Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1913-04-24
pass uncnaIlengeu.

i
Miss Octavia's entrances were always
effective. She appeared tonight charm
lngly gOwned. but the bright twinkle in
her Eyes made it clear that no matter
Of dress could affect her humor or
spirit. She greeted me. as she always
did. as though our acquaintance were
n matter of years rather than of days.
even imagined that she seemed
pleased to find me back again. She
asked no questions as to my days or-
equations. but as we went in to dinner
sailed forth cheerfully upon a descrip-
ton of her own activities.
After | had baked my required
quota Of pies this morning | sought
recreation ut the traps. The stable
boy WHO has been pulling the string
for me having struck work. it most
providentially happened that | espiei
Lord Arrowood hanging on the edge Of
the maple tangle beyond the barn.
summoned. him at once and put him
to work managing the traps for me,
finding him most efficient. He seemed
extremely Respondent. and after I had
satisfied myself that two out of three
was not an impossible record for one
Of my years. I brought him to the
house and made tea for him. i left the
room foe a moment had taken him
into the kitchen, where, during the in
cumben"y Of the regular cool | hardly
dare venture myself, and he made
1in,roJf o.,,f~nk, ~ 80, H..
range. The pies on which | had been
engaged all morning lay cooling neal
him. l had composed twarty-nine
pies-I am an excellent math,Aatician
II l could not have been mistaken in
the count. What was my amaZement
to find after his lordship's departure
that one pie was missing!!
His lOrdship was doubtless hungry"
suggested. Even nobility must eat.
l passed Lord Arrowood in the high
way early this morning, sitting upon
a stone. with sundry items Of hand
baggage reposing beside him. 1 have
rarely seen any one so depressed. Now
that the little matter of the servants
has been adjusted, we must have a
care lest the newly arrived phalanx,
which Providence so kindly sent to
you today, is not stampeded by any fur
Their manifestations of the troubled
spirit Of the unfortunate Briton who
was hanged on the site of this house"
MIR. Ames." replied Miss Octavia
impressively. that matter is entirely
in your hands,"
"But if l could see the plans Of this
house should be better able to crap
pie with his ghostship."
l had thrown this out in the hope
Of eliciting some remark from her
touching the Swedish maids visit to
Pepperton's office, but Miss Octavia
met my gaze unfinchingly.
You are Il clever man, Mr.. Ames,
and l have every confidence that you
will not only solve the mystery of the
library chimney. but find the ghost
that switched off the lights on the stair
last night. l prefer that you should &C.
complish these feats without any helI
from the plans. l myself have no sug.
gestions. l am gratifed that you are
meeting the emergencies that have arts.
en- here with so much determination,
but 1t Is what I should expect Of the
son of Arnold Ames Of Hartford. Op.
p%ortunity is all that any Of us need to
find ourselves truly great, and if in the
ordinary course Of our lives the gate
does not open freely we are justified in
picking the lock. When I determined
to seek adventures in my old age, 1 re.
solved that l should miss no chance
and that l should be prepared for any
reckoning Of the hand Of fate. An
odd fancy struck me at the beginning
Of my new life that Boston would some
day be the starting point Of some in.
teresting experience. This has not yet
developed, but in order that l may be
prepared for anything that may occur
l keep a blue silk umbrella constantly
checked at the Parker House. The
presence Of the little brass check in my
purse is IL constant reminder that Bos-
ton may n day call me-"
A discussion of the Parker House
umbrella followed, Cecilia and l join.
ing, and it proved so fruitful a topic
that it carried us to our coffee.
Three ~suitors We're announced a little
later, and | slipped away without ex-
cuses, while Miss Octavia and Cecilia
adjourned to the library.
The ghost. l had sworn. should not
battle me another night.
AS l crossed the second floor hall l
passed the Swedish maid walking to-
ward Miss Octavia's room. l was
somewhat annoyed to find on looking
over my shoulder to make sure Of her
destination that she, too, had paused,
her hand on Miss Octavia's door, and
was watching me with interest. She
vanished Immediately, but to throw
her off the track | went to my own
room, closed the door noisily and then
came out quickly and ran up to the
third floor.
Bassford HOLSTERS mysterious exit
had fingered in my mind as the most
curious incident Of the eventful Friday
night. Having been baf1ed in my ef-
fort tO rot hold of tho orohi+oo+,,