Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-03-24
I'LL III lIIl
CHAPTER III-(continued).

~ " l. III SOIIN w car NOu -
such an expression. OFT my base
What 40 you mean, sirc'
Shes onto things all right" an
nounced the boy eagerly. "SLe knows
a good deal more than You think she
docs. You ought to her some of the
words she uses"
incredible" cried MIR. Presbrey.
plainly distressed. and without Knowing
what words she had used.
Horace studied the figures in the
carpet for a momen You may ask
but Martha had departed, Ring the
bell. please. my dear"
n bell was tangled once more and
Martha came into the room, somewhat
out of breath.
Il hadn't got half way upstairs.
ma am. she announced rather sharply.
You may bring Mary downstairs.
also, Martha ordered Mrs. Blagden.
Fifteen minutes passed before Eric
and Mary, very wide wake and Curl
Gus, presented themselves in the Ii
brary. Eric. while dressing. llad given
himself UP to reckless speculation as
to the cause of the summons. On the
way downstairs he confided his conclu-
sions to the mystified Mary. His eyes
glittered with the joyous hope tina
lurked in his soul.
IN bet they're going to send us off
TO boarding school, he whispered. She
gave an ecstatic gasp. and clutched at
his arm.
oh, Eric. do you really think so? Oh.
1t cam be true!"
well. it's something" he argued ex-
citedly. 1T must be important, or they
wouldn't be getting us out OF he'd"
Mary was of ain heart. She pulled
a wry face. And Mary's dark, flower
like face was of an exquisite modelin.
that could not be wrought into any
thing unpleasant to the eye, no matter
now hard Che triad How or,, n,-
faces We're fascinating. o would
have loved every inch of her, believe
me.
"Tisn't boarding school, she de-
clared. THAT could wait till break
fast time. It's something else. Mr..
Presbrey's still there
Eric pondered. IN bet it's about you
and me skipping Sunday school two
weeks ago-the day of the fire down
in Front street.
Maybe someone's left us a fortune"
whispered she. Just as he was about to
turn the knob Of the library door. oh,
my! What if someone has,
Eric's Gee" was a great potential
declaration of resolve.
The Blagden library. like all other
rooms in the big house. was stiffly re-
spectacle. The rows of books. in the
riginal cloth bindings. covered the
wall space on four sides of the room
NO w ~ Liz SIt6S OOOs
OF each section was locked. and Mr..
Blagden carried the key in his trousers !
pocket. The only portion of the vol
umes accessible to the reader was the |
title stamped On the back. Dust was
not the only thing that was denied &C
cess to the shelves. Most Of the VOL !
uines were first editions and uncut. and |
they possessed a value that was not to |
be disturbed by the ordinary mind. |
Sometimes Mr.. Blagden himself looked |
into them. but to no one else wa this |
privilege extended. Their was no book !
there. you may be sure. that the most |
innocent boy or girl could no have !
read without contamination. They were |
Q particularly clean lot of items" to
use thep professional term.
once. by mistake. an English edition. |
In II volumes. Of the Memoirs of Casa |
nova joined h solemn and sedate |
company. quite without discussion. for
the simple reason that the master of
the house had taken the books in part
payment OF a debt incurred by a real
literary chap. who had been in college /
with him. The erotic Casanova re-
maine there for many months, touch |
ing hides with a carefully bound set of
came along to enlighten Mr.. Blagden |
as to their salaciousness. The owner. |
aghast. would have cast the offending
volumes into the fire had not ms
friend advised him that a good set of
Casanova would bring something like
SiuW II right party came along. f
30 AIR. Blagden kept them a year long
er. waiting for h right party to come !
along. He sold them at last to the
cashier In his bank, and ever afterward
looked upon that gentleman as a per-
son OF perverted taste and no to be
wholly trusted.
Blu l am diverging. The two Mid
thornes. IN entering the room. paused
irresotute Just inside the door, gazing
IN no little dlsmay upon the four stern
vlsaged persons ranged about the long
library table. Chetwynd had partially
effaced himself by sitting. upon the
s sn OF ms back in the great arm
CLOSE h door, Eric" said his uncle.
Now. come here. You. too, Mary" The
children approached timOrously. ..Iet
me see your lip. You tumbled off the
Eric fell into the trap. YES sir" he
replied.
There was q OF silence, while
four pairs Of ~cOndemning eyes trans
fixed the boy.
Eric, It IS wrong to tell fibs," said
his aunt, In hurt tones.
The boy saw his mistake. He felt q
Q furious wave Of humiliation shoot
by his throat n up to his brain.
IT isn't q ftb." he cried stoutly. II
did fall Off the fence last week"
you were attempting to deceive us,.'
declared his uncle, fastening his cold
grey g upon ths boy fac It e
not have t0ldSthe truth. and said that
Chetwynd struck your
H0cauoe I'd sooner lie than tell
tales n declaredsErt boldly. my moth
s1rsuaedsto punfeh a if ! came In cry
40 ~ told .her some boy had lit me