Graham guardian., 1913-07-11

to me-" said Bassford Hollis
ter, 1T Is the great grief OF my lift
that. owing to matters beyond my con
| troll, have been unable TO care f0t
them as | should like to do This be-
! ing the case, have been obliged to AZ
! low them to accept many favors from
my only sister Octavia. This, In ordi
nary circumstances. would not be re
pugnant to my pride, but my sister I.
1 a very unusual person. She must dt
/ for my children In her own way. anC
/ while was prepared, In agreeing tnal
they should accept her bounty. fol
some whimsical manifestation of heI
eccentric character. | did not imagine
that she would 90 so far as to shut me
out from all knowledge of her plans
for them That. MIR, Ames. is what
has happened
His voice rose and fell mournfully
He puffed his pipe for n moment and
continued:
There Is now something forward
here which | do not understand.
have mn hlea that Octavia has contriv.
ed some preposterons scheme for
choosinp n husband for Cecilia that is
In Keeping with her odd fashion OF
| transactng all her business | do not
know it's nature. and by the terms OF
her agreement Cecilia Is not IL dis
close the method to be employed to
me not even TO me. her own father.
| You must agree. Ames. that that Is
rather rubbing II in
"l.ut you don't assume that your
daughter Is not to be free agent In
the mntter? You don't believe that
some unwnrthy and improper man IA
to be forced upon hery
"Hhai sir. is exactly what ] fear
"lou will pardon me, but ! cannot
for moment believe that Miss Hol.
lister would risk her niece's happiness
even TO satisfy her own peculiar hu-
NOR. Your sister is shrewd woman
aud her heart. am convinced, Is the
kindeSt. Among the suitors now
camped ct the Prescott Arms there
must be some one whom your daugh'
ter approves. and see no reason why
he should not ultimately be her choice
Now that you have broached the mat
! ter. make free to say that one OF
these suitors is an old friend of mine
Hartley Virgins by name. and that
he is man OF the highest character
aud a gentleman In the strictest sense.
He had been listening to me with
the greatest composure. but at the
mention of Virgins name he started
and nervously clutched my arm.
"That mau may be all that you say
he cried chokingly, but be has acted
UNANIMOUSLY toward both my daugh
ters. He is rogue and a most despic
able fellow. He has 6irted outrage
ously with Hezekiah while at the same
time pretending to be deeply inter
ested In Cecilia"
! "But. my dear sir. Is Ii not possible
that you do him a great wrong? May
II not be the other way round that
Hezekiah is trifiing with Virgins af
fections? He's splendid fellow. Hart
ley Virgins, but he's a little slow
that's all. And between two supert
young women like your daughters q
man may be pardoned for doubts ant
| hesitation. The thing Is bound tC
straighten itself out"
He tossed his head impatiently.
HAS 1t occurred to you that DC
tavia's interest in this Hartley Wiggin:
may be due to a triHiDg and inmate
rial factT'
Nothing beyond his indubttabl'
eligibility"
Then let me tell you what sus
pect. Both his names contain sever
letters. My sister is slightly cracked
as to the number seven. swear Il
you my belief that the fact that his
names contain seven letters each is a
the bottom of all this. Incredible. m!
dear sir, but wholly possible?
Then. such being the case. why
doesn't she show her hand openly
You send conjecture far when once
you entertain so absurd an idea"
''You think my assumption unlike
ly?" he asked eagerly.
II certainly do, Mr.. Holiister. Yol
may as we'll assume that, as Wiggin'
is specially favored in the number o
letters In his singularly prosaic and un
romantic name, II is Miss Hollister'
plan to keep him dallying seven years.
He seized me by the arm and force'
me back against the battlements, the'
stood OF and eyed me fiercely.
"You speak of serving and Of service
Will you tell me just why you are her
and what brings you into this affair
What are you doing In my sister
house, where ! have to come like
thief in the night to see one OF M
own childrenr'
| hastened to declare my profession
and that had been summoned by MIS-
Hollister to examine her chlmneys
could not, however, tell him that unit
my arrival the chimneys had behaves
themselves admirably.
you've admitted your friendship 70
this Virgins person-tbats enough.
he said when | had concluded. III &C
wise you to leave the house at once.
tell you he's got to be eliminated fror
the situation. Understand that ] d
not threaten you with violence, but
will not promise to abstain from yisi
Ing heavy punishment upon that fe
low. And your a chimney doctor?
am a man OF considerable knowledg
of the world, and | say TO you yer