Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1913-06-05
CHAPTER XXIII-CoNTINUED.

CHAPTER XXIII-CoNT1NuED.
The man who looked after my needs
handed me a note the next morning
which added fresh hazards to Cecilia's
already perilous plight.
cleft with the gardener before 6
o'clock by a boy from the village.
Said it "a most confidential, SIR"
I waited till he had left the room be-
fore opening it. 1t read:
Gooseberry Bungalow,
Before Breakfast.
Dear Chimneys-Pep stopped here yes
terday to see E. H. He and C. old pals.
Watch him.. Where's Wig? H. H.
The information she conveyed was
startling enough. We had been deal
ing with a company Of suitors outside
the barricade, now came warning Of
the presence of a strange knight with
in the gates who greatly multiplied
the perils of the situation. The COM
pact among the suitors at the inn was
a thing of the past, and I now ex-
pected them to exercise all the in
genuity Of which desperate lovers are
capable in pressing their claims. The
fact that both Virgins and Pepper
ton were old friends Of mine did not
.make my task easier. I not only felt
it Tncumbent on me to prevent Dick,
the holder of the clew, from taking ad-
vantage of it, but knowing Cecilia's
own attitude of mind and heart toward
Virgins I wished to save Pepperton
%ho nate 80 uo;oo&;2~ 80 81 o2,ll ~
done.
But what did Hezekiah mean by the
question with which she ended her
note? If Virgins, smarting under c.
cilia'S treatment of him the day before,
had quit the field here was a pretty
how-d'ye-do. Miss Octavia's refusal
to countenance telephones made it nee
essary for me to leave Hopefeld to
learn what had become Of Virgins,
and I realized that 1 must act prompt
ly if I saved the day for him. His con-
duct first and last had been spiritless,
and I was out Of patience with him.
1t seemed impossible to formulate any
plan amid these multiplying uncertain
ties. If Virgins had decamped Dick
knew it and would lay his plans ac-
cordingly. felt that it was base in
gratitude On Virgins part to ask me
to watch his interests while he went
roaming indifferently over the country.
One or two consoling reflections re-
: manned, however-Dick believed me to
be a sutton for Cecilia's hand, and this
doubtless caused him considerable IN
easiness, and he did not know that
Pepperton, whose acquaintance with
Cecilia antedated the European flight,
had to be reckoned with. l wished
Pepperton had kept out of it.
Breakfast that morning was inter-
minably long. Miss Octavia was never
more thoroughly amusing. never more
drolly inadvertent. She attacked Pep
perton for all the evils in American
architecture and in particular took him
to task for some house he had built at
Newport which she pronounced the
most hideous pile Of marble on Ameri-
can soil.
When we left the table at about half
past 10 Miss Octavia insisted that we
must visit the kennels. A friend had
Just sent her a fine Airedale, and she
wished to make sure the kennel mas
ter was ;-eating the dog properly. Lat
er we were all to ride.
I made haste to excuse myself, say
ing that personal matters required at
tention.
Uncertainty, Arnold; you shall do as
you like. Mr.. Pepperton is a difficult
bird to catch. so we hope for you at
luncheon, and of course we expect you
for dinner"
Pepperton looked at me inquiringly.
I judged that he had known Miss Oc-
tavia a good many years-the tom Of
their intercourse was intimate. and yet
he plainly was at a loss to understand
just how I came to be so thoroughly es-
tablished in her good graces. I confess
that as I glance back over these pages
it looks odd to me!
AS l paced the hall waiting for g
horse to be saddled, Pepperton led me
out on the terrace above the garden.
Pm bursting with a great secret, old
nan I'm going to be married"
"What!v'
"I'm going to be married"
1 grasped a chair to support myself
This was almost too much. Could il
be possible that HeZekiah had miscal.
culated the list Of reflections In the sill.
yer bound book, or that Cecilia herself
had been deceived? Pepperton misread
my agitation and with a hearty laugh
clapped me on the shoulder.
"Oh. I'm not intruding on your pre-.
serves, old man! Cecilia ID the second