The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1910-10-29

had selected for him. that Of Agatha
Sixth's lover. a little better than US
ual. He was certainly all attention
to the girl at his side and listened to
her every word with the eager inter
est OF the most devoted suitor. And
the delicate face of Miss Lawrence
was alive with feeling and gloweo
pink even without the aid Of the rose
colored parasol she carried.
20. what do you think" she cried
in her soft. cultivated voice. "Mr Ter
hume says that the ruins are haunted!
BY the ghost of a nun that was shut
up In the wall once!" Her really won
derful black eyes were bright with
interest and l thought she made
rather dazzling picture in her white
frock and the fictitious aureole OF
pink sunshade about her. But
couldn't swallow a bare-faced whop-
per like that. for tnat nun story ID
SO old. So l had just begun to ex-
plain that Arch was chafing her, and
the ghost racket his own invention
entirely. when l caught his express
sion and my wife's eye. The former
was embarrassed and the latter Sc
we're. and l stopped in the middle OF
a sentence as l fathomed the com
bined significance Of eye and look.
so that's it. is it," l thought to
myself Poor old boy, He's SO
much in love he doesn't know what
he's saying Anything will do as long
as she will listen! And I'm deuced
glad to see 1t. too"
But Freer showed less perspicacity.
though of course there's this to be
said he didn't have the key to the
situation as l did. and challenged poor
old Arch's story of the nun. and ~
five minutes had him showed up
proper. the old fellow at last having
to take refuge in the statement that
it must have been some other ruins
he had in mind. Strange to say.
however. for all his learning Freer
did not win a smile from Agatha
Sixth. who only turned to Terhune
| with more interest than ever as a
result of his efforts.
1t was then that Dearest made her
remark about motoring over to see
Mrs. Chiltern on the following day.
1t was an innocent enough remark
and very casually said. but it seem
ed to have an electrifying effect upon
Agatha First She jumped up and
came over to my wife.
Don't do that" she said. low and
earnestly; please don't. Agatha.
dear." Dearest was surprised, and.
by Jove. so was l. or puzzled. at
least! The girl seemed SO awfully
earnest about not wishing us to sec
Mrs. Chiltern-out of all proportion
to the Importance of her request. 1t
seemed to me. But why not?" my
wife couldn't help asking.
Because we have such little time
left to be together. you and Lord
Vincent and Mr.. Terhune and Agatha
Sixth and myself" she said. "Mr.
Terhune tells me he has to go back
to London in a day or two. and I
think it's a shame to waste a whole
day by going over to Chiltern house!
| Besides, you said they owed you a
| CALI" She had lowered her voice
during this last statement. but 1t was
not necessary Freer had strolled on
to the ruins and Archibald and Agatha
Sixth were too absorbed in each 9TH
er's company to notice us.
Her reasons were specious and H.
logical enough. but Dearest. to my
surprise, seemed inclined to accept
them and | had to interfere.
"They do owe us a call" I said.
but that wouldn't prevent us from
having jolly time of 1t II we all
chose to go over together! On the
contrary. it would be something to
do,"
Then Agatha First. evidently goad-
ed into a corner. set her young face
in a fashion that was almost desper-
ate. But Agatha Fourth-Mrs. Chill
tern-isnt there" she declared. She
told me she was going down to Lon
don for a week or two!"
Dearest stared at her. but she did
not ask her. as I wanted to do. why
she hadn't said SO in the first place
Instead she took pity on Agatha
First's white face. for the girl had
actually turned pale. and assured her
charitably that she had entirely given
up all thought of an expedition to
Chiltern house. though. as ! told her
afterward obviously the young lady
was examining her. But Dearest has
the kindest heart in the world
tTO BE CONTINUEDD