Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-03-12
CHAPTER XVII.
Loss Of the Silver Notebook.

"HE memoranda Of my adven-
lures ut Hopefeld Manor fall
under two general headings.
On the one hand were the ghost
and the library chimney. on the other
tho extraordinary gathering OF Cecilia's
suitors As / followed at Miss Octs-
Was side she seemed 10 have dis
missed the ghost and the fractions
chimney from her mind. Her bumOr
changed completely. As in the morn
ing. when. unaccouutably abandoning
her habitual high flown speech, she had
asked me about Cocilia's silver note
book. she seemed troubled and when
we had reached the second floor she
paused and lost herself In unwouted
preoccupatiOn
Let US sit here a moment" she said.
indicating long davenport In the
broad hall For the first time her man
ner betrayed weuriucas. She laid her
hand quietly on my arm and looked at
me fxedly. Arnold" she said-"you
will let me call you Arnold. won't
your" she added pIantively. and never
I'm my life had been - touched 10y
anything 80 sweet and gentle AMI kind
Arnold. II an old woman like me
should do q very foolish thing in fol
lowing her own wuims and then find
that she had probably committed her
self to n course likely 10 cause uuhap-
piness. what would you advise her 10
do about it,
Miss HOLSTER l answered. IL you
trusted Providence this morning TO
send you a corps of servants when
yours had been most unfortunately
scattered by ghosts or rumors Of ghosts.
why will vou not continue to have con-
fdeuce that your affairs will always
he directed 10y agencies equally alert
and benrtiCCutt
Il don't know the game. hut ! have
found out lot Of things without being
told. so tell me nothing, Remember
that | have something quite remarka.
BILE. startling even, to show you tomor-
row. ! have even overcome. you know.
the obstacle you placed In the way Of
my discoveries 10y scudug In ahead of
house"
watched her narrowly. but she
was in no wise discounted
We'll | burned them the moment
Hilda brought them back" she laugh
ed Il had faith In YOU. and ! wanted
you TO manage 81 all for Yourself.
rather guessed that you would go to
Pepperton. That WAS when ! still be-
lieved"
But you must 90 on believing,
Misunderstanding is the main cornerstone
and the keystone OF the arch OF the
happy life"
You are sure you are not hooking
a foolish old woman:"
You are the wiSeSt woman / ever
knew" asserted and my heart was
In the words
u believe you have persuaded me
but Cecilia
Leave Il 10 me; trust me: lean upon
me. l assure you that oil will bt
well"
She bent her head and yielded her
self To reverie for a moment. Their
she sprang TO her feet in that indie
scrfbably light. graceful way that
erased ut least fifty of her years from
the reckoning and was herself again.
Arnold Ames," she said. laughing 6
little but gazing up at me with unmis
taxable confidence and liking in her
eyes. I'VE will go through with this &c
the end. And whether that slipper
really fell at your feet IN Beacon
street or in the even less likely pre-
cincts Of Rittenhouse square or under
the windows OF the Spanish embassy
I'm Washington. I believe that you arr
my good knight and that you will set
me safely through this singular adven
ture."