Perth Amboy evening news., 1913-02-01
CHAPTER viii.

KAN QuKneo aSuIn.
CHAPTER Viii.
Nine Silk Hats Cross . stIla
40 this wns the child whose devo.
ton had rendered Virgins SO
miserable ana the sister OF
when Cecilia HoiIister and her
aunt had spoken 50 strangely. ] bad
not suspected It She was N unlike
Cecilia nx possible. and the difference
lay In her independent spirit and bub-
bling hunor.
She jumped down from the wall. shook
three apples from Il tree and sustained
them IN the air with the deftness and
certainty Of practiced juggiery. Her
absorption was complete. and when
she wearied Of this sport she nuag the
apples away. one after the other. with
q boys free swing Of the arm, Her
rick would have delighted In her. Dob
son would have spun her bright hair
into a roadeau. but only Aidrich. with
a twinkle In his eye. could have brought
her up to date in u dozen Ginning coup
lets.
She had gone on up to the crest OF
the orchard and stood clearly iimned
against the sky. her hands thrust into
the pockets Of her sweater. She ap-
peared to be intent upon something
that lay beyond and half turned her
head and summoned me by whistling.
/ liked this better than the quotation
method Of address. 1t was a clear.
shrlli pipe. that whistle. and she en-
phasized 1t further by a peremptory
wave Of her arm. When l stood beside
her | was surprised to aRd that h site
. commanded a wide area. Including the
unmistaknble roofs aud chimneys Of
Hopefieia Manor. half a mile distant.
"You will nee something funny Down
there In a minute. They are out Of
sight now. but there's a st!ie. the kind
with steps, Just beyond those trees
its In a path that leads from the
Prescott Arms to Aunt Octavia's.
L0ok!"
My eyes discovered the stiie. 1t WAS
set In a wall that was. Hhe told me. the
boundary dividing Honedeld Manor
from another estate nearer our posi-
ton.
Suddenly a silk hat bodied in the
path beyond the stiie. 1t rose as Its
owner mounted the steps. 1t paused an
instant when the top Of the stle was
reached. then quickly descended and
came toward Us. q black blot above
q black cont. l was about to ask her
the meaning Of this %nppariuon when a
second silk hat bobbed In the path and
then rose Hike It's predecessor. descend
ing and keeping on Its way until hid
den from our sight BY shrubbery. A
third. fourth. lift :, sixth. seventh,
eighth and ninth followed. Nine gen.
tlemen In silk hats crossing a stils in
q lonely pasture between woodlands;
30 much wis plain TO the eve from our
vantage ground. But l CROPPED blindly
for un explanation Of this spectacle.
The bobbing hats aud dark conts sug-
Eested wanderers from some dark Pin
toniun cave. bent upon mischief to the
upper world. Their step was Jaunty-
they moved as though drilled to the
came cadence.
We waited u moment. expecting that
another figure might Join the strange
procession. but nine was the correct
count. ! looked down to hnd Heze-
kiah checking them OF on the nnYsrs
Of her slim brown hand.
"Has there heen a funeral and are
they the returning pail besrersf' l In
CURED.
mot yet" she replied.
Her face showed amusement The
~twitchiaR OF her lips encouraged hope
that another of those delightful laughs
was imminent. She said:
Those are Cecilia's suitors. They
have been to Aunt Octnvfn'a to tea.
They're staying at the Prescott Arms
probably"
They're terribly formal. I emit get
rid OF the impre~sfs,n of aonberRess
created by those fellows. You'd hard.
~ expect them to trnmp crOa country
In those dads. Such grandeur should
70 ON wheels"
"Oh. they are afraid Of Aunt Octa-
VIA. Hue WVf ! UbhbW q 0AutVt va ~ o
grounds. and | siitrpoSe they're afraid
they might hrsak soDe other rule II
they vent on any kind Of whesis
She's rather exacting. you know. my
Aunt Octa
II WIS at the Prescott for luncheon
today. and ! must have seen these
gentlemen there"
"Oh. you were at the PreneottT
Almost for the nrxf time her Hanner
betrayed surprise. but mischief danced
In the brown eyes. With Virgins
confession an to the havoc he had
plnyed with Hezekiab'a conHding heart
fresh Ia my memory. ! felt a deltcncy
about telling her that 1t was to see
Virgins that ! ind visited the Inn.
But to my surprise she Introduced the
subject of Virgins Immediately and
with laughter struggling for one of
those fountain-like splashes that were
50 beguiling.
'Oh. Wlggy is staying there! Do