The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-01-16

touch the bell at your elbow you may
have liquids of quite another Sort
You are most generous, Miss Hol-
lister. Tea will suffice for the mo-
ment. It is fitting that I should take
it here, it having been weakness for
tea as well as curiosity and chance that
threw me in your way at the Aso-
lando."
THAT absurd-that preposterous hole
In the wa1l?'
She put down her cup and faced me.
continuing: ''Mr. Ames. 1 will not deny
that if it had not been for General
Glendenning's cordial Endorsement OF
you, and the further fact that I had
met your late father, I should not have
invited you to my house on the oeca-
sion to which you refer. My contempt
for the Asolando and the things it
stands for is beyond such language as
a lady may use before the young. 1
fall back upon the privilege of my age
to beg that you will hereafter give the
Asolando a wide BERTH"
laughed at her earnestness, but on
turning toward Miss Cecilia saw that
bhe was placidly stirring her cup. It
might be that one was not expected to
manifest amusement in Miss Hollis
ter's utterances, and l was anxious to
adjust myself to the proper key in my
Intercourse, no matter how brief it
might be, with this remarkable old
lady.
In my embarrassment I rose and Of
fered the bread and butter to Cecilia,
who declined it. The austerity of her
rejection rather unnerved me.
"I assure you, Miss HOLSTER, that
have no wish to become a habitue Of
the place." 1 said. And yet you will
pardon me if repeat that, but for it,
1 should not now be enjoying the hos
pitality of HdsefieId Manor"
She lifted her head from her cup and
bowed, but 1 was Immediately interest
ed in the fact that her niece was
speaking.
81 think Aunt Octavia is hard on the
AsoIando,' she was saying. "Aunt
Octavia is interested In the revival of
romance, and romance without poetry
seems to me wholly impossible"
1.-THE age is decadent, and know no
better way of restoring the race to its
ancient vim and energy than by send
ing men back to the camp and field or
to sail the high seas in new armadas
The men of this age have become lot
of sordid shopkeepers, and to my moral
sense the looting of cities is far more
honorable than the creation of trusts
and the manipulation of prices, though
I cannot deny that but for my late
fathers zeal in destroying his competi-
tors in the baby buggy business we
might not now be enjoying the deli
cate fragrance Of caravan tea"
81 assure you. Mr. Ames," said Ce-
ella, 'that the Asolando is a very
harmless place, and that as a matter
of fact it's aims are wholly consonant
with those OF Aunt Octavia. 1 myself
served there for time, and those
were among the most delightful days
miss the Asolando."
''Mr. Ames,'' began Miss Octavia
presently in her crisp, direct fashion,
which had the effect of leading me in
my anxiety to appear ready with an
swers to take a hattering view Of my
own courage and resourcefulness, 'Mr.
Ames. are you equal to the feat of
swimming a moat under a shattering
fire from the castle?''
81 have every reason to think am,
Miss HOLSTER replied modestIy.
"And If white hand waved to you
from the grilled window of the lonely
| tower, would you ride on 1ndifferently
or pause and thunder at the gate?'
white hands have never waved to
me, save occasionally when I have
gone a-riding in the Sixth avenue ele-
waited, but it is my honest belief that
my sword would promptly leave it's
scabbard If the hand ever waved from
the ivied tower"
My friends at the Hare and Tortoise
would have heard this avowal with
some surprise, for no mans life had
ever hnon t4 amor than Yoioo ON NV
nature timid, and fall but a little short
Of being afraid of the dark Prayers
for deliverance from battle, murder
and sudden death cannot be too strong
ly expressed for me. My answer had,
however, pleased Miss Octavia, and she
clapped her hands with pleasure.
Cecilia she cried, something told
me that afternoon at the Asolando that
my belief in the potential seven was
not i'll placed, and now you see that in
introducing myself to Mr.. Ames at the
seventh table from the door, in the
seventh shop from Fifth avenue, 1 was
led to meeting with gentleman 1
had been predesttned to know"
AS we talked further a servant ap-
peared and laid fresh logs across the
still smoldering fire. This 1 thought
would suggest to Miss HOLSTER the
pAOACE0k9AO11eNA et~ICL VI lily N4SAIS Jul
the fire kindled readily, the smoke rose
freely in the fue. AID Miss HOLSTER
paid no attention to it. The merits of
chain armor, 1 think it was, that held
US for half an hour, Cecilia and l lis
tening with respect to what, in my ig
norance, seemed remarkable fund of
knowledge on this reconcile subject.
1--WE dine at Z, Mr.. Ames. and you
may amuse yourself as you like until
that hour. Cecilia. you may order din
ner in the gun room tonight
Certainly, Aunt Octavia."
Once more 1 glanced at the girl, hop
ing that some .glimmer in her eyes