The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1913-10-09

JUST HOW came 10 De SO tnOrOuSnly eS-
eablished in her good graces. l confesn
that az glance back over these page
1t looks odd to me!
As paced the hall waiting for
horse to be saddled, Pepperton led m
out on the terrace above the garden.
Pm bursting with great secret. ol,
man. I'm going to be married"
WHAT"
'pm going to be married."
I grasped chair to support myself
This was almost too much. Could !
be possible that Hezekiah had miscal
culated the list Of reflections in the sill
yer bound book, or that Cecilia hersel
had been deceived? Pepperton misreat
my agitation and with hearty laugl
clapped me on the shoulder.
"Oh. I'm not intruding on your pre-
serves, old man! Cecilia is the secont
finest girl in the world-that's all. In
engaged to Miss Gaylord Of Stock
bridge. I'm telling a few old friends, IL
advance of the formal announcement
to be made next week at dance thu
Gayiords are giving"
crushed his hand In both my OWL
and. seeing that he misconstrued thu
fervor Of my emotion, fastened to SCI
myself Alright.
You're lucky dog as usual, Pep
But you don't understand about Cecilia
HOLSTER It's not I'm not in the run
ming at all, but Hartley Virgins is
I'm here trying to help him score"
whats this? You're here to repre-
sent Wiggy:"
swell, he didn't exactly send me
here, but when l came l found that
Wlggy wasn't playing the game with
quite the necessary zipology. There's
more required than appears-a little of
the dash and snap Of the old adventur-
ers-the ready tongue, the eager, thirsty
swordw-
Pepperton pursed his lips and looked
me over carefully with twinkle in his
eye.
'You are contributing those elements!
You are Octaviaized-is that 1T" Pep.
perton laughed until the tears came.
II prefer Hollisterized as the broader
term. Brother Bassford has it. too,
and there's always Hezekiah!'
"Ah, Hezekiah the unpredictable! l
knew there was skirt fluttering some
where. saw her yesterday-stopped
to see Bassford, who's good old chap.
Hezekiah of the teasing eyes was
withdrawing the chicken coop, and
Michelangelo couldn't have done it bet
ter"
"Pep," said, lowering my voice, III
you love me keep close to Cecilia all
day. You're an engaged man and in
practice Give an imitation of devo-
ton. Keep her out Of doors-keep
male human beings away from her.
Don't fail me in this. I've got to pull
of the greatest coup Of my life today.
There's a band Of outlaws hanging
round here who will propose to Cecilia
the first chance they get. and they
must NOT. Wigs got to speak before
night or lose out forever. No-not .
word Of explanation. You've. got to
take my word for II"
TN be the goat. Go ahead, but
build a fire under Virgins, can't
stay here forever"
Pepperton's engagement smoothed out
one wrinkle, and l felt sure that
could trust him as an ally. The groom
was holding my horse in the porte
cochere, and mounted and rode away
to the Prescott Arms.
I found Ormsby, Shallenberger, Ar.
buthnot, Henderson. Hume and GQrse
glumly sitting in a semicircle before
the hall fireplace. Deepest gloom per.
vaded the inn. have rarely seen mel.
ancholy so darkly stamped upon the
human countenance. They turned in
differently and glared as they recog-
nized me. Shallenberger alone rose
and greeted me-
II hope there is no bad news" he
said chokingly.
Bad news?'
Il mean Miss HOLSTER Miss Cecilia.
We were all deeply grieved last night
10 hear Of her sudden illness. There's
always something SO terrible in the
very name Of diphtheria."
My wits had been SO sharpened by |
ny late adventures that I readily &C.
:eunted for these false tidings. Dick
vas absent. Dick alone would have
,een equal to this diabolical plot for
Keeping his rival suitors away from
aope6eld. The despair in those faces
axed my gravity severely.
1T IL extremely sad, but the first
diagnosis was erroneous" I answered.
7 think It more likely to prove to bs
'hicken pox when the truth Is known"
mot diphtheriaT
mo immediate danger Of diphtheria,
assure you," I replied, though Of
curse with winter coming on and ill
hat one must be prepared for tho
worst"
While 10 repeated this to the others
sought the clerk. who promptly hand
d me Q note which Virgins had left
lte the previous afternoon, to be de-
|vered In case I called. He had gone
0 spend day or two with orion, tho
who was at his country