Perth Amboy evening news., 1913-02-08
(Coutinued.)

CtAAOOt VI NV ha'N
profound respect for your talents. My
office boy is dead to the world for
weeks after the appearance of a novel
from rour pen. But your interference
in my private affairs is beyond all rea-
son. And as for you, Mr.. Ormsby. l
dare say your knit goods are worthy OF
the fame of the pentup Utica from
which you come. But to you and all
of you l bid defiance. I return TO
Hopefeld Manor by the 4:l4 express"
/ rose and bowed coldly, In dismissal.
but the trio stood their ground stub
bornly.
Il tell you. sir. Il organization Is
completer" declared Dick. I'VE sign
ed a gentleman's agreement only last
night for the express purpose of ex-
Guiding you. and you cannot enter as 4
competitor. You are only an outsider,
I'M we don't intend to have you inter
fering with our affairs"
by the pink left ear of Venus" I
blurted. us 1t a trust?'
You put 1t c~oarseiy, Mr.. Ames,
but
"A suitors' trust2 Then. II l read the
newspapers correctly, your organiza-
ton IL against public policy and IN
contravention Of the antitrust law.
But may l inquire why, II you have
perfected a combination Of Miss Hol-
listers s%uitors, I found Lord AFRO
wood this morning sitting on a stone
by the roadside. evidently in the great
est detection. Can 1t be possible that
an insurgent has crept into your organ
~lzation and incurred the displeasure of
the regulars?"
I'VE ruled him out" Shallenberger
eigner and not entitled to n place
among freeborn Americans! That Is
one reason, and. for another. the col
ors Of his half bose were an ofense
to me personally"
"And fer another reason" t%nterposed
Ormaby. "he had no money with which
to pay his board at the Prescott Arms.
For this just cause the landlord elected
him shortly after breakfast this morn
Ing"
t'Then there is already a rift In the
lute!" | returned. mo trust of suitors
Is stronger than its weakest link. My
hand Is raised against your unrighteous
compact. and | am in the fight to stay!
Go back to the Prescott Arms, gentle
men, and assure your associates In this
hideous compact of my most distin-
guished consideration and tell them to
60 to the devil
had gone to the st. Parvenu hotel
TO call upon a Washington lady who
had been making life a burden to my
assistant and on coming out into Fifth
venue shortly after 1 bethought me of
the Asolando tea room. My interview
with the committee Of the suitors had
driven from my mind practically every
consideration and every interest not
centered in Hopeneld Manor. My
thoughts turned gratefully to the Aso-
lando. where only a few days ago l
had been p~rectpitated into the strangest
adventures my erentless life had
known.
A strange face was visible at the
cashiers desk as l entered the tea
room passed on. finding the place
quite full, but l took 1t as a good omen
that the seventh table from the right
was ~unoccupied. and I hastily appropri-
uted 1t. A waitress appeared murmurlng,
There are no birds In last years nest"
and recommended n Locker Lnmpson
sandwich. whose contents the girl tod
me were secret. but 1t proved to be
u,hotIu ro1otohlo 40 d-oYk INV too
and ate the sandwich / surveyed the
decorated menu card with interest and
found pleasurable excitement in discov-
ering an item directing attention to
"Pickles q In Hezeklah, Is cents" The
delightful HeZeklah must. then. have
impressed herself upon the deus ex
machlna Of the Asolando on her brief
day there, thus to have won this recog-
milton. And further on I noted. among
the desserts. Peche Cecilie with even
greater Interest and satisfaction.
Cecilia occupied my mind now. The
visit OF the furious suitors to my Office
had stirred in me thoughts and aspira-
tons that had never known harborage
In my breast before. The presumption
VI tuuSc leiiONS uuu cAIrcucu auS
thing I had known In my contact with
human kind. and instead Of frighten-
ing me away from Hopeheld Manor
they had called my own attention to
the strategic Importance of my pres
Ant position as a guest In Miss Octa-
Was house.
AS these thoughts ran through my
mind | was finishing my Peche Cecilie
Il spurn all sweets ordinarily when l
became interested in the unusual con
duct Of a young woman who had en-
tered the front door briskly and walk
ed with a busincss-like air to the cast
ler's desk. The girl within the wicket
rose promptly. opened the screen and
without parley Of any sort emptied
the contents Of her till into the Wis
itor's reticuie. With a o and 4
smile and q moments careless survey
Of tie room. the girl departed. swing
ing the r~eticule in her hand. A long
roll she carried under her arm con-
nrmed my identification. 1t was Miss
Octavia HOLSTERS Swedish maid, and
the roll beyond peradventure contain
ed the plans she had obtained at Pep
perton's Office.
The girl was well featured, neat OF
figure and becomingly gowned, n as
1 watched her leave the shop the light