Perth Amboy evening news., 1913-01-29
OF the clubs players.

VI tbC u payers
Both he and Cecilia had risen. and
We stood, l remember. lust before the
hearth during this exchange. At this
moment d singular thing happened
The FIRE that had been sweeping In a
broad wavelike curve into the chin.
ney was checked suddenly. | had re-
pea teddy remarked the admirable draft.
the facile grace Of the fame as 1t rose
and vanished. The cessation Of the
draft was unmarked by any Of those
preinonitory symptoms BY which n fire
usually gives warming OF evil ipten
lions. The upward current of air had
ceased utterly and without apparen,
cause. We were all aware Of a choking
a gnsping In the deep tue. which could
not be- accounted for by any natural
stoppage incident to c~himneys-the
disiodging of masonry or a packing OF
SCOT. The former was hardly possible
and ths house was not old enough to
maks the latter theory plausible. From
my survey OF ths fue on my arrival In
the afternoon Tjudsed that this par
ticular chimney had been little used.
The smoke now rolled out In pillows
and drove Us back from the hearth, ]
se.xsd the tonas and poker aud began
f~ead}usting the logs without hsw'
ever. any hope Of correcting a difficulty
that lay patiently in the upper regions
Of the due itself. The smoke. after s
courageous effort to rise. encountered
an obstruction Of some sort and ebbed
back npsn the hearth and eat iuts the
OOH. My efforts to stop the troubls
BY shifting the logs were futile. as ]
expected them to be. and l retrsated
quickly. making, ! fear. 40 very gal
liant appearance as ! mopped my face
and eyes.
"weil." exclaimed Miss HoIfster,
who had rang for n servant to open
the doors and windows. this IL Ger.
tainly most extra ordinary. What SO.
luton do you offer. Mr.. Ames?"
The matter requires Investigation.
/ can't venture an opinion until l have
made n thorough investigation. The
night Is perfectly quiet, and the wind
Is hardly responsible. l think we had
better abandon the room until l can
solve this riddle In the morning"
The prompt opening of the windows
and doon caused the slow dispersion
OF the smoke. but the lights In the
room still shone dimly as through a
fog.
tits beastiyw calculated Virgins,
coughing. II didn't suppose Pepper
ton would put a nue like that into a
house. He ought to be shotv"
ut IL fortunate" said Miss Hollis
ter. "that Mr.. Ames is on the ground.
He now has a case that will test his
most acute powers OF diagnosis"
The logs TINT had burned SO brightly
before the chimney ehoked still held
their flames stubborrly. aud l had ad-
vfsed against pouring water upon
them. fearing to crack the brick and
stone work. We were about to adjourn
to the drawing room. Miss Hollister
and the others had in fact reached
the door. lenving me alone before the
hearth. Then. ns l stood half blinded
watching the smoke pour out into the
room and more puzzled than l had
ever been before 10 any OF my en-
pioymeHts. the chimney, with a deep
intake OF breath. began drawing the
smoke upward again. The danes caught
and spread with renewed ardor. and
when the trio still lettering In the hall
returned In answer to my exclamation
OF surprise, the nue had recovered Its
compesure and was behaving In a sane
and normal manner.
"A swallow undoubtedly fell into the
chimneypot and then got itself out
again." suggested Cecilia.
THE logs must hn We been wet, The
sap hadn't dried out yet" proposed
Virgins
The wood was as dry as tinder,"
averred Miss HOLSTER, not without
irritation. And one swallow does not
make a summer or a chimney smoke.
1t must have been a changing current
Of air. l was reading a book on bal
looming the other day, and 1t is re-
markable how the air currents change"
That Is quite possible. as the air
coois rapidly after sunset at this sea
son. and that Is bound to have an eff.
feet on the quality and resistance of
the atmosphere" replied sagely.
Perhaps" suggested Miss Hollister,
with n Of those flashes of animation
that were 30 delightful In her, ut was
= ghost The presence OF a ghost in
this house would give me the greatest
pleasure. should look upon a ghosts
appearance at Hopeieid Manor as u
great compliment If any reputable,
decent ghost should by any chance
take up his residence In this house |
should give him every encouragement"
Miss HOLSTER seemed to have for
gotten the proposed game Of billiards.
The chimney's lawless demonstration
had. In fact. given a new turn to the
evening. We discussed ghosts for half
an hour. and then. without having en-
joyed any opportunity for a single pri-
vate word with Cecilia. Virgins rose
to leave. he shook hands all around
and bowed from the door. 1t was In
mind to follow. making a pretext
Of walking with him to the station or
Of helping him hnd his car. but moth
ing tn his good night to me encouraged
such attentions. and as | poudered the
outer door closed upon my irresolu-
ton.
At the stroke Of 10 Miss HoIiister
rOao md ovcr,SoI harcaIf IVA hrnnE.