The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1913-04-17

performance TIE previous night, it alb.
ruptly gasped and choked, the smoke
ballooned in great swirl and then
poured out into the room.
After my examination OF the fiues In
the morning had dismissed them
from my mind, and this extraordinary
behavior Of the library fireplace as
| founded me. It Is not in reason that
| perfectly normal fireplace, built In
the most approved fashion and with
| chimneys that rise into as clear an
ether as October can bestow could act
| so monstrously without the interven.
ton Of some malign agency. We had
discussed all the possibilities the pre-
| vious night, and was not anxious to
hear further lay opinions. The chin.
ney's conduct was annoying, the more
so that to my professional sense II
was inexplicable.
Lord Arrowood had retreated dis
creetly toward the door, and the others
had risen and stood close behind Ce-
ella, whose gaze was bent rather &C.
cuslngly upon me.
A dark thought had crossed my mind
As our eyes met I felt that she had
read my suspicious and did not wholly
| reject them. Henderson was valiantiy
poking the logs. while one OF two of
the other men gave him the benefit of
their advice. l crossed the hall to the
drawing room, but no one was there
I went back to the billiard room, but
saw nothing Of Miss Octavia. Cecilia
Ind rung for the footman, ana passed
him In the hall on his way to answer
her summons. stopped him with an
Inquiry on my lips. but could not ask
the question. Even In my perplexity
as to the cause Of the chimney's re-
markable performances l did not so
far forget myself as to communicate
my suspicion to servant
Nothing Thomas" said. and the
man passed on.
1t was possible. Of course, that Miss
Octavia knew more than she cared to
tell about the erratic ways Of the H.
brary chimney, or she might indeed he
the cause Of Its vagarles. Sufficient
time had elapsed after retirement from
the library to allow her to gain the
roof and clap stopper on the chin
ney pot. This did not. however, ac-
count for the fact that on the previous
evening she had been present In the
library when the same chimney had
manifested similar sulkiness. was
| still bordering these things when |
heard loud laughter from the library
| and on returning found the logs again
/ blazing In the fireplace, from which the
vmoke rose demurely In the fue.
! This fireplace is like geyser, Mr.
Ames," said Cecilia, land spurts smoke
ut regular intervals. AS I remember,
the clock on the stair was striking o
last night when the smoke poured out,
and there-it is striking 0 now!'
She tossed her head slightly, and this
was. thought. in disdain of the slls-
picion that must still have shown itself
little stubbornly In my face.
I withdrew again in few minutes
and followed the great chimney's
course upward. Miss Octavias apart
ments were at the front of the house,
her sitting room windows looking out
upon the Italian garden. Her doors
were closed. but l knew from my ex-
animation in the morning that the flue
Of her fireplace tapped the chimney
that rose from the drawing room and
had nothing whatever to do with the
library chimney.
From the fourth floor ! gained the
roof by the route followed on my in
spection Of the house in the morning.
The smoke from the library chimney
was rising In the crisp, still air blithe-
ly. l leaned upon the crenelations
and looked of across the hills enjoy.
ing the loneliness Of the sky, In which
the planets throbbed superbly. There
was nothing to be learned here, and l
crept bdck to the trap door through
which had come, made 1t fast and
continued on down to the library.
There somewhat to my surprise
found that in my absence all but
Hume had taken their departure. Az
I paused unseen In the doorway /
caught words that were clearly not in
tended for my ear.
! Cecilia sat by the long table near the
fireplace. Hume stood before her, his
arms folded.
"You are kind. You do me great
honor, Professor Hume. but under no
circumstances can l become your
wife"
retreated hastily to the billiard
room, where / took cue from the
rack and amused myself for perhaps
fifteen minutes, when, hearing the
outer door close and knowing that
Hume had departed with his congee,
returned to the library.
Cecilia sat where l had left her, and
at first glance thought she was read
ing. But she turned quickly as
crossed the room. She held in her
hand an oblong silver trinket not larg.
er than card case. A short pencil
similar to those affixed to dance cards
was attached to 1t by slight cord,
and she had. inferred, been making
J a notation OF some kind on a leaf Of
! the silver bound booklet. Even after