Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-08
CHAPTER XI.-Continued.

CHAPTER XI.-Continued.
But your aunt said that Providence
would take care OF the servant question:
she expected a whole corps Of ideal serv-
ants to come straying in during the day."
Hezekiah laughed. cit is not right for
any girl to be as pretty as Hezekiah. or
to laugh as musically.) She told me to
sit down, and as I did SO she passed the
toast and helped herself to q slice into
which she set her fine white teeth neatly
watching me with the merriest OF twin
kles in her brown eyes.
Cecilia hasn't Aunt Octavia's conf
dence in Providence, so she's taking a
shot at the employment agencies. She
has left note on the kitchen table to in
form Aunt Octavia that she had forgot
ten an engagement with the dentist and
has gone to catch the 1918"
THAT, Hezekiah, is a lie 1t isn't quite
square to deceive your aunt that way"
1 remarked. soberly.
Hezekiah laughed again.
You absurdity! Don't you know Aunt
Octavia yet! She will be perfectly over
joyed when she comes back and finds
that note from Cecilia. She likes disap-
| pearances, mysteries and all that kind OF
thing. But it is barely possible that you
Will nave 10 WISH Tue DISHES. j call I,
you see, for I'm not supposed to come on
the reservation at all-nOt until Cecilia
has found husband. Isn't 1t perfectly
delicious?'
"All Of that, daughter Of kings! l
think that as soon as l can regain conf
dence in my own sanity I shall like it
myself. But'-and I watched her mar
| rowly-"you see, Hezekiah, there is really
a ghost, you know"
Once more that divine mirth in her bub-
- Id t,4 bod 11ra1 <7N1
ly to the window and turned swiftly with
a mockery Of fear in her face.
Aunt Octavia approaches and I must
be off. But that ghost, Mr.. Chimney
Man-whsn you find him: please let me
| to ask some reliable ghost about the
hereafter"
| With this she fed. and I heard the
| front door close smartly after her An
| instant later Miss Octavia appeared and
asked solicitously how liked my Omelet.
1.-The coachman has been telling me a
| capital ghost story. He believes them to
| be beneficent and declares that he will
| under no circumstances leave my employ
| ment."
She sat down and folded her arms upon
| the table. For the first time / believed
that she was serious. There was. in fact.
| q troubled look on her sweet, whimsical
| face. 1t occurred to me that the loss OF
| her servants was not really the slight
matter she had previously made OF it.
Mr.. Ames, will you pardon me for
asking you question of the most init
mate character? 1t is only after much
hesitation that DO so.'
I bowed encouragingly, my curiosity
| fully aroused.
You may ask me anything in the
| world Miss HOLSTER
Then I wish you would tell me
| in doing this-but can you tell me
whether you have seen in the hands OF
| my niece Cecilia a small-a very small,
silver-backed notebook"
Yes. I have" I answered. greatly sur
prised.
'And may 1 ask whether-and again I
| must plead my deep concern as an eX-
| cuse for making such an inquiry
whether you by any chance saw her max
+! ing any notation in that book?''
| l recalled the silver-bound book perfect
! ly. but had attached no importance to it;
but If Cecilia's fortunes were SO init
mately related to 1t as Miss HOLSTERS
manner implied. l felt that 1 must be
| recall the precise moment at which l had
| entered the library the preceding even
ing after Hume's departure, and while
1 was intent upon this my silence must
| have been prolonged. I felt obliged to
make an answer Of some sort. and yet l
| did not relish the thought Of conveying
| information that might distress and en-
| barrass a noble girl like Cecilia HOLSTER.
Something in my face must have con-
| veyed q hint of this inner conflict to Miss
I Hollister. for she rose suddenly, holding
| up her hand as though to silence me.
She seemed deeply moved and cried In
| agitation:
| do not answer me! The question was
| sure you that at the moment l made the
| inquiry / felt justified"
| She retreated toward the door as rose,
and then with her composure fully re-
i l<I,o r{D@
Luncheon here will be a buffet affair
| today, as I shall be engaged with mat
| tiers Of pastry. I'm sure. however. that
you will find employment until dinner
time, when my house will be fully in
| l intended that this should be a busy
| day, SO without making explanations
| went to the stable, told the coachman !
| wished to be driven to the station. and
| was soon whizzing over the hills toward
Katonah. The coachman. an Irishman.
| introduced the subject of the ghost as
soon as we were out Of sight OF the
| house
"The ole lady's dipped; she's dipped.
SIR" he remarked, leadingly.
| It's catching" I answered; so you'd
! better forget it,
He thereupon settled glumly to his driv-
| ing. AS we crossed the bridge near
| in the apple orchard. spied her trudging
| across a meadow and she waved her
hand gayly. Meadows and streams and
| stars. OF such were Hezekiah's king
dom.
1 wondered how Virgins and the other
gentlemen at the Prescott Arms. were
| faring. My question was partially an
swered a second later, as we passed the
| road that forked of to the inn. On a
stone by the roadside sat Lord ArroWood,
desolately guarding kit bag and suit
case. He was dressed in q shabby nor
folk jacket and knickerbockers and SUCK
ed pipe.
bade the driver pause and greeted the
nobleman affably.
Can l give you a lift? You seem to
be bound for the station and I'm taking
a train myself"
mo, thanks" he replied, sharply.
They're a lot Of bounders-bounders,
say!'
.'Ah! or whom do you speak. Lord Ar
rowood?" I asked, glancing at my watch
Those scoundreis at the inn. They
have thrown me out. Thrown me out
me!'
Hard lines for fact: but II you are
interested in trains
II refuse to leave the county," he
shouted. If. they think they're going to
get rid of me they're mistaken. Bounders,
say, bounders!''
He uttered this opprobrious term with
great bitterness and crossed his legs. as
though to emphasize his permanence upon
the boulder. Patience on q monument Is
not more eternally planted. He seemed
in no mood for conversation, so sped on
with no time to lose.
/ gained the step of the chair car at
tached to the 1918 with some loss of dig