Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1913-02-13

The Siege
OF the
Seven SuitOrS
By
MEREDITH NICHOLSON
cnnVr,oht ION nv Meredith Nicholson


that would attract either of us, and
vet the viands are good MS such stuff
goes, and the gentle handmaidens are
restful to the cye-Pippa, Francesca.
Gloria and the rest of EN-"
Virgins pried open his artichoke
with the care of a botanist He had
regained his composure, but | saw that
the subject interested him.
You were there this afternoonT' he
inquired.
YES. my first and only appearance"
"And this is Monday
''The calendar has said it"
$50 YOU settled your bill with Pippa!
/ believe this was her day. She makes
the change on Monday, Wednesday
and Friday Her eye!ashes are trite
too long for the worlds peace
Il care say. | haven't your charming
knack, Ames, of picking mp acquaint-
ances, so you mustn't expect me to
form lifelong friendships with young
women at cash desks. ! suppose 1t
didn't occur to you that those young
women who tend till and serve the
tables in there are persons of educa-
ton and taste. The ASolando Is not
common hashery. There's not a girl In
that place who hasn't a social position
as good as yours or mine. The Aso-
lando's a kind of fad, you know,
Ames: it's not n tavern within the
meaning of the inkeepers' act, where
common swine are fed for profit. The
servants serve for love of the cause;
it's sort of cult"
Virgins excused himself shortly,
and | had a glimpse of him later, in
the writing room, engaged upon let
ters. a fact in itself disquieting. for
Virgins never wrote letters. and 1t
was he who had favored making the
Hare and Tortoise writing room into
a den for pipe smokers. The epistolary
habit, he maintained, was one that
should be discouraged.
/ was moodily turning over the even
ing newspaper when Jewett turned up.
Jewett always knows everything. He
dropped the ball into the green of my
immediate interest with a neat ap-
proach shot.
'Too bad about old Wiggy," he re-
marked with his preluding sigh.
Whats the matter with WigginsT
l demanded.
"Ah! He hasn't told you? Thought
he told you everything"
This was meant for singer, and l
felt the bite of it.
do
gins is not a man to throw around his
condolences"
And | rather fancy that his love
affairs in particular are locked in his
BOSOM"
Jewett was a master of the art of
suggestion. He took an unnecessarily
long time to light a cigar so that his
words might sink deep into my con
seriousness.
Saw her once last spring Got n
sight draft from the Bank of Eros
Followed her across the muItitudinous
sea. Bang"'
But Wiggy hasn't been abroad.
Wiggy was on his Dakota ranch all
summer. He's all tanned from the sun,
just as he is every fall" persisted,
Wrote you from out there. did he?
Sent you picture postals showing him
herding his cattle or whatever the
beasts are? Kept in touch with you all
the time, did he? | tell you his fine
color is due to Switzerland. not Da-
kota."
Virgins isn't a letter writer nor the
sort of person who wants to paper your
house with picture p0Stals. His not
writing doesn't mean shat he wasn't on
his ranch" | replied, annoyed by Jew
etts manner.
Never dropped you before. though.
i wager" he chirruped. Il tell you
he saw Miss Cecilia HOLSTER at the
Asolando teashop. just glimpse, but
almost Immediately he went abroad in
pursuit of her. The chevaIier-that's
her Aunt Octavia-was along and an
other niece. My sister saw the bunch
of them in Geneva. where the cheyalier
was breaking records 4 whole troop
of suitors followed them everywhere.
My sister knows the girl Ceciia-and
she's known Wiggy all her life. She's
Just home and told me about Ii last
night She thinks the chevalier has
some absurd scheme for marrying off
the girl It's all very queer, our Wiggy
being mixed up in IT,"
Don't he absurd Jewett. There's
nothing M usua in man being in love.
That's one fashion that doesn't change
much venture 10 say that Virgins
will prove a formidable sutton. Wig
gins is a gentleman. and the girl would
be lucky 10 get him"
quite right, my dear Ames; but.
alas. there are others. The competi-
ton j. encouraged by the aunt. the
veteran chevaher. My sister says the
chevalier seems 10 favor the suit Of .