Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1913-03-20

considerable intelligence on Wiggy's
part"
The tires rolled smoothly away, the
gravel %crunching, the pebbles popping.
The white sweater clasped a straight
back snugly; then suddenly. as the
wheels gained momentum, she bent
low for a squirt, and her rapidly reced-
ing figure became a gray blur in the
purple dusk.
Miss Octavia was in the gayest spir-
its at dinner that night, and struck
afeld at once with one of her amusing
dicta.
Human beings" she said. may be
divided into two groups-interesting
and uninteresting. but idiots abound in
both classes
Cecilia and l 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 Il new tangent when
our enthusiasm Jagged. She referred
in no way whatever to her chimneys.
nor did she ask me how 1 had spent the
day. l felt the pleading Of Cecilia's
eyes that I should accept the situation
as it stood, and having already agreed
to Virgins suggestion that l abide in
Miss HOLSTERS house as a 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 a guest than a member
of the household.
The variety of subjects that Miss
Octavia suggested was amazing. From
a%eronautlcs 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 Oc-
tavia declared that she must show me
the pie pantry. l was now so accus-
toned to her ways that l should not
have been in the least surprised if
she had proposed opening a steel vault
filled with a mummiied Egyptian dy-
nasty.
THE gentleman who built this
house," she explained. had already
grown rich in the manufacture of the
famous ribless 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 at his pleasure without
any fear Of finding the cupboard bare"
She led the way through the buffers
pantry and into a 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
pastries, in the pans as they had come
from the oven. peeped 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 filled at all times.
whether l I'M 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 a consecrated and sacred food. 1t
was his habit to eat a 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
it is necessary for me to maintain a
pastry cook. and as 1 do not myself
care greatly for pie the total output
is distributed among the people of the
neighborhood every second day. The
station agent at Bedford is a heavy
consumer. and a retired physician at
Mount Kisco has a standing order for
a dozen Il week. My niece Hezekiah,
Of whom you have heard me speak. is
partial to a particular type of pie. and
one only. 1t is the ~gooseberry hat de-
lights Hezekiah's palate. and under q
in file 3. in the corner behind you,
there is even now a ~gooseberry pie
that | shall send to HeZekiah. 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..
Ames. The builder of Hopefeld died
only a few weeks after he had estab-
lished himself in this house. Having
entered upon the enjoyment of his
we'll earned leisure and made it I'M
necessary that he should ever go pie
less to bed. he gave himself up for a
fortnight to a mad indulgence in me
ringues and died after great suffering,
steadily refusing his own medicine to
the end"
We still fingered in the pie crypt
after this diverting recital. while Miss