Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1913-02-20

positively immoral"
She had ordered dinner in the gun
room. but ! thought this merely a turn
of her humor, and 1 was taken aback
when she led the way into a low, heavi-
ly 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 u hasty glance. but rifles and
guns of the latest patterns, and beside
the sideboard stood Il 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 m |
think l might readily have yielded to
he illusion that | was the guest Of
some eccentric chatelaine who had in
vited me to dine with her in a bastion
OF her fortress before ordering me to
some chamber of horrors for execu-
ton.
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 it.
And Miss HOLSTER remarked quite
casually as though in comment upon
my thoughts:
Consistency has buried it's thou
sands and habit it's tens of thousands.
We should live. Mr.. Ames, for the
changes and chances of this troubled
life. Between an opera box and a
villa at Newport many Of my best
friends have persisted"
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 stran-
gle on a bit Of asparagus.
Il imagine. Mr. Ames. that you are
a member Of some of the better clubs
In town. If 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 Wiggins?"
Cecilia lifted her head. l saw that
she had been as startled as l.. 1t
crossed my mind that a denial of any
acquaintance with Virgins might best
serve him in the circumstances. But
l I'm not. l hope, without a sense Of
shame, and l responded promptly:
Eyes. I 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 l say that it
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
HOLSTER. land we never lost him a
day in three months of rapid travel.
l had never met him before, but | can
not deny that he made himself exceed
ingly agreeable. If. as l suspected, he
had deliberately planned to travel on
the same steamer with my two nieces.
l have only praise for his 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"
Pm 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. l had formed so high
an opinion of Mr.. Virgins that l 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 l serious,
ly 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 a sentence that drove
the color from Cecilia's face.
'Hezekiah and Mr.. Virgins were the
best of friends" was Miss HOLSTERS
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
lily. and l trust that so unusual a name
in a young girl does not strike you as
indefensible."
ION the contrary. it seems to me
wholly refreshing and delightful. AS
l 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'