Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-03

iiciously at the bare mention OF his
name
1T was not your impression. then. that
she was deeply enamored of him. that
she was eating her heart out for him.?
Decidedly not. Miss Hollister She
gave me quite a different idea
You relieve me greatly. Mr.. Virgins
sense of humor is the slightest. and
should not in the least fancy him for
Hezekiah. And. besides am not yet
ready TO arrar &c marriage for her
She laid the slightest stress on the hnal
pronoun. IL was a fair inference. then.
that Miss Cecilia's affairs were being
''arranged": when they had been deter
mined husband would be found Tor
Hezekiah. But had there ever existed
before. anywhere I'm the Copernican sys-
tenn, a wealthy aunt SO delfghtfully II
responsible. so vortiginous I'm her mental
processes. SO happily combining the mad
dest quiXotism with the bold spirit or
the Elizabethan mariners. My faith IN
the real sweetness and ktndliness OF her
nature was mistaken by her capricious-
, ness. I did not doubt that her intentions
toward her nieces were the friendieSt. no
| matter what strange devices she might
employ to bend those young women to
/ her purposes
She disappeared i'm the hall without ex-
! cuse, and | entered the library to find
Cecilia sitting alone by the fire. She put
aside book she had been reading. ana,
seeing that her aunt had not followed
me, asked at once as to my visit to the
| inn.
II conveyed your message ! answered.
but you have seen Mr.. Virgins since.
unless / am greatly mistaken.
Yes: he called this afternoon. We
had several callers at the tea hour. l
had rather expected you back
The fact is i replied. that after
had taken luncheon at the Prescott Arms
| I got lost among the hills, and while In
the act of robbing an apple orchard
came most Unexpectedly upon your sis
| ter
-Hezekiah."
The same: and oddly enough. / had
met her before. though I didn't realize II
was she until the meeting in the orchard
| 1t was in the Asolando that | saw her;
she was at the cashiers wicket the after
noon met your aunt there.
! She seemed puzzled for a moment; then
her eyes frightened and she laughed. but
| her laugh was not like HeZekiahs. Co
elias mirth had its own expression. It
was touched with a sweet gravity. and
her laughter was such as one would ex-
pect from the Milo If that divine marble
were to yield to mirth. Cecilia grew upon
me; there was magic in her loneliness:
| she was a finished product. II seemed
inconceivable that she and the fatr-haired
girl with whom i had exchanged banter
| in the upland orchard were daughters or
one mother.
You have given me information. Mr..
Ames. ] did not know that Hezekiah
had ever been connected with the Aso-
lan0O.
oh. IL was only that one historic day.
She says the place was unbearable. She
| Jared the hottest chords OF the divine
Tyre by harsh comments on the Pre-Ra-
phaelite profile. One of the devotees was
SO shocked that she dropped a plate or
something. and. to put ii coarseiy. Heze-
kiah got the bounce
My description of Hezekiah's brief ten
ure OF office at the Asolando seemed to
amuse Cecilia greatly.
There is no one like my sister, she
| said; there never was and there never
will he any one half so charming. Heze-
kiah is an original, who breaks all the
rules and yet always sends the ball over
the net. And IL is because she Is SO In.
;expressibly dear and precious that I am
anxious that nothing shall ever hurt her
nothing mar the sweet, beautiful child
spirit i'm her.
II was my turn to laugh now. Cecllia's
manifestation of maternal solicitude for
Hezekiah seemed absurd For Hezekiah.
raced with Diana and plucked arrows
from her girdle: she had heard Homer at
the roadside singing of Achilles shield.
| ''Hezekiah is reasonably safe, l should
| say, because she is so amazingly swift OF
foot and eye. and SO nimbie OF speech.
She is not to be caught in net or
| tripped with a word"
Il suppose that is So" remarked Cecilia
soberly. You thought her happy when
you met her today? She did not strike
you as being girl with wound In
her heart? She wasn't particularly
! triste?"
Not more SO than sunlight on rippied
water or the song of the lark ascending"
''Of course. you made no reference to
Mr.. Virgins? Ii / had imagined you
would meet her should have"
Go be continued tomorrow