Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-15

| matter-I believe it was late rumor
that Andre, who had gone ballooning to
discover the Hyperboreans, had been
heard of somewhere.
Cecilia appeared distract. and l Won
dered what new turn her affairs had
taken. She rose as l crossed the room,
and from her manner / judged that she
welcomed this chance of addressing me.
You have scorned the library tonight
Has there been trouble? Is Aunt Octavia
alarmed about anything?"
| was sure that this inquiry covered
some Interior question. Hartley Virgins.
listening with a bored air to Miss Oc
tavia's discussion of Andres fate, glanced
In our direction with manifest displeasure
in our propinquity. Cecilia HOLSTER was
beautiful. charming woman of the
world. but l felt her spell less tonight
II may be that the presence of Heze-
kiah's slipper in my inside coat pocket,
pressing rather insistently against my
ribs. acted as g. counter-irritant. l Ger
tainly could not imagine myself pos
sessed of one of Cecilias slippers! If
had tried my fictitious Beacon street cpl
sode on Cecilia she would undoubtedly
have expressed her scorn of me. The
hollisteritis germ, that had heretofore in
fected' me only internationally, was now
exerting its full tonic power In trying
to hold Miss Octavia to her covenants
with the lords of romance, had strength
ened my own confidence in their bold en-
prise. The gravity with which the suit
ors gave heed to Miss Octavia's ideas on
arctic ballOOning touched my humOr Ce-
ella had but to state her perpleXity and
l would interest myself promptly in her
business If l had been asked that night
to enlist in the most hopeless causes l
should have done so without bubble.
and died cheerfully. under any barricade.
Our time was short; at any moment the
suitors might cease covertly glaring at
me. drift away from Miss Octavia and
interpose themselves between me and
the girl on whom they had Set their col
lective hearts.
you are in difficulty. Miss Cecilia" /
said: please tell me III what way l may
serve you
Il don't know why | should appeal to
you
mo reason is necessary. / have told
you before that you need only to com
mand me- We may be interrupted at
any moment Pray go on
II have lost an article of the greatest
value to me. 1t has been taken from my
room"
For a moment only l read distrust and
suspicion in her eyes as it occurred to her
that | had access to every part OF the
house: but my manner seemed TO restore
her confidence. And she could not have
forgotten that her own father had met
her secretly on the roof of house that
was denied him, and that l was perfectly
cognizant OF the fact.
II am sure you can be OF assistance.
ghost story; some one has been in and
about the house: you believe that?''
Yes. There has really been a sort of
ghost, you know.
She shrugged her shoulders. Cecilia
had no patience with ghosts and we were
losing time My conversation with Ce-
ella was annoying Virgins, as was plain
from his nervousness. Virgins courtesy
was unfailing, but there are points at
which the restraints of civilization snap
Cecilia realized that time passed and that
she had not stated her difficulty. She
now lowered her voice and spoke with
great earnestness.
II went to my room for a moment
while Aunt Octavia was above. with you
suppose just after the chimney gave
another of its strange demonstrations. 1
remembered that | had left my little
silver bound book, that / usually carry
with me, on my dressing-room table. 1t
contains a memorandum of great inn
portance to me. 1t positively cannot he
duplicated. l am sure it was there when
/ came down to dinner. But it was not
on my dressing table or anywhere to be
found.
(To be continued tomorrow