Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1913-02-20


Withholding OF confidence on his part.
and ON my own had not merely con.
tided all my hopes and NjuS to him,
but | had leaned upon him often in
my perpleNitirS There was. indeed, n
kind of hoyiSh compact between us
that we should support each other
through all difficulties. His reserve
hid. knew, ditlideut aud sensitive
nature. and il was wholly possible that
II his affair with Cecilia HNlljStcr had
not proSpered he had lied to his ranch
there to wreStle in SecluSion with his
disappointment. My mind was busy
with such SpeculatonS as sped to-
ward Katonah. where found the trap
from Hopetield Manor awaiting me,
ITS rather poor going over the
hills: about five miles. sir" said the
driver as we set off.
This was the first week in October,
There was Just zeSt enough in the air
to make a top coat comfortable. The
team of blacks spoke we'll for Miss
HOLSTERS stable, and the liVeried
driver kept them moving steadily, but
eased the pace as we rose on the fire.
Quent slopes to the shoulders Of the
pleasant WeStchestcr hills Early
fruStS had already wrought their mira
Gle i'll the foliage. and the battle ban
uers Of winters vanguard flashed
along the horizons. | reioicrd that my
business. vcNatiouS enough in many
ways, vet afforded me 50 charming an
outing as this.
Presently we climbed a hill that
shouldCred its way we'll above it's fel-
lows and came out upon n broad ridge,
where we entered Mt once noble
struck off Smartly along a fine hit of
macadam. The house, the driver in
formed me, was a quarter of mile
from the gate The way led through
n wild woodland in which elmS and
naples prrdominatcd. and before this
had grown monotonous we came alb
ruptly upon an Italian garden, beyond
which rose the house. | knew ii at
once for one of peppcrton's sound per
formanceS. Pepperton is easily our
best man in domestic Tudor. and the
whole setting of IIopetield Manor-the
sunken garden, the superb view. the
hillowing fields and woodlands beyond
all testified to taste which no igno-
rant owner had thwarted The house
was Tudor. but in no Servile sense. 1t
was also Pepperton. lifted my eyes
with immediate professional interest
to the chimneNpotS on the roof. 1t oc-
Cured to me on the instant that | had
never before been called to retouch
any of Pepperton's work. Pep knew
rs much rs about fine construction.
T had an immense respect for Pep. and
as my specializing in chimneys had
been a subject of frequent chatting be-
tween us, | anticipated with chuckle
the pleasure | should have later in
telling him that at last one of his tlueS
had required my services.
My good opinion of Miss HOLSTER
did not diminish as | stepped within
the broad hall. Houses have their
own manner of speech. and Hopetield
Manor spoke to all the senses in nc
cents of taste and refinement. A serV-
ant took my bag and ushered me into
charming library. A fire smoIdered
lazily in the great fireplace; there was
in the room the faintest scent of burnt
wood, but the smoke rose in the tlue
i'll a perfectly mannerly fashion, and
on thrusting in my hand ! felt
good draft of air inStinctivev
knelt on the hearth and peered up, but
saw nothing unworkmanlike-P Pepper
ton was not a fellow to leave obvious
mistakes behind him. But possibly
that was not one of the recalcitrant
tireplaces had been called to inspect,
and | rose and was continuing my en-