The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1913-04-17

Optn anu tudt 1Ou iouuu Tic iduut
there when you Gamer
mo manner OF doubt of ii. AS
have already said. believe you to b.
gentleman. and between gentlemen
certain condolences may pass tina
wouldn't be possible between gentle
man and those cattle down there"
He jerked his head scornfully to in
dicate the suitors below.
I bowed with such dignity as is pos
sible when addressing noblemaI
whom you have just caught in the ACT
OF lifting gooseberry pie from lady's
pantry-a pie which you hold perforce
In your hands.
The fact b that l was without the
price Of food. and. TO repeat. was
beastiy hungry"
Poverty and hunger. my lord. are
pardonable sins. but gooseberry pas
| tries are sacred to Hezekiah. Ny i'm
pressions OF Hezekiah are the pleas
tervene between her and the pie hold
IN my haBds. "A.If you will accompany
me below will undertake to gain ac-
cess to the pie vault. return this pie
to Its proper place and hand you at
the foot OF the ladder an apple pie in
place of It. ! dare say 1t never will be
missed. bat from what know of
Hezekiah any trifing with her appe-
lite would be crime indictable at
common law"
His lordship seemed treasured, and
we were about TO descend by the con-
cealed stair when he arrested me.
"Mr. Ames. you are gentleman and
possess generous heart. We under
stand each other perfectly. and as
have every reason to believe that my
suit is hopeless ! ask the loan of So
until | can confer with my friend. the
British consul at New York l shall
sail at once for England
He stepped down before me into the
dark stairway. and | closed the door
after me and followed him. | found
my way to the pie pantry without diff
fculty. returned the gooseberry pie TO
its proper shelf, chose an apple pie
and gave 1t. with five dollar note, to
Lord Arrowood.
At the bottom OF the ladder he press
ed my hand feelingly and expressed his
gratitude In terms that would have
touched harder heart than mine.
Then. having closed the coal hole and
hidden the ladder under pile of wood.
l resumed my pursuit of the ghost.
| lighted my way with candle
oha 1hat nf the old
house. up the hidden stairway and out
into the fourth floor hall again. The
old stair. found on closer observation,
reached only from the second to the
fourth door. and below this had been
pieced with lumber carefully preserved
from the earlier house. There was
nothing so strange. after all, about the
hidden stairway. though was con-
WINGED that this had been no idea or
but that he had merely
obeyed the orders OF his eccentric cli-
emit. the umbrella and dyspepsia cure
| had no sooner let myself through
he secret door into the upper hall than
was aware OF disturbance In the |
library below. | heard EXPLANATIONS |
rom the men. and as ran down to-
ward the third Hoor Miss Octavias
roice rose above the tumult.
I'VE must have patience. gentlemen.
Chimneys are subject to moods just
Ike human beings. and we are fortu-
,ate In having In the house gentle
nan who Is an expert In such matters
IF you wait for that man to mend
,our chimney you will walt until
So spake John Stewart Dick. taking
IFS vengeance of me with my client
md hostess | might have forgiven
i'm, but could not forgive Hartley
Virgins.
HE doesn't know any more about
himneys than the man In the moon."
ny old friend was saying between
ougbs.
And then quite unmistakably | smelt
moke. and bending farther over the
all and peering down the stair well
aw smoke pouring from the library
nto the hall II seemed to be In
,reater volume tonight than at pre-
'ious manifestations. A gray blue
loud was filing the lower ball and
Using toward me- ran quickly to the
bird door. TO the chamber whose fire.
lace was served by the library chin
icy. The lights in the third floor hall
sinked out as | opened the door. |
card step behind me somewhere.
ut did not trouble about this The ,
witch inside the unused guest cham
err responded readily to my touch. and {
n kneeling by the hearth l found it ,
old as had expected. There was abb
olutely no way of choking the library 9
ne at this point. for, as | had estab- =
shed earlier. all the fireplaces in this
Kinney bad their independent fues. .
The hall outside was still dark. and
did not try the switch. The pursuit |
-as better carried on in darkness. and !
had by this time become accustomed /,
, rapid locomotion through unlighted :
assages | leaned over the stair well {
nd heard EXPLANATIONS of surprise at ,
he sudden cessation OF the smoke.
-hich had evidently abated as abrupt ,
as il had begun. The windows and :,
oors had been opened and the COM :
any bad returned TO the library.