The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1913-08-21
CHAPTER TX.

CHAPTER TX.
cseilia's silver Notebook.
4 Hiss HOLLlsTER disappeared
|" in the hall without excuse.
and l entered the library to
ind Cecilia sitting alone BY
the fire. She put aside book she had
been reading and. seeing that her aunt
had not followed me. asked at once as
to my visit, to the Inn. ~: 49,. IT,. IT..
5"l conveyed your message" I an
swered, "but you have seen Mr.. Wig
gins since. unless I am greatly mis-
taken" ...'
Eyes; he called this afternoon. We
had several callers at the tea hour. l
had rather expected you back"
1.-THE fact is." l replied. that after
| I had taken luncheon at the Prescott
Arms got lost among the hills. and
while In the act Of robbIng an apple
orchard l came most Unexpectedly
upon your sister," ,...
"Hezekiah!' ..... "A
THE same. And. oddly enough. I
had met her before. though didn't
realize It was she until the meeting in
the orchard. 1t was In the Asoland0
thatJ sag h:.:; she Eas at the CASH
ier's wicket the afternoon I met your
aunt there" ..r. ..
"You have given me Information.
Mr.. Ames. I did not know that Heze-
kiah had ever been connected with the
Asolando." -... ....
"Oh, it was only that one. historic
day. She says the place was unbear-
able. She Jared the holiest chords Of
the divine Tyre by harsh comments on
the re-Raphaelite profile. One Of the
devotees was so shocked that she drop
ped a plate or something and. to put
It coarsely. Hezekiah got the bounce"
My description Of Hezekiah's brief
tenure Of Office at the Asolando SEEM
ed to amuse Cecilia greatly.
There 10 no one like my sister" she
said. There never was and there
never will be any one half SO charm
ing. Hezekiah Is an original. who
breaks all the rules and yet always
sends the bail over the net. And 1t is
because she Is so inexpressibly dear
and precious that am anxious that
nothing shall ever hurt her-nothing
mar the sweet. beautiful child spirit In
| her"
It was my turn to laugh now. Ce-
elias manifestation Of maternal solicit
tude for Hezekiah seemed absurd, for
Hezekiah In her way was older. Heze-
kiah had raced with Diana and pluck
ed arrows from her girdle-she had
heard Homer at the roadside singing
Of Achilles shield.
"Hezekiah is reasonably safe. l
should say. because she is so amazing
~ swift Of foot and eye and SO nimble
Of speech. She is not to be caught In
a net or tripped with word"
II suppose that Is So" remarked &C.
ella soberly. You thought her happy
when you met her today? She did not
strike you as being girl with wound
in her heart? She wasn't particularly
sad?"
mot more so than sunlight on rip
pied water or the song Of the lark as
cendlng.'
"Of course you made no reference to
Mr.. Virgins? If had imagined you
would meet her I should have
She ended with an embarrassment
that now understood, and broke in
cheerfully.
I'VE did mention him. She asked me
If l had seen him, and 1t was the
thought Of him that evoked her mer-
riest laughter"
She shook her head and sighed, then
her manner changed abruptly.
"You delivered my message to Mr..
Wiggins?"
II did. He is badly out Of sorts and
sees nothing clearly. He is very bitter
toward your aunt. He thinks she has
treated him outrageously."
"Aunt Octavia has done nothing OF
the kind" she replied with spirit. "Mr.
Virgins has no right to speak of Aunt
Octavia save in terms Of kindness. 1t
her wits are sharper than his, it is not
her fault, that l can see. But there are
matters here that do not understand,
Mr.. Ames. l trust you, as my aunt
evidently does, or should not be talk
ing to you as am, and am moved to
ask favor Of you, favor Of consid-
cradle weight, in view Of the fact that
you are professional man, with.
doubtless, many pressing calls upon
your time" ...
I bowed humbly before this compli-
ment. My time had been lightly ap-
praised by Miss Octavia and again by
Virgins. A long telegram from my
assistant that reached me while I dress
ed for dinner had urged my immediate
attendance upon my Office. Some OF
my best clients, now reopening their
houses for the winter, were in desper-
ate straits. But Octavia HOLSTERS do
not occur In the life Of every young
man. and both Cecilia and Hezekiah
had taken strong hold upon my imagi-
nation. Virgins place among the dra-
mats personae would in itself have
compelled my sympathetic attention.
and <hn ninn silk hafa that had seen