Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-13
CHAPTER XIII-Continued.

had sat upon his legs and got hold of his
struggling hands. some one stole softly
by me. My prisoner, too heard and was
attentive. Not only did / experience the
same sensation as on the previous night.
Of a passing near by. but l was conscious
Of the same faint perfume. as of flower
scent half caught in a garden at night
that had added to my mystification be.
fore. Then. without the slightest warn
ing, the lights flashed on, ard q door
closed somewhere, but it was not the
hidden one leading down into the rem
nant Of the old house, for my prisoner
head and shoulders lay across it's thresh-
old. He sighed deeply, bringing my
dazed wits back to him. and l found my
self gazing into the blinking eyes OF
Lord Arrowood.
''Bounders, I say, bounders,' he gasped
I'm the circumstances. Lord Arrowood.
l should not call names VIII you tell
me what you mean by running through
this house in this fashion? Stand up and
give an account of YOURSELF.
l helped him to his feet and bent over
the stair rail leading down to the third
floor. Evidently our strange transactions
beneath and above had not disturbed the
assembled suitors and their hOstesses: but
in common decency Lord ArrowoOd must
be disposed Of promptly; there was no
doubt about that.
Il was an ass to try it," muttered his
lordship. pulling his tie into shape And
now / want to get out. / want to go
away from here
He was Juggling at the belt Of his nor
folk coat and something between it and
his waiStcoat evidently gave him concern.
1t did not seem possible that he was
really thief, with chattels concealed on
his person, but he continued to smooth
his jacket anNiously. meanwhile cycling
me apprehensively. He pulled hard from
his recent game of hide and seek. and his
face was wet with perspiration. Our con-
versation was carried on in half whis-
pers. He was so crestfallen that il it
hadn't been for. the necessity of maiIi-
tanning silence should have laughed out
right.
"Out with it. my lord. What have you
stuck in your coat?'
They're Founders. all the rest of EN-. =
he asserted, doggedly, but / believe you
to be gentleman.
Il thank you, Lord ArrOwood, for this
mark OF confidence; but you have led me
q hot chase through this house, and it
is clear that you have something tucked
under your coat that you have seized
feloniously. We're standing here In the
light. and our voices may at any moment
attract Miss HOLSTER and the others in
the library. Open your coat! l declare
that even II you have lifted a bit of the
HOLSTER plate will let you go. My lord.
IL you please, stand and unfold YOURSELF"
Reluctantly, shamefacedly, and still
breathing hard from his late exertiOns.
Lord Arrowood OF ArrOwoOd. HantS. Eng
land. obeyed me. There were five buttons
to the clOse-fitting jacket, and the loosen
ing of every succeeding one seemed to
give him pain. Then with his head slight
ly lifted. as though in disdain of me. he
held out for my observation pie, in the
pan in which 1t had been baked! The
top crust was Drowned to a nicely; its
edges were crimped neatly; and in spite
Of the fact that had so lately dined
sumptuously at Miss HOLSTERS hospit-
able board, at sight of this alluring pas
try / experienced the sharp twinges OF
aroused appetite. 4
Nov you have 1t. and hape you are
satisfied" said Lord Arrowood. kindly
allow me to retire by the way came"
First" replied. sobered by the grav-
fty Of his manner, 1t would interest me
as student OF character to know just
what species of pie lured yoS to this
burgiarious deed.
II have reason to think" he answered,
with tears In his eyes, that 1t is a goose
berry. l was damned hungry. IL you
pied the old lady's pies this morning. and
had nothing to eat since. l saw the coal
hole open and ladder beneath. and the
rest Of 1t was easy. II you and the other
chap hadn't chased me all over the es-
tate I'd have been of with my pie and
no harm done. The old lady's insane
you know. and has no manner OF use for
pies. The house Is haunted in the bar
gain. When you had about winded me
down in the cellar and cut me off from
the ladder and chased me up here. the
ghost took a hand. and If you hadn't
tripped me and sat on me the spirits
would certainly have nailed me. o Lord.
what night"
Its your impression then that when
you got up here somebody else broke into
the game"
quite that. only should say some
thing. not somebody. 1t was a lighter
step than yours. 1t had it's hand on me
once. but I couldn't touch It, Damn me-"
he concluded, hoarsely, lit wasn't there
to touch!'
You are sure you speak the truth
when you say that the coal hole was open
and that you found the ladder there
when you came?'
mo manner of doubt of it, AS l have
already said. l believe you to be a gen.
tleman. and between gentlemen certain
condolences may pass that wouldn't be
possible between gentleman and those
canaille down there
He jerked his head scornfully to indi-
cate the suitors beow.
l bowed with such dignity as Is pos
sible in addressing q nobleman whom
you have just caught in the act Of lifting
gooseberry pie from a lady's pantry
hands.
THE fact is that L was without. the
price Of food, and to repeat, was beast
ly hungry"
Poverty and hunger. my lord. are par
donable sins. And l dare say that Miss
Hollister would be highly pleased to know
that a gentleman of your high position
she told me herself that you were de-
scended from the Jutish chiefs-bad paid
so high a compliment to the excellence
Of her pastry. Your only error, as
view the matter. lies in the fact that you
have laid felonious hands upon a goose
berry pie. All gooseberry pastries are
sacred to Hezekiah. My Impressions of
not allow you to intervene between her
and the pie l hold In my hands II you
will accompany me below / will under
take to gain access to the pie vault. re-
turn this pie to Its proper place, and
hand you. at the foot of the ladder. ar
apple pie in place Of 1t. / dare say it
never will be missed: but from what l
know of Hezekiah. any trifiing with her
appetite would be q crime indictabIe at
common law
His lordship seemed treasured. and we
were about to descend by the concealed
stair when he arrested me.
Mr.. Ames. you are gentleman and
possess q generous heart. We under
stand each other perfectly. And as l
have every reason to believe that my
suit Is hopeless. I ask the loan of five
dollars until l can confer with my friend
the British consul at New York. l shall
sah at once for England"
A man who. finding himself reduced to
larceny by hunger. and being unable to
win the woman of his choice. meekly
yields to the inevitable, Is not fair marx
for contumely. He stepped down before
me into the dark stairway. and l closed