The weekly times-record., 1913-07-24

room. but thought this merely turn
Of her humor, and was taken aback
when she led the way into low, heavi-
" raftered room. where electric sconces
of an odd type were thrust at irregular
intervals along the walls. which were
otherwise hung with arms Of many
sorts in orderly combinations. They
were not the litter Of antique shops,
saw in a husty glance. but rifles and
guns of the latest patterns, and beside
the sideLoard stood gun rack and a
cabinet which assumed contained still
other and perhaps deadlier weapons.
But for the presence Of Miss Cecilia,
who was essentially typical of our
twentieth century American woman, |
think might readily have yielded to
the illusion that was the guest of
some eccentric chatelaine who had in.
vited me to dine with her in bastion
Of her fortress before ordering me to
some chamber Of horrors for execu-
ton. ...5..
No reference was made to the char
acter of the room. felt, in fact. that
Cecilia rather pleaded with her eyes
that l should make no reference to 1t.
And Miss Holiister remarked quite
casually as though in comment upon
my thoughts:
consistency has buried its thou.
sands and habit its tens Of thousands.
We should live. Mr. Ames. for the
changes and chances Of this troubled
life. Between an opera box and
villa at Newport many Of my best
friends have perished.
Then with startling abruptness she
put down her fork and. bending her
wonderfully direct gaze upon me, ask.
ed a question that caused me to straD-
gle on bit Of asparagus.
II imagine. Mr.. Ames. that you are
Q member Of some of the better clubs
In town. II by any chance you belong
to the hare and Tortoise-the name OF
which has always pleased me-do you
by any chance happen to enjoy the &C
quaintance Of Hartley Xigginsr'
Cecilia lifted her head. saw that
che had been as startled as !. It
crossed my mind that denial Of any
acquaintance with Virgins might best
serve him in the circumstances. But
| am not. l hope. without q sense OF
shame. and l responded promptly:
"Yes, l know him we'll. We are old
friends. I always see a good deal Of
him during the winter. His summers
are spent usually on his ranch In the
west. We dined together two days
ago at the Hare and Tortoise. just be-
fore he left for the west"
"You will pardon me If say that 1t
is wholly to his credit that he has for
sworn the professions and identified
himself with the honorable calling Of
the husbandman." !!
I'VE met Mr.. Virgins while travel.
ing abroad last summer" interposed
Cecilia. meeting my eyes quite frankly.
MET him! Did you say met him,
Cecilia? On the contrary, We found
him waiting for US at the dock the
morning we sailed" corrected Miss
Hollister. land we never lost him
day in three months Of rapid travel.
l had never met him before. but can.
not deny that he made himself exceed
ingly agreeable. II. as ! suspected. he
had deliberately planned to travel on
the same steamer with my two nieces,
have only praise for bis conduct,
for in these days. Mr. Ames, it warns
my heart to find young men showing
something Of the old chivalric ardor In
their affairs Of the heart"
I'm sure Mr.. Virgins made himself
very agreeable" remarked Cecilia COL
orlessly.
"For myself" retorted Miss Hollis
ter. II should speak even more strong.
ly. He repeatedly served US with tact
and delicacy had formed so high
an opinion Of Mr.. Virgins that learn.
ed with sincerest regret that his an.
cestors were Tories and took no part
in the struggle for American independ.
ence. There are times when serious
" question the wisdom of the colonists
in breaking with the mother country,
but certainly no man Of character in
that day could have hesitated as to his
proper course" .~.
Then. as though by intention, Miss
Hollister dropped upon the smooth cur
rent Of our talk sentence that drove
the color from Cecilia's face.
"Hezekiah and MIR. Virgins were the
best of friends" was Miss Holister's
remark.
Cecilia's eyes were on her plate. but
her aunt went on in her blithest fash
ion:
"You may not know that Hezekiah is
another niece. Cecilia's sister. She
was named. at my suggestion. for my
father. there being no son in the fam
fly, and trust that so unusual name
in a young girl does not strike you as
indefensible."
ION the contrary. 1t seems to me
wholly refreshing and delightful. As
| recall the Sunday school Of my youth,
Hezekiah was a monarch OF great au-
thority. whose animosity toward Sen
nacherib was justified in the fullest
degree. The very name bristles with
spears and is musical with the trum-
pets of Israel. Nothing would make
me happier than to meet the young