Graham guardian., 1913-07-25

contravention OF the antitrust law.
But may ! inquire why, If You have
perfected a combination of Miss Hol-
listers suitors. found Lord AFRO.
wood this morning sitting on stone
by the roadside. evidently In the great
est detection. Can II be possible that
an insurgent has crept into your organ.
ization and incurred the displeasure of
the reguurs?''
we ruled him out" Sballenberger
burst forth. because he was for
eigner and not entitled to place
among freebOrn Americans. That is
one reason, and. for another, the col.
ors of his half hose were an offense
to me personally"
"And for another reason" interposed
Ormsby. 'he had no money with which
to pay his board at the Prescott Arms.
For this just cause the landlord elected
him shortly after breakfast this morn
ing
Then there Is already a rift in the
lute!" returned. mo trust of suitors
Is stronger than its weakest link My
hand Is raised against your unrighteous
compact, and am in the fight to stay!
Go bnck to the Prescott Arms, gentle
men. and assure your associates In this
hideous compact of my most distin.
guiShed consideration and tell them to
go to the devil"
| had gone to the st. Parvenu hotel
to call upon Washington lady who
had been making life a burden to my
assistant and on coming out into Fifth
avenue shortly after bethought me OF
the Asolando tea room. My interview
with the committee of the suitors had
driven from my mind practically every
consideration and every interest not
centered In Hopetield Manor. My
thoughts turned gratefully to the Aso,
lando. where only few days ago I
had been precipitated into the strangest
adventures my eventless life had
known.
A strange face was visible at the
cashiers desk as | entered the tea
room, passed on, finding the place
quite full, but took II as a good omen
that the seventh table from the right
was unoccupied. and hastily appropri.
atcd il. A waitress appeared murmurIng
There are no birds In last years nest" |"
and recommended Locker Lanpson
sandwich. whose contents the girl told
me were secret but 1t proved to be
" NYl lnf la Nln \ A,.s ,lr Aor
and ate the sandwich surveyed the
decorated menu card with interest and
found pleasurable excitement in discov.
ering an item directing attention to
Pickles a Ia Hezeklah, Is cents" The
delightful Hezekiah must, then. have
impressed herself upon the deus ex
machina of the Asolando on her brief
day there, thus to have won this recog-
nitiou. And further on noted, among
the desserts. Peche Cecilie with even
greater interest and satisfaction.
Cecilia occupied my mind now. The
visit of the furious suitors to my office
had stirred in me thoughts and aspira-
tions that had never known harborage
In my breast before. The presumption
of those fellows had exceeded any
thing had known In my contact with
human kind. and instead of frighten-
Ing me away from Hopefleld Manor
they had called my own attention to
the strategic Importance of my pres
ent position ms guest In Miss 0cta-
Was house.
As these thoughts ran through my
mind | was finishing my Peche Cecilie
Il SplIrn all sweets ordinarily when
became interested In the unusual con-
duct Of young woman who had en-.
tered the front door briskly and walk
ed with business-like air to the cash.
iers desk. The girl within the wicket
rose promptly, opened the screen and
without parley Of any sort emptied
the contents Of her Til into tue VS.
itor's reticule. With a nod and q
smile and moments careless survey
of the room, the girl departed, swing
ing the reticule In her hand. A long
roll she carried under her arm con-
firmed my Identification. 1t was Miss
Octavia HOLSTERS Swedish maid, and
the roll beyond peradventure contain
ed the plans she had obtained at Pep
perton's office.
The girl was we'll featured, neat Of
figure and becomingly gowned. and as
watched her leave the shop the light
ness of her step, something smooth
and flowing In her movements, inter
ested me. did not know what busi-
ness she had to be robblng the Aso-
lando money drawer, but 1t was alto
gether possible that she was the Hope
field ghost!
On the whole, when l had finally
torn myself away from my assistant,
who made no attempt to conceal his
doubts as to my sanity. and had set
tied myself in the Ala express with
the afternoon papers ! was fully salts
fed with the days adventures I had
told the coachman In the morning not
TO trouble to meet me on my return,
and | engaged the village liveryman
to drive me to the house for hire.
There's a heap O. talk in the VII
lage," he observed. "They do say the
old lady's cracked, II may so speak
Of her, and that there's ghosts In the
house And the conduct of the gentle