number of young people desiring to outer into tho bonds of wedlock, and to all tho judge has granted the necessary pennil for them to realize their happiness. This morning license was is sued to (leorge A. Engelkemeier if Neliawka ami Miss Mary Albert of this city, who were married by llev. Sieger oT St. Paul's church. Yesterday Ocorge II. Culavan, aged 2i, of Missouri Valley, Iowa, ami Miss Lillian Oatewood, aged IU, of Brooklyn, were callers at the office ami secured the neces sary permit to wed ami proceeded to I lie home of llev. W. I,. Austin, where they were united in the bonds of holy wedlock. A Fin New Auto. The Journal editor and wife were given a very pleasant auto ride in the fine new Inter-Slate car of our excellent friend. Major Hall, on Monday evening, in com pany with Mr. and Mrs. Hall and the genial salesman and rep resentative for this line car, Mr. Hugh Cecil, of the llrm of Warga, Cecil & Manners. Major is tho proud possessessor of one of the finest ears on tho market, and the way he is learning to handle it he has cause to be proud. Tho lnler-Stale is a good one, and the one Major has is a beauty. T From Wednesday's Dally. A letter has just been receive by Miss Beruirc Newell from Miss lluth llouseworlh of Long Beach, California, telling of the incidents of the terrible disast I lial. occurred there on May 2ith Die report. of the deal b of Arthui Helps at the time of the accident Ilia! resulted iu the death of Mrs. Helps was entirelv without foun dation. Mr. Helps, as soon as be received news of the destruction of the pier, hastened to the scene in his automobile and assisted in removing tin dead and injured in an endeavor to find the body of his wife. He made several trips lo the hospital Willi the In jured ami a just passing the place where tin men were work ing on the ruins when his wile's body was carried out. The fun era! of Mrs. Helps was held at Hie Kpii'opal church in Long r.e;n !i Tuesday, .May 27, and was allemird liy the enure naiis inniilh colony in that. city. The services were very impressive and I he lloral tributes magnificent, including a large wreath of laven dar and while renlurias from the Klks lodge of Plallsmoull). The doctors who examined Mrs. Helps staled her death was due to heart, failure, as she was practically uninjured by the collapse of the pier and had only a small bruise on her wrist. CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATION HELD ON SATURDAY. JUNE 29 There will be an examination iu the civil service department at this city on Saturday, June 28, for the purpose of tilling a vac ancy in the rural route out of Murdock, iu this county. The same day a similar examination will be hebl at Weeping Water, ami those taking Die examination will be eligable to fill any vacancy that may occur in any of the rural routes of the comity. The examinations will be held at the poslollice buildings here and in Wecpiiiif Water and anyone de siring lo lake part can secure in formal ion on I he subject by call ing at the poslop.ice. 'SLIPPED ONE OVER" ON FRIENDS Last evening as the shades of eventide were falling over tho peaceful serenity of Main street one of the popular young men of the city was observed wheeling a strange-looking machine up and down the sidewalk and much ex citement was created among his friends as, on close inspection, it was disclosed to be a baby car riage containing a sleeping in fant. J'ear was aroused that, the young man had been successful in "slipping one over" on his friends, and the mailer was at once investigated by a number of the more curious, and it was de cided that the youth in question was just performing a friendly olllce for one of his friends and was not the proud possessor of the sleeping infant. I'.ilious? Feel heavy after din ner? Miller lasle Complexion sallow ? Liver perhaps needs waking up. I loan's Itegulels for bilious attacks. 2"r al all stores. Ileniember tho Regalia Hahana Cigar. Always tho best. Robert Riclil or, manufacturer. CASTORIA Por Infants and Children. The Kind You Have Always Bought Bears the Signature of 8 -BARGAINS-8 MRS. MAUDE KASPAR IS MARRIED IN COUNCIL BLUFFS Among the marriage licenses issued yesterday in Council Jllufl's we note that of Anton Hromak and Mrs. Maude Kaspar of Oma ha. Hot h of the contracting parlies formerly resided in this city, where Mrs. Kaspar conduct ed a bakery for some time, later selling out lo Kred If. Miiiiini, the present owner, and the groom was employed as a baker in the establishment while here. Mrs Kaspar removed to Omaha sev eral months ago, and the wedding was not wholly unexpected to llmse intimately acquainted wilh I lie parlies. 1'aiiuers, mechanics, railroad ers, laborers, rely on Dr. Thomas' l-lcb elic Oil. Line for cuts, bums, bruises. Should be kept in every home. 2."r and f)Oe. IN fi b oiti Planters! Sure drop, variable edge drop, high wheel WHILE THEY LAST! Plattsmouth, Nebraska