Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1910-10-26
CHAPTER III.

And IL you'll believe me, the evening
OF the next day saw our two other
prospective guests, the Misses Agatha
First and Sixth, actually under our
roof. We had sen. n motor over to
Chiltern house that morning after a
telephone confabulation between my
wife and the mistress of that estab-
lishment, and by dinner time our rath-
er peculiarly interesting house party
was gathered round the table COM
plete.
We were very gay-my wife and
myself as head conspirators in
matrimonial plot - especially So
though the two girls were almost as
merry. Agatha First had much to
tell of her visit at Chiltern house
and Agatha Sixth OF my wife's friends
In America, so that the dinner hour
passed rapidly. Agatha First had
been with Mrs. Chiltern the longer. II.
seemed Agatha Sixth having had
friends in London to visit, had only
been with her a week The two girls
were not intimate friends. Dearest
told me afterward. They had not
been as much so with each other as
they had been with others of the six
Agathas who had first visited her
at Castle Wyckhoff. / lay stress upon
this fact because 1t accounts for n
number OF things to occur later. or
all the party, Arch was the only one
who seemed at all quiet, and l guessed
that he was somewhat sobered by the
swiftness with which the plot had
begun to thicken about him.
After dinner we had a little music
and l had bit of laugh all to myself
as | watched the feverish attentions
which Arch was paying Agatha Sixth
who was at the piano. The girl was
uncommonly attractive and that's
fact, In sort of hand-painted, minia-
ture kind of way. She wore a most
becoming gown of cream color. and
her fine profile showed to advantage
against the black of Terhune's coat as
he stood beside her.
Nevertheless | couldn't helm letting
my eyes wander to my wife who sat
across the room from me, delicate as
Hover. supple as a young tree and
wholly sweet. Her hair, which curled
TO distraction about her long white
neck made gorgeous halo about her
head.
1t was a pleasant moment. that
after dinner interlude, as l looked
around me at my wife and my guests,
the fine old room with its golden-toned
plano and the soft glow of many
lamps. But as / looked and sighed
with content, / suddenly missed the
NTH member of our party-Agatha
FIRST She was not In the room. In
a case OF odd numbers it IS easy not
10 notice the absence of the odd one.
Poor Agatha First was undoubtedly
that unlucky individual. having no
man to pair off with, though Dearest
| and had tried our best not to let her
feel this deficiency
However, gone she was from our
midst, that was certain enough. and
! was Just about to wonder aloud as
TO her disappearance when the door
from the hall opened and in she
walked.
Don't let's stay indoors" she en-
treated In her breezy American voice.
It's so lovely outside, The moons
Just coming up" And she strobe Wig.
orously across the room toward the
glass doors that opened upon the
lawn As she paused at the threshold
with a little commanding gesture to-
ward the terrace couldn't help think
ing that my wife's friends we're both
ol them uncommonly handsome girls.
She was so superbly healthy. with
such a color in her cheeks, such a
snap to her eyes.
] caught Terhune CHANGING irreso-
lutely from the girl at the piano 10 The
girl at the door
Let me open it for you" he offered
at last. going to her and throwing
wide the long windows. And the rest
OF us, Agatha Sixth after him and
Dearest and myself last, followed
them out, my wife and ! exchanging
looks Of more or less significance as
we did so. AS well as / could read
IT, her look expressed a slight appre-
hens'on. Dine meant to indicate