Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1913-03-06

love affair. When we had withdrawn
a little way from the inn he turned
on me sharply.
"Well?" he demanded.
WELL" 1 laughed.
"Oh, you needn't take that tone about
it! Your being here is something that
requires explanation, and your being
there"-he flung out his arm toward
Hopeield Manor-"your presence there
is not a laughing matter"
"My dear Virgins, I came here in a
spirit of friendship, and you treat me
like a pickpocket. | must say that If
you had not acted like a clam the other
night at the club, but had told me what
was in the wind we might not be meet
ing now like ancient enemies instead Of
old and intimate friends"
He v~ouchsafed no reply, but threw
himself down under a scarlet maple
and began to white a stick. while 1
went on with my story, concluding
with:
And o l have finished my work,
and after l have made my report 1
shall probably not meet her again. AS
for Miss Cecilia HOLSTER, I can only
say, my dear Virgins, that she is a
rarely beautiful woman, and that if
you wish to marry her you have my
very best wishes for your success and
happiness"
1T struck me that you were pretty
we'll established there" he blurted. Il
confess that l took it for granted you
were not there wholly on a professional
GRAND, and | won't deny, Ames, that I
was not pleased to see you"
You honor me in assuming that l
might aspire to the hand Of so splendid
a woman as Cecilia HOLSTER; but, my
dear Virgins, l tell you l never laid
eyes on her until last night
But you had been to the Asolando,"
he persisted. hacking away doggedly at
his stick.
"Of course | had. l told you l had.
l told you the whole story. But l did
not see Cecilia HOLSTER there. She
wasn't there. | fancy that after you
saw her there last spring and became
luldIuiIcu Will uSI dllu OllO "Cu uCI
to Europe instead of going to Dakota
to harvest your blooming w~heat-after
that bit of history she never returned
to the Asolando. Your lack Of frank
ness in all this has panied me, and you
left it for a gossiping chap like Jewett
to tell me the whole story"
He threw the stick at a sparrow
whose chirp irritated him from a stone
fence beyond us and turned toward
me a countenance on which detection.
humiliation and chagrin were written
large.
Hang it ALL" he beloved. II be-
lieve I'm losing my mind. I don't know
what I'm doing. That old woman up
there is responsible for all this. She's
as crazy as a March ha~re-crazier!
And she's made a prisoner Of that girl.
I tell you Cecilia HOLSTER is the grand
est girl in the world"
GO it, son! Those descendants Of
Caesars legions at work In the road
down there are pausing to listen. Try
to affect calmness if you don't feel it.
| agree to all you say Of Miss Cecilia.
and please get it into your noddle that
] have no intention Of becoming your
rival for her hand. But l must beg of
you also not to speak in such terms Of
her aunt. She is the most delightful
woman | ever met"
Mad, l tell you. quite mad! l tell
you, Ames. that woman Is a malevolent
being. She's perfectly fiendish."
There is no way of answering a man
In this humor W. by laughter. aud |
laughed long and loud. to the conster-
nation of the Italian road labOrers. who