Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1913-01-30

The Siege
OF the
Seven Suit0rs
By
MEREDITH NICHOLSON
Copyright 1910. by Meredith Nicholson
Copyright. 1910. by Meredith Nicholson

was withholding something, and ! re-
solved to get to the bottom Of 1t.
Il don't think the Asolando is a place
that would attract either Of us, and
yet the viands are good as such stuff
goes, and the gentle handmaidens are
restful to the eye-Pippa. Francesca,
Gloria and the rest of 'em."
Virgins pried open his artichoke
with the care Of a botanist. He had
regained his composure, but l saw that
the subject interested him.
"You were there this afternoonY" he
inquired.
Yes, my first and only appearance"
"And this is Monday"
'sThe calendar has said it."
$50 you settled your bill with Pippa!
I believe this was her day. She makes
the change on Monday, Wednesday
and Friday. Her ~eyelashes are a trife
too long for the worlds peace"
II dare say. haven't your charming
knack, Ames, of picking up a%cquaint-
ances, SO you mustn't expect me to
form lifelong friendships with young
women at cash desks. l suppose it
didn't occur to you that those young
women who tend till and serve the
tables in there are persons Of educa-
ton and taste. The Asolando Is not a
common hashery. There's not a girl in
that place who hasn't a social position
as good as yours or mine. The Aso-
lando's a kind Of fad. you know.
Ames: it's not a tavern within the
meaning of the inkeepers' act, where
common swine are fed for profit. The
servants serve for love of the cause:
it's a sort of cult"
Virgins excused himself shortly,
and l had a glimpse Of him later, in
the writing room, engaged upon let
tiers. a fact in itself disquleting. for
Virgins never wrote letters. and It
was he who had favored making the
Hare and Tortoise writing room into
a den for pipe smokers. The epistolary
habit, he maintained, was one that
should be discouraged.
I was modify turning over the even
ing newspaper when Jewett turned up.
Jewett always knows everything. He
dropped the ball into the green Of my
immediate interest with a neat ap-
proach shot. - ~ -.
"Too bad about old Wiggy," he re.
marked with his preluding sigh.
whats the matter With Wiggtns?"
l demanded.
"Ah! He hasn't told you? Thought
he told you everything"
This was meant for a stinger. and
felt the bite Of it.
"You do me too much honor. Wig
gins is not a man to throw around his
c~onfdences."
"And | rather fancy that his love
affairs in particular are locked in his
BOSOM
Jewett was a master of the art of
suggestion. He took an unnecessarily
long time to light a cigar so that his
words might sink deep into my con-.
seriousness.
Saw her once last spring. Got a
sight draft from the Bank of Eros.
Followed her across the multitudinous
sea. Bang"-
But Wiggy hasn't been abroad.
Wiggy vas on bis Dakota ranch all
summer. He's all tanned from the sun,
just as be is every fall" | persisted.
Wrote you from out there. did he?
Sent you picture postals showing him
herding his cattle or whatever the
beasts are? Kept in touch with you all
the time, did he! | tell you his fine
color is due to Switzerland, not Da-
kota."
virgins isn't q letter writer nor the
sort of person who wants to paper your
house with picture postais. His not
writing doesn't mean that be wasn't on
his RANCH" | replied. annoyed by Jew.
ett's manner.
Never dropped you before. though.
] wager" he chirruped. II tell you
he saw Miss Cecilia Hollister at the
Asolando teashop, just a glimpse, but
almost Immediately he went abroad in
pursuit of her. The chevalier-that's
her Aunt Octavia-was along and an
other niece. My sister saw the bunch
of them in Geneva. where the chevalier
was breaking records. A whole troop
of suitors followed them everywhere.
My sister knows the girl ecilia-and
she's known Wiggy all her life She's
just home and told me about it last
night She thinks the chevalier has
some absurd scheme for marrying of
the girl. It's all very queer. our Wiggy
being mixed up in It,"
Don't be absurd. .Jewett. There's
nothing unusual in a man being in love.
That's one fashion that doesn't change
much. l.venture to say that Virgins
will prove a formidable sutton. Wig
gins Is a gentleman. and the girl would
be lucky to get him"
"Quite right, my dear Ames; but,
alas. there are others. The compeH-
ton Is encouraged by the aunt, the
veteran chevalier. My sister says the
chevaiier seems to favor the suit of q