Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-02-26

the contempt in his face. but thought
he grinned as he answered quietly:
you don't seem to understand. |
young man, that you are entitled TO no
explanations from me. You strike me
as a singuIarly fresh young person. 1t
that my conduct had displeased you.
And now, as the night grows chill, l
snail beg you to precede me into the
house by the way you came"
But first" persisted. let me ask 4
question. 1t is possible that you your
self have some preference among your
daughters several suitors, Mr.. Hollis.
ter. Would you object to telling me
which one you would choose for Miss
Cecilia?"
Beyond question the man for &c
ella, if have any voice In the matter.
is Lord ArrOwood.'
"Arrowood"' l exclaimed. You sur.
prise me greatly. | saw him at the
inn. and he seemed to me the most IN
significant and embarrassing one OF the
lot"
gifts of discernment, Mr.. Ames." And
his tone and manner were quite rem
iniscent of his sisters ways, and his
further explanation proved him even
more worthily the brother of his sis
ter.
LAS l was obliged" he began, COW
ing to an unfortunate physical handi-
cap. to abandon my art. that of a ma
rine painter. | have given my atten-
ton for a number of years to the
study OF the Irish situation. l met
Arrowood by chance in the highway
yesterday. and | found that he holds
exactly my ideas. which favor Irish
independence" This certainly had the
true HOLSTER touch.
And So" Bassford HOLSTER con-
cluded, Il naturally incline toward
ArrOwOOd. though he is so poor that
he was obliged to come over in the
steerage to continue his wooing of my
daughter"
He let himself down into the dark
trunk room, waited for me courteously
and walked by my side to the stair
way, both of us maintaining silence.
had entered and whether he expected
to go down the front way and out the
main door. We kept together to the
third floor hall. / could have sworn
to that. Then suddenly, just as we
reached the stairway, out went the
lights, and we were in utter darkness.
| smOthered an exclamation, clutched
my matches and struck a light, and
as the stick famed slowly L looked
about for Bassford HOLSTER. But he
had vanished as suddenly and COM
pletely as though trap had yawned
beneath us and swallowed him. |
found the third floor switch, and it
responded Immediately, flooding the
stair well to the lower hail. but l nei-
Their saw nor heard anything more Of
HOLSTER
AstOunded by this performance, I con-
tinued on to the lower floor 10 have a
look around, and there, calmly reading
by the library table, sat Miss OctaVia!
Late hours, Mr.. Ames" she cried.
81 supposed you had retired long ago.
Pardon my troubling you, but may
inquire, Miss HOLSTER, how long you
have been sitting here"
The clock on the stair began to strike
l., and she listened composedly to a
few Of the deep toned strokes before
replying.
Just half an hour. l thought some
| one knocked at my door about an hour
| ago. The lights were on and l came
| down, saw a magazine that had es-
/
me"
Some one knocked at your doorT'
81 thought so. You know, the serv
ants have an idea that the place Is
haunted. and l thought that If / sal
! here the ghost might take 1t upon him
self TO walk. | confess TO a slight dis
appointment that it is only you who
have appeared. l suppose it wasnt
you who knocked at my door,"
No" | replied, laughing a little a.
her manner, not unless it was yol
who switched of the lights as I wa:
coming down from the fourth floor
have been studying this chimney from
the roof. / know something Of tn,
ways of electric switches. and they
don't usually move of their own &C
cord"
Your coming to this house has beef
the greatest JOY to me. Mr.. Ames.
should not have imagined in a chanc
look at yOu that you we're psychical
and yet such is clearly the fact / a.
sure you that | have not touched an,
switch since / left my room. 1t wa
unnecessary. as | found the lights Oh
And | acquit you Of rapping. rappin;
at my chamber door 1t gives me til
greatest satisfaction TO assume tina
the house is haunted. and at any tim
sou find the ghost 1 beg that you vii