The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1913-04-03

j, ab,,rt her shoulders. and she walk
ed with her head bowed
breathed u sigh of relief, and when
I felt safe from detection. climbed the
slope.
Pausing OH the crest to survey the
landscape. saw man, wearing der
by hat and light topcoat. leaning
against fence that Enclosed Il pasture.
As I glanced in his direction he moved
away hastily toward the road below.
The feeling OF being watched Is not
agreeable. and | could not account for
him. As lie passed out OF sight still
another man appeared. emerging from
a strip of woodland farther on. Even
through the evening haze should have
said that he was u gentleman. The
two men apparently bore no relation to
each other. though they were walking
In the same direction, bound. judged,
for the highway below. had an I'M
comfortable feeling that they had both
been observing me, though for what
purpose could not imagine. Then
once more. Just as was about to en-.
ter the Italian garden from a fallow
field that hung slightly above 1t, a
third man appeared as mysteriously
as though he had sprung from the
ground, and ran at sharp dog trot
along the fence. headed. like the 9TH
ers, for the road. In the third instance
the stranger undoubtedly took pains to
hide his face, but he. too, was well
dressed and wore a topcoat and fe-
dora hat Of current style.
did not know why these gentlemen
were ranging the neighborhood or what
object they had In view, but their sew.
eral appearances had interested me,
and I went on into the house well sat.
isfled that events Of an unusual char
acter were likely to mark my visit to
, the home Of Miss Octavia HOLSTER.
Cecilia sat reading alone when en-
tered the library shortly before the din
ner hour. She put down her book and
we fell into fitful talk.
II took a walk after tea. always
feel that sunsets are best seen from
the fields. You can't quite do them
justice from windows" she began.
She seemed preoccupied. Virgins
was in her recollection of the glowing
landscape-I was confident Of this, and
poor Virgins was even now wander
ing these hills. no doubt, brooding upon
his troubles under clear October stars.
Dinner was announced the moment
Miss HOLSTER entered. and walked
out between them. Miss Octavia Hol-
lister was a surprising person, but in
nothing was she so delightfully."- way
ward as in the gowns she wore. My
ignorance Of such matters is immeas-
| urable, but l fancy that she designed
her own raiment and had her ideas
were thereupon carried out by a tailor
of skill. At the Asolnndo, and when we
had met at tea In her own house, she
had worn the severest OF tailored
gowns, with short skirt and a coat
into whose pockets she was fond of
thrusting her hands. Tonight the ma
terial was lavender silk trimmed in
white, but the skirt had not heightened
and over a white silk waist she wore
a kind of cutaway cut that matched
the skirt. An aigret in her lovely
white hair contributed a piquant note
to the whole impression. As we pass.
ed down the hall she talked with great
animation of The Hague tribunal, just
then holding prominent place in the
newspapers for some reason that has
| escaped me.
1.-THE whole thing is absurd, perfect.
| ly absurd. | know of nothing that
would contribute more to human enjoy.
ment than a real war between Ger.
many and England. The Hague idea
is pure sentimentalism-if sentimental.
ism can ever be said to be pure. will
go further and say that I consider II
positively immoral"
! She had ordered dinner In the gun
room, but thought this merely turn
of her humor. and was taken aback
when she led the way into low, heavi
| ly raftered room. where electric sconces
Of an odd type were thrust ut irregular
intervals along the walls, which were
otherwise hung with arms of many
sorts In orderly combinations. They
were not the litter Of antique shops,
saw In u hasty glance, but rifles and
guns Of the latest patterns. and beside
the sideboard stood gun rack and a
cabinet which assumed contained still
other and perhaps 'deadlier weapons.
But for the presence Of Miss Cecilia
who was essentially typical of our
twentieth century American woman,
think ! might readily have yielded to
the Illusion that | was the guest of
some eccentric chatelaine who had in.
vited me to dine with her In bastlon
Of her fortress before ordering me to
some chamber Of horrors for execu-
| u0n.'
No reference was made to the char
acter Of the room. | felt, In fact, that
Cecilia rather pleaded with her eyes
that l should make no reference to Il.
And Miss HOLSTER remarked quite
casually as though In comment upon
my thoughts:
Consistency has buried its thou.
sands and habit its tens Of thousands.
We should live, Mr.. Ames. for the
changes and chances of this troubled