The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1913-08-21
The Siege
of the
Seven Suitors
CONTINUED from Page 11.)

! til l.-.....'- 49,. G.s..llsseu lei
from my mind. and this extraordinar.
behavior OF the library fireplace as
founded me. 1t Is not in reason tina
perfectly normal fireplace. built /,
the most approved fashion and wit,
chimneys that rise into as clear I'll
ether as October can bestow could &C
so monstrously without the interve q
ton Of some maIign agency. We hat
discussed all the possibilities the pre-
vious night. and was not anxious tt
hear further lay opinions. The chin
ney's conduct was annoying, the more
so that to my professional sense l,
was inexplicable. -. a
Lord Arrowood had retreated dis
creetly toward the door, and the others
had risen and stood close behind Ce
ella, whose gaze was bent rather &C.
cuslngly upon nee. T" l'.aE
A dark thought had crossed my mind
As our eyes met felt that she had
read my suspicious and did not wholly
reject them. Henderson was valiantly
poking the logs. while one Of two Of
the other men gave him the benef1t OF
their advice. l crossed the hall to the
drawing room, but no one WIS there.
l went back to the billiard room, but
saw nothing Of Miss Octavia. Cecilia
had rung for the footman, and passed
him in the hall on his way to answer
her summons. / stopped him with an
inquiry on my lips, but could not ask
the question. Even In my perplexity
a. to the cause Of the chimney's re-
markable performances did not so
far forget myself as to communicate
my suspicion to a servant. . ~.
Nothing, Thomas" I said, and the
man passed on. q.
It was possible, Of course, that Miss
Octavia knew more than she cared to
tell about the cratic ways Of the H.
brary chimney, or she might indeed be
the cause Of its vagaries. Sufficient
time had elapsed after retirement from
the library to allow her to gain the
roof and clap stopper on the chin
ney pot. This did not, however, &C.
count for the fact that on the previous
evening she had been present in the
library when the same chimney had
manifested similar sulkiness. l was
still bordering these things when l
heard loud laughter from the library
and on returning found the logs again
blazing in the fireplace, from which the
smoke rose demurely in the due.
This fireplace Is like geyser, Mr..
Ames," said Cecilia, land spurts smoke
q regular intervals. As I remember,
the clock on the stair was striking 8
last night when the smoke poured out,
and there-it is striking now!"
She tossed her head slightly. and this
was. I thought. in disdain Of the sus.
picion that must still have shown itself
little stubbornly in my face. ...
I withdrew again in few minutes
and followed the great chimney's
course upward. Miss Octavia's apart
ments were at the front of the house,
her sitting room windows looking out
upon the Italian garden. Her doors
were closed. but knew from my ex.
animation in the morning that the due
Of her fireplace tapped the chimney
that rose from the drawing room and
had nothing whatever to do with the
library chimney. .a,. .'., 49,. -4
From the fourth floor l gained the
roof by the route followed on my in
spection Of the house in the morning.
The smoke from the library chimney
was rising in the crisp, still air blithe-
ly. leaned upon the creneations
and looked off across the hills, enjoy.
lhg the loneliness Of the sky, in which
the planets throbbed superbly. There
was nothing to be learned here, and
crept back to the trap door through
which l had come. made it fast and
continued on down to the library.
There somewhat to my surprise
found that In my absence all but
Hume had taken their departure. As
I paused unseen in the doorway
caught words that were clearly not in
tended for, my ear.
Cecilia sat by the long table near the
fireplace. Hume stood before her, his
arms folded.
you are kind. You do me great
honor, Professor Hume, but under no
circumstances can become your
, wife,"
l retreated hastily to the billiard
! room, where l took a cue from the
rack and amused myself for perhaps
fifteen minutes. when, hearing the
i outer door close and knowing that
Hume had departed with his congee.
I returned to the library.
Cecilia sat where l had left her. and
J at first glance thought she was read
ing. But she turned quickly as l
] crossed the ROOM She held in her
hand an oblong silver trinket not larg.
er than card case. A short pencil
similar to those affixed to dance cards
was attached to it by slight cord
and she had, l inferred. been making
a notation Of some kind on leaf OF
the silver bound booklet. Even after
she had looked up and smiled at me
her eyes sought the page before her
Then she closed the covers and clasp