Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1913-03-27
The Siege
OF the
Seven SuitOrS
By
MEREDITH NICHOLSON
Copyright. 1910. by Meredith Nicholson
Copyright. 1910. by Meredith Nicholson
CHAPTER VII.
Nine Silk Hats Cross a stile.

ton had rendered Virgins so
miserable and the sister OF
whom Cecilia HOLSTER and her
aunt had spoken so strangely had
not suspected it She was as unlike
Cecilia as possible. and the difference
lay in her independent spirit and bub-
bling humor
She jumped down from the wall. shook
three apples from Il tree and sustained
them in the air with the deftneSs and
certainty of practCed jugGiery Her
absorption was complete. and when
she wearied of this sport she flung the
apples away. one after the other, with
a boys free swing OF the arm Her
rick would have delighted in her. Dob
son would have spun her bright hair
into a rOndeau. but only Aldrich, with
a twinkle in his eye could have brought
her up to date in a dozen Ginning coup
let's.
She had gone on up to the crest OF
the orchard and stood clearly limned
against the sky. her hands thrust into
the pockets OF her sweater. She ap
peared TO be intent upon something
that lay beyond and half turned her
head and summoned me by whiStlinG
l liked this better than the quotation
method of address. 1t WAS II clear.
shrill pipe. that whistle and she EN-
phaSiZed it further 10y peremptOry
wave of her arm When stood beside
her | was surprised to find that the site
commanded Il wide area. including the
unmistakabIe roofs and chimneys OF
Hopetied Manor. half Il mile distant.
You will see something funny down
there in minute They are out or
sight now. but there's a stile. the kind
with steps, just beyond those trees.
It's in a path that leads from the
Prescott Arms to Aunt Octavia's.
Look
My eyes discovered the stiIe. 1t was
set in n wall that was. she told me. the
boundary dividing Hopeted Manor
from another estate nearer our posi-
ton.
Suddenly II silk hat hohhed in the
path beyond the Stile 1t rose as its
owner mounted the steps. it paused an
instant when the top at the Su!e was
reached, then quickly descended and
came toward us, black blot above
black coat. was about to ask her
the meaning of this appartion when a
second silk hat bobbed in the path and
then rose like its predecessor. descend
ing and keeping on its way until hid
den from our sight by shrubbery. A
third, fourth. fifth, sixth. seventh.
eighth and ninth followed. Nine gen.
tlemen in silk hats crossing a stile in
a lonely pasture between woodlands;
so much was plain TO the eye from our
vantage ground. But | CROPPED bIindly
for an explanation of this spectacle.
The bobbing hats and dark coats sug
gesteG wanderers from some dark Plu-
tonian cave. bent upon mischief to the
upper world. Their step was jaunty-
they moved as though drilled to the
same cadence
We waited i moment. expecting that
another figure might join the strange
procession, but nine was the correct
count. | looked down to find Heze
kiah checking them off on the fingers
of her slim brown hand
Has there been funeral. and are
they the returning pail bearers:" | in
quired.
Not vet she replied.
Her face showed amusement The
twitching of her lips encouraged hope
that another of those delightful laughs
was imminent She said;
Those are Cecilias suitors They
have been to Aunt Octavias to tea.
They're staying Mt the Prescott Arms
probably"
They're terribly formal | can't get
rid of the impression of sombernesS
created by those fellows You'd hard
ly expect them to tramp cross country
in those dudS. Such grandeur should
90 on Wheels
"oh, they are afraid Of Aunt Octa-
via. She won't allow motor on her
grounds, and | suppose they're afraid
they might break some other rule if
they Went on any kind of wheels
She's rather eXactin=. you know. my
Aunt Octavia
Il was at the Prescott for luncheon
today and I must have seen these
gentlemen there"
"Oh, you were at the Prescott"
Almost for the first time her manner
betrayed surprise. but mischief dance
in the brown eyes. With Virgins
confession as to the havoc he had
played with Ele2ekiah's couhdiug heart
fresh in my memory. ! felt a delicacy
about telling her that il was to see
Virgins that | had visited the inn.
But to my surprise she introduced the
subject OF Virgins Immediately and
with laughter struggling for one Of
those fouutain-Iike splashe> that were
so beGuiliug