Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1913-04-03
The Siege
of the
Seven SuitOrS
By
MEREDITH NICHOLSON
Copyright. 1910. by Meredith Nicholson
Copyright, 1910. by Meredith NichoIson

MISS OclaNla was IN the SayeSt Sp1r-
its at dinner that night and struck
afield at once with one of her amusing
dicta
Human beings" she said. may be
divided into two oupS-interesting
and uninteresting. but idiots abound in
both classes"
Cecilia and / discussed this with
more or less gravity. until we had eX
hausted the possibilities. Miss Octavia
following with apparent interest and
setting us off ut a new tangent when
our enthusiasm Jagged She referred
In no way whatever to her chimneyS,
nor did she ask me how had spent the
day. felt the pleading of Cecilias
eyes that | should accept the situation
as it stood and having already agreed
to Virgins suggestion that | abide in
Miss HOLSTERS house as Il Spy-for
this was the ignoble fact-I felt the
threads of conspiracy binding me fast
So far as my hostess was concerned
l was now less n guest than member
of the household.
The variety of subjects that Miss
OCtavia suggested was amazing From
aeronauticS to the negro question.
from polar exploration to the political
conditions in Bulgaria she passed with
the jauntiest inSouciance and apparent
ly with a considerable fund of infor-
nation to support her positions. She
knew many people in all walks of life
AS we rose from the table Miss Dc
.,l,.,
the pie pantry. ! was now so accus
toned to her ways that | should not
have been in the least surprised if
she had proposed opening Il steel vault
filed with mummifcd Egyptian dy
nasty.
''The gentleman who built this
house." she explained. had already
grown rich in the manufacture of the
famous rihesS umbrella before he ac-
Quired a second fortune from a nos
trum warranted TO cure dyspepsia. He
was Unfortunately fond of pies and in
order that this form of pastry might
never be absent from his home. he had
a special pantry built to which he
might adjourn ut bis pleasure without
She led the way through the buffers
pantry and into II small cupboarded
room adjoining the table linen closet
At her command the butler threw open
the doors and disclosed lines of shelves
so arranged as to accommodate in the
most compact and orderly form mag
Unable several dozens of pies These
ct,.inS in ny IN
from the oven. peepcd out invitingly.
Miss Octavia explained their presence
in her usual impressive manner
ut was one of the conditions of the
sale of this house to me by the Origi
nal owners executors that the pie
vault should be kept filed AT all times,
whether am in residence here or not
He felt greatly indebted to pie for the
success of the dyspepsia cure, 1t had
widened and steadily increased the
market for the cure. and pie was to
him Il conSecratcd and sacred food. 1t
was his habit to eat Il pie every night
before retiring. and on the nightmares
thus inspired he had planned the STRAIT
egg of all his campaigns against dys-
pepsia The man had elements OF
greatness. and these shelves are "A
monument to his genius In order to
keep perfect my title to this property
1t is necessary for me to maintain Il
pastry cook. and rs | do not myself
care greatly for pie the total output
is distributed among the people OF the
neighborhood every second day. The
station agent Ill Bedford is heavy
consumer and Il retired physician ut
Mount Kisco has a standing order for
a dozen Il week My niece HeZekiah.
of whom you have heard me speak is
partial to particular type of pie. and
one only. 1t is the goOSeberry that de
lights Hezekiah'S palate. and under q
in file ). In the corner behind you.
there is even now a %ooseberrY PIE
that | shall send to HeZpkiah. who, for
reasons | need not explain. does not
now visit here"
But the dyspepsia man-you speak
of him as though he were dead
Your assumption is correct. Mr.
Alnes Tie builder Of Hopeheld died
only few weeks after he had estab
lished himself in this house, Having
entered upon the enjoyment OF his
we'll earned leisure and made II IN
necessary that he should ever go pie
less to bed he gave himself up for
fortnight to mad indulgence in me
riugues and died after great suffering
steadily refusing his own medicine 10
the end"
We still fingered in the pie crypt