Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1913-03-20
CHAPTER Viii.
Nine Silk Hats Cross a StiIe.

tNIHC SIlN T1osS SSooo q Ssb0
MO this was the child whose devo-
ton had rendered Virgins so
miserable and the sister Of
whom Cecilia HOLSTER and her
aunt had spoken so strangely. l had
not suspected it. She was as unlike
Cecilia as possible, and the difference
lay in her independent spirit and bub-
bling humor.
She Jumped down from the wall, shook
three apples from a tree and sustained
them in the air with the deftness and
certainty of practiced %jugglery. Her
absorption was complete. n when
she wearied of this sport she flung the
apples away, one after the other. with
a boys free swing Of the arm. Her.
rick would have delighted in her. Dob
son would have spun her bright hair
into a rondeau, but only Aldrich. with
a twinkle in his eye, could have brought
her up to date in a dozen Ginning coup
let's.
She had gone on up to the crest Of
the orchard and stood clearly limned
against the sky. her hands thrust into
the pockets of her sweater. She ap-
peared to be intent upon something
j.. that lay beyond and half turned her
" head and summoned me by whistling.
l liked this better than the quotation
method Of address. 1t was a clear.
sbrill pipe. that whistle. and she en-
phasized it further by a peremptory
wave of her arm. When l stood beside
her l was surprised to find that the site
commanded a wide area, including the
unmistakable roofs and chimneys OF
Hopefield Manor. half a mile distant.
You will see something funny down
there in a minute. They are out of
sight now. hui there's Il Stile. the kind
with steps. Just beyond those trees.
It's in Il path that leads from the
Prescott Arms to Aunt Octavia's.
Look"
My eyes discovered the stile. 1t was
set in a wall that was, she told me. the
boundary dividing Hopefield Manor
from another estate nearer our posi-
ton.
Suddenly a silk hat bobbed in the
path beyond the stile. 1t rose as it's
owner mounted the steps. it paused an
instant when the top OF the stile was
reached. then quickly descended and
came toward us, Il black blot above
y a black coat. was about to ask her
Esa meaning Of this apparition when d
second silk hat bobbed in the path and
then rose like its predecessor. descend
ing and keeping on its way until hid
den from our sight by s%hrubbery. A
third. fourth. fifth. sixth. seventh,
eighth and ninth followed. Nine gen
tlemen in silk hats crossing ii stile in
u lonely pasture between woodlands;
so much was plain to the eye from our
vantage ground. But | CROPPED blindly
for an explanation of this spectacle.
The bobbing hats and dark coats sug-
gested wanderers from some dark Plu-
tonian bent upon mischief to the
upper world. Their step was jaunty-
they moved as though drilled to the
same cadence.
We waited a moment. expecting that
another figure might join the strange
procession, but nine was the correct
count. l looked down to find Heze-
kiah checking them off on the fingers
Of her slim brown hand.
HAS there been n funeral, and are
they the returning pail bearers?" I in
quired.
mot yet" she replied.
Her face showed amusement. The
= twitching Of her lips encouraged hope
that another Of those delightful laughs