Evening star., 1911-01-22
CHAPTER XIX.
The Ghost of Adoniram Caldwell

! A stable boy held Miss Octavia's horse
| at the inn door. Her face. her figure. her
voice expressed outraged dignity as she
| tested the saddle girth
You need never tell me what had hap
pened to provoke your wrath, for that is
none of my affair. but l wish to say that
your conduct and bearing won my highest
approval. They had undoubtedly hidden
| the jack of clubs to avoid the drubbing
| you would have administered to the un-
| fortunate man who would have drawn
| that card If it had been in the pack"
Il was not in the slightest danger at
| any time, Miss HOLSTER I protested.
| by one Of those tricks Of fate to which
/ you and I are becoming SO accustomed,
! the card had fallen to the floor unnoticed.
| II you had not arrived so opportunely the
! lost Jack would have been discovered, the
cards reshuffled, and very likely Mr..
| Ormsby would have been busting the inn
floor with me at this very minute"
Il refuse to believe any such thing
declared Miss Octavia, who had mounted
and continued speaking from the saddle.
Your perfect confidence was admirable.
fand l shudder to think Of the terrible
punishment you would have given them.
l do not particularly dislike Mr.. Ormsby.
though the possibility Of Cecilia marry
/ ing him has troubled me not little. as
| | have recalled the unromantic aspect of
Utica as seen from the carriage win
dows; but it is much to your credit that
you defied them all and brought them to
the fighting point, and then. by stroke
| of cleverneSs 1t pleased me to witness,
placed them irretrievably in the wrong
| If Miss Octavia wished to view my per-
formances in this flattering light it
seemed unnecessary and unkind to OBJ
| ject Now that l was in the open again
with whole skin l was not averse to
| the victor's crown; l would even wear 1t
tilted slightly over one ear. Birds have
| been killed by shots that missed the real
target: bunker sands are rich In gutta
percha and good intentions. l was q
fraud. but cheerful one.
1T was only a pleasant incident of the
engage a squire and take to the open
road as soon as all this is over
LAS soon all what is over." she de-
| manded, eyeing me keenly.
'tOh, the work I've undertaken to do
here. 1 flatter myself that l have made
some progress: but within twenty-four
hours dare say that we shall have seen
| the end.
| your words are not wholly luminous
] Arnold
1T is much better that it should be so
! You have trusted me SO far. and l have
no intention of failing you now. If l say
| that the crisis is near at hand in a GER
tain matter that interests you greatly.
you will understand that / am not strik-
ing ignOrantly in the dark"
IF you know what l suspect you know.
Arnold Ames, you are even shrewder than
| thought you. and you had already
taken high place in my regard. The
curtains of the windows just behind you
have shown considerable agitation since
we have been speaking, not due, l think,
to the wind. as there is no air stirring.
Those gentlemen you have just van
quished are timidly watching you. Your
daring and prowess have greatly alarmed
them. You may be sure they will think
twice before provoking your wrath
again..
Il devoutly hope they WILL" / replied,
glancing carelessly over my shoulder, and
catching a glimpse of Henderson as he
drew hastily out OF sight. But will you
tell me just how you came to visit the
inn at this particular hour?"
(To be continued tomorrow