Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1913-05-22

haNlOr
l. WAS Miss Octavia. now just out,
side the door
Don't leave that trunk. Hezekiah.
| whispered. TN do the best | can
Miss OctaVia met me Smilingly us |
faced her in the hall She had switch
ed on the lights. and my candle burn
ed yellowly in the white electric glow.
Miss Octavia held something in her
hand 1t required no second glance to
tell me that she had found Hezekiah's
slipper.
Mr. AmcS," She began. AS you have
absented yourself from the library Al,
evening l assume that you have been
busy studying my chimney> and seek
ing for the ghost Of that British sol
der who was so wantoniy slain upon
the site of this house"
Il am glad to say that not only is
your SurmiSe correct, Miss HOLSTER,
but that have made great progress in
both directions.
do YOU mean to say that you have
really found traces of the ghoSt?'
Not only that. Miss HolliSter, but |
have met the ghost face to face even
more. have had speech with him.
Her face frightened. her eyes flash
ed 1t was plain that she was i'm
mensely pleased,
And are YOU able to say from your
encounter. that he is in fact British
subject. uncasily haunting this house
in America long after the Declaration
of Independence and Washington :
farewell address have passed into lit
erature?
You have never spoken a truer
word, Miss Hollistcr; but, by means
which am not ut liberty to disclose
| have persuaded him not to visit this
house again.
Then" said Miss HolliSter, II can
not do less than express my gratitude,
though | regret that you did not first
allow me to meet him Still. | dare
say that we shall lind his bones bur
led somewhere beneath my founda
tons Please assure me that such is
your expectation
"Tomorrow. Miss NoliSter, shall
take pleasure in showing you certain
hidden chambers in this house which
| venture to say will afford you grcm
pleasure. | have tonight discovered
a link between the mansion as you
know it and an earlier house whose
timbers may indeed hide the bones of
that British soldier
"And rs for the chimney?"
And as for the chimney. | give You
my word as professional man that 1t
will never annoy You again. and !
therefore beg that YOU dismiss the sub
ject from your mind.
saw that she was about to recur to
the shoe she held in her hand and at
which she glanced frequently with Il
quizzical expression. This clearly.
was an issue that must he met prompt
y, and knew of no better way than
by lying HeZekiah herself had plain
ly stated on the morning of that long
eventful day. when she walked into
the breakfast room in her aunt'S alb
Sence and explained Cecilia'S trip to
town, that it was perfectly fair to dis
simulate in making explanations to
Miss HolliSter that. in fact Miss DC
! injection OF fiction into the affairs OF
the matter of fact day. Here, then,
was my opportunity.
Miss HOLSTER" began boldly, "the
slipper you hold in your hand belongs
to me, and if you have no Immediate
use for it l beg that you allow me to
relieve you of it,"
ut is yours, Mr.. Ames?"
A lifting of the brows, a widening of
the eyes, denoted Miss Octavia's po-
lite surprise.
Beyond any question it is my prop
erty," | asserted
"Your words interest me greatly, Mr..
Ames AS you know, the grim hard
life of the twentieth century pals upon
me, and / am deeply interested in ey-
erything that pertains to adventure
and romance Tell me more, if you are
free to do so, of this slipper which |
now return to you"
| received Hezekiah's worn little
pump into my hands as though it were
an object Of high conservation.
"As | am nothing if not frank Miss
HOLSTER | will confess to you that
this shoe came into my possession in
very curious way. One day last
spring | was In Boston. having been
called there on professional business.
/ In the evening | left my hotel for a
walk. crossed the common. took a
/ turn through the public garden. where
many devoted lovers adorned the
benches, ana then StrolIed aimlessly
along Beacon street
II was passing house which have
not since been able to identify exact
ly, though | have several times revis
tied Boston in the hope Of doing So.
when suddenly and without amy warn
ing whatever this slipper dropped at
my feet. All the houses III the neigh
borhood seemed deserted with win
dowS and doors tightly boarded, and
my cInSast scrTtiuy failed to discover