Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-25
CHAPTER Xxx.
Hezekiah Partitions the Kingdom.

e AAAAAGsAS~>s
The man who looked after my needs
handed me note the next morning which
added fresh hazards to Cecilia's already
perilous plight.
Left with the gardener before o'clock
by boy from the village. Said 1t was
most confidential. sir
I waited till he had left the room be-
fore opening it. A square white envelope
addressed to- Arnold Ames. esq, Hope
field Manor, told me nothing, and the
was inscrutable. 1t slanted
slightly upward: the small letters were
half printed and quantity shaded: IL a
woman's, she had scorned the rail-fence
models OF the boarding schools; II q
man's-but 1 knew its gender Wen
was unadorned. and the same pen had
traced compactly. within the widest pos
sible margins, the following:
'Gooseberry Bungalow,
Before breakfast.
Dear Chimneys: Pep stopped here yes
terdsy to see B. II. He and c. old pals.
Watch him. Where's Wig? III. H.
The initials were superfiuous, and vet
the sight of them pleased me nightly
In her semi-printing she curved the pill
they bore an amusing resemblance to
four men striding forward against a
storm. The report Of chief Of scouts
sI1uggied through the enemy's lines could
not have improved on her billet for sue
cinctness, and the information conveyed
was startling enough. We had been deal
ing with a company OF suitors outside
the barricade; now came warning OF the
presence OF a strange knight within the
gates who greatly multiplied the perlls
Of the situation. The compact between
the suitors at the inn was thing of the
past, and now expected them to exer-
else all the ingenuity Of which desperate
lovers are capable in pressing their
claims. The fact that both Virgins and
Pepperton were old friends of mine did
II incumbent on me to prevent Dick, the
holder OF the clue, from taking advantage
Of it, but knowing Cecilia's own attitude
Of mind and heart toward Virgins
wished to save Pepperton the pain OF re-
lection IL 1t could be done.
But what did Hezekiah mean by the
question with which she ended her note?
II Virgins, smarting under Cecilia's
treatment of him the day before, had
quit the field, here was pretty how
dye-do! Miss Octavia's refusal to counte-
nance telephones made it necessary for
me to leave Hopefield to learn what had
become Of Virgins, and realized that l
must act promptly II saved the day for
him. His conduct first and last had been
spiritless, and was out Of patience with
seemed
any plan amidst these multiplying uncer-
tainties. II Virgins had decamped, Dick
knew 1t and would lay his plans accord
ingly. felt that 1t was base ingratitude
on Wiggins' part to ask me to watch his
interests while he went roaming indif-
ferently over the country. One or two
consoling reflections remained, however:
Dick believed me to be a sutton for Ce-
elias, hand, and this doubtless caused
him considerable uneAsiness; and he did
not know that Pepperton whose ac-
Quaintance with Cecilia antedated the
European flight, had to be reckoned with.
I wished Pepperton had kept out Of it.
Breakfast that morning was tntermi-
nably long. Miss Octavia was never more
thoroughly amusing. never more drolly
all the evils in American architecture.
and In particular took him to task for
some house he had built at Newport.
which she pronounced the most hfdeous
pile Of marble on American soil. From
her packet OF newspaper cuttings she
drew q letter her brother Bassford had
written to the Sun-the writing Of letters
to newspapers was, It seemed, one OF his
weaknesses-protesting against the quail
ity OF the music ground from the New
York hurdy-gurdies. The selections were
execrable; the fierce tempo at which the
instruments were driven had caused an
alarming increase in insanity, in proof OF
which he adduced statistics. He de-
manded municipal censorship. and vol
unteered to sit on the proposed commits
sion Of critics without pay.
THAT is just like brother Bassford!
When begin speaking to him again l
shall point out the error OF his ways. /
always miss the hurdy-gurdies when I'm
in the country, and believe shall buy
one and have It play me to sleep at night
slumber. should certainly do so,' she
concluded, with that indeflnable smile
that always left one wondering, III 1t
were not that my new laundress is
graduate Of the Sandusky- Ottumwa Con-
servatory OF Music, and l fear the tore
ador's song on wheels might be painful
to one Of her taste and temperament"
When we left the table at about half
past ten Miss Octavia insisted that we
must visit the kennels. A friend had just
to make sure the kennel master was
treating the dog properly. Later we were
all to ride.
made haste to excuse myself. saying
that personal matters required attention.
Certainly. Arnold, you shall do as you
like Mr. Pepperton is q difncult bird to
catch, 50 we hope for you at luncheon,
and, Of course, we expect you for dinner"
Pepperton looked at me inQuiringly. 1
judged that he had known Miss Octavia
good many years; the tone OF their in
tercourse was intimate; and yet he plain
ly was ut loss to understand just how
/ came to he so thoroughly established
in her good graces. I confess that as
glance back over these pages it looks
odd to me!
AS / paced the hall, waiting for q horse
to be saddled. Pepperton led me out on
the terrace above the garden.
I'm bursting with q great secret, old
man. I'm going to be married"
''What!'
'T'm going to be married.
This was almost too much. Could 1t be
possible that Hezekiah had miscalculated
the list Of reflections In the silver-bound
book, or that Cecilia herself had been de-
ceived? Pepperton misread my agitation,
and with q hearty laugh clapped me on
the shoulder.
"Oh. I'm not intruding on your pre-
serves, old man! Cecilia Is the second
finest girl in the world. that's all. I'm
engaged to Miss Gaylord OF Stockbridge.
I'm telling few old friends in advance
OF the formal announcement to be made
next week at q dance the GaylOrds are
giving"
I crushed his hand in both my own. and
seeing that he nnisconstrued the fervor Of
my emotion I FASTENED to set myself
right.
YOU'RE a lucky dog as usual. Pep. But
you don't understand about Cecilia Hol-
lister. It's not T: I'm not in the running
at all; but Hartley Virgins is! I'm here
trying to help him score"
whats this? You're here to represent
"Well, he didn't exactly send me here.
but when I came I found that Wiggy
wasn't playing the game with quite the
necessary apology. There's more re-
quired than appears little OF the dash
and snap Of the old adventures-the ready
tongue, the eager, thirsty sword"-
Pepperton pursed his lips and looked
me over carefully with a twinkle in his