Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1913-03-13
The Siege
of the
Seven Suitors
By
MEREDITH NICHOLSON
Copyright. 1910. by Meredith Nicholson
Copyright. 1910. by Meredith Nicholson

or sultors, l must confess"
You have hit it, Ames. They are
suitors, assembled from all parts of the
world"
Nice looking fellows, except the
chap with the monocle. who has lust
ordered rather more liquor than a gen
tleman should at this hour"
THAT is Lord Arrowood. I have
feared at times that Miss Octavia IA
vored him."
Possibly. but not likely. But how
long is this thing going to last? If
you fellows are going to hang on here
until Miss Cecilia HOLSTER has chosen
one Of you for her husband 1 shud-
der for your nerves. l imagine that
any n Of these gentlemen is likely to
begin shooting across his plate at any
minute. Such a situation would be-
come intolerable very quickly if 1 were
i'll the game and forced to lodge here"
II hope" replied Virgins with heat,
that you don't imagine these fellows
can crowd me out. I've paid for a
months lodging in advance, and if you
will stand by me I'm going to win"
Spoken like a man. my dear Wig
gins! You may count on me to the
sweet or bitter end, even if 1 pull down
all the superb chimneys with which
Pepperton adorned that house up yon-
der"
He silently clasped my hand. A lit
tie later l telephoned from the inn to
my office explaining my absence and
~instructing my assistant to visit sew
eral pressing clients. and l instructed
the valet at the Hare and Tortoise to
send me a weeks supply of linen and
an odd suit or two.
At about 3 O'clock I left Virgins in
first rate spirits and set out on my re-
turn to Hopefeld Manor.
l made a wrong turn on leaving the
Prescott Arms. and l came out pres
emily e Katonah village. l got my
bearings Of a shopkeeper and started
again for Hopefield Manor. but the
midafternOon was warm, and the hills
were steep, nd as Miss HOLSTERS adj
mirable cob showed signs Of WEAKNESS,
l drove into fence corner and loosen
ed the mares check. On a sunny slope
several hundred yards above the high
way lay an orchard, advertised to the
larcenous eye by the ruddiest Of red
apples. Not in many years had 1 rob-
bed an orchard, and l felt irresistibly
drawn towaru the gnarled trees. which
were still. in their old age. abundantly
fruitful.
I drew down a bough and plucked
my first apple. tasted and found it
good. At my palate's first responsive
Utilization something whizzed past my
ear, and, following the flight of the
missile. saw an apple Of goodly size
fall and roll away into the grass. |
had imagined myself utterly alone,
and eve now as | looked guilty.
around no n was in sight. The APP
pie had passed my ear swiftly and at
all angle quite un-Newtonian. 1t had
been fairly aimed at my head. and the
law of gravitation did not account for
It. AS | continued my scrutiny of the
landscape l was addressed by a voice
whose accents were not objurgatory
Rather. the tone was good natured
and indulgent if not indeed a trihe
patronizing. The words were these:
Soup of the evening, beautiful soup!.
1t was then that, lifting my eyes, |
beheld. sitting lengthwise of the wall,
with her feet drawn comfortably un.
der her, a girl in a white sweater,
bareheaded. munching an apple. There
was no question of identity. 1t was
the girl whose head behind the cash.
ier's grill of the Asolando had inter
ested me On the occasion of my sec.
ond visit to the tea room. In soliciting
my attention by reciting a line OF
verse she had merely followed the
rule of the tea room in like circum.
stances. The casting of the apple at
my head possessed the virtue of nov.
city. While l tried to think Of some.
thing to say l pecked at my own ap.
pie, but kept an eye IN her. She con.
cluded her repast calmly and flung
away the core.
II mentioned SOUP" she remarked
THE courses are mixed. We have
partaken Of fruit. Are you fish. flesh
fowl or good red herring?"
Daughter Of Eve. l will be any
thing you like. I'm obliged for the an
pie, and l apologize for having enter
ed Eden uninvited."
Its not my Eden. Nobody invited
me. But it's not too much to say that
these apples are grand"
I'm glad we're both in the same
boat. Pm a trespasser myself. don,
even know the name Of the owner
But If you have had only one apple
two more are coming to you if you fol
low Atalanta's precedent"
~ don't follow presidents, and I've
forgotten the name of the boy whc
threw the apples in the race. II
doesn't matter. though. Nothing mat
ters very much"
Her hands clasped her knees. Hel
skirt was short. and | was conscious