Evening star., 1911-01-11
CHAPTER XII.-Continued.

OF any Otner man VINO QdreS.
mo, none whatever" she replied,
firmly.
And the mystery, the whole story. Is
in the little silver. book
She started, flushed, and then laughter
visited her lips and eyes. The book was
not in her hands nor I'm sight anywhere.
but felt that I was on the right track.
and that the little trinket had TO do with
her plight and her compact with her
aunt. Best of all, the fact that l had
CHANGED upon this clue gave her happi-
ness. There was no debating that
"You had best have a care, Mr.. Ames.
You have spoken words that would be
reasonable If they came from me, ana l
must not countenance them.
But you will tolerate from me words
that you would not permit another to
speak? Do I'go too far?"
She bent her head to one side-witn the
slightest inclination, as of rose touched
by vagrant wind. ;,
IF / could only half believe in you.
she said, "you might really serve me. So
those gentlemen warned you away. Their
presumption is certainly astounding
They know nothing Of the silver
book
They know less than you do-and you
have a good deal to learn, YOU know
- am duh enough, but l have no am
bition but to read the riddle of the sibyf
leaves. That and the laying of the ghost
are my immediate business. As for the
gentlemen at the Prescott. including my
old friend Hartley Virgins, 1 am not In
the least afraid of them. My hand Is
raised against them. If it's a case OF the
test of Ulysses over again, m as lKely
as any of them to bend the bow.
] thought this well spoken, but she
seemed amused, though without unkind-
ness by the earnestneSs of my speech.
..If your wit is equal to your valor you
may go far. But'-and she turned her
eyes full upon me-.'we must play the
game according to the rules.
And as for Hartley Wiggins-
She sat up very straight, and the sud
den disdain i'm her face startled me. l
had forgotten my eavesdropping in the
cTump of raspberries on the day OF my
arrival. Certainly Virgins had been de-
cidedly in the race then, and my heart
thumped in resentment as L recalled her
own message, all compact of encourage
ment, which l had borne to Virgins at
the Prescott Arms.
Il will tell you something, Mr.. Ames.
This afternoon, as | drove from the sta
ton, l came round by the lake, merely
to cool my eyes on the water, and L saw
Mr. Virgins and my sister seated on a
wall in an old orchard. They We're SO
busily engaged that they did not see me.
At least, he did not; but l think Heze-
kiah did,
"Hezekiah.' answered, relieved by the
nature Of her disclosure. which could not
but prejudice Virgins case, "Hezekiah Is
fond of orchards. l dare say this was
the same one in which 1 had charming
talk with her myself. Doubtless she was
amusing herself with Virgins. just as
she did with me. She finds the genus
homo entertaining"
"She is the dearest girl in the world
the sweetest, the loveliest, the brightest.
Mr.. Virgins has treated her outrageous
ly. He has taken advantage OF her
youth and susceptible nature"
His punishment is sure," l answered,
complacently. 'Hezekiah laughed when
mentioned his name. And you frown
today at the thought OF him.
Aunt Octavia is coming, she remark
ed, feigning at once careless air: but
I was content that she let my remark
pass unchallenged.
Miss .Octavia's entrances were always
effective She appeared tonight charm
ingfy gowned, but the bright twinkle in
her eyes made it clear that no matter OF
dress could affect her humor or spirit.
She greeted me. as she always did, as
though our acquaintance were matter
of years rather than of days. / even
imagined that she seemed pleased to find
me back again. She asked no questions
as to my days occupations, burt as We
went in to dinner sailed forth cheerfully
upon description of her own activities.
after / had baked my required quota
of pies this morning l sought recreation
at the traps. The stableboy who has
been pulling the string for me having
struck work, it most providentially hap
pened that l espied Lord Arrowood hang
ing ON the edge of the maple tangle be-
yond the barn. / summoned him at once
and put him to work managing the traps
for me, finding him most efficient. He
seemed extremely despondent. and after
1 had satisfied myself that two out of
three was not an impossible record for
ONE of my years. l brought him TO the
house and made tea for him. l left the
room for a moment-I had taken him into
the Kitchen where during the incum-
bency of the regular cook l hardly dare
venture myself, and he made himself
comfortable quite near the range. The
pies on which l had been engaged all
morning lay cooling near him. i had
composed twenty-nine pies-I am an eX-
cellent mathematician, and / could not
have been mistaken i'm the count. What
was my amazement to find, after his
lordShip's departure, that one pie was
missing. The pan in which it was baked
/ discerned later. jamrned into "A barrel
of excellent Minnesota flour. NV alb
sence from the room was the briefest; his
lordship must indeed be n prestidigitateur
to have made way with the. pie so eN-
peditiouSly.
Ills lordsllip was doubtless hungry
l suggested. Even nobility must eat.
passed Lord Arrowood i'm the highway
early this morning, sitting upon a. stone,
with sundry items OF hand baggage re-
posing beside him. / have rarely seen
any one so depressed
''IIe belongs to an ancient house, re-
marked Miss Octayia. "He is descended
from either IIengist or. Horsa-I forget
which, but it does not greatly matter.
The missing pie. I, may add, was an ef-
feet in Westellester pippin; and as our
American experiment in self-government
bores him, take it az significant that lie
CHANGED upon food that is the veritable
sacrament of democracy"
Now that the little matter of the serv-
ants has been adjusted, We must have
a care lest the newly arrived phalanx,
which Providence SO kindly sent to you
today, is not stampeded by any further
manifestations OF the troubled spirit OF
the unfortunate" Briton who was hangeS
on the site Of this house.
Mr.. Ames." replied Miss Octavia, inn
pressively. that matter is entirely in
your hands,
but il i could See the plans OF this
house I should be better able to grapple
with his ghostship."
had thrown this out in the hope of
eliciting some remark from her touching
the Swedish maids visit to Pepperton's s
Office. but Miss Octavia met my gaze UNI
finchingly.
''You are a clever man, Mr. Ames, ard
have every confidence that you will not
only solve the mystery of the library
chimney, but find the ghost that switched
off the lights on the stair last night. /
prefer that you should accomplish these
feats without any help from the plans
l myself have no suggestions. l am
gratified that you are meeting the emer-