Bisbee daily review., 1915-01-26
The Siege of The Seven Suitors
 By MEREDITH NICHOLSON
Copyright, 1910, by Meredith Nicholson

EeIT. l helped him to his feet and bent l over the stair rail leading down to the | third floor Evidently our strange | transactions beneath and above had not disturbed the assembled suitors and their hostess. but in common de cency Lord Arrowood must be dis posed of promptly There was no doubt about that
 "I was an ass to try it." muttered his lordship. pulling bis tie into shape And now want to get out. 1 want to go away from here.
 He was tugging at the belt of his Norfolk coat, and something between 1t and his waistcoat evidently gave him concern. Our conversation was carried on in half whispers He was so crest fallen that if it hadn't been for the necessity of maintaining silence should have laughed outright
 "Out with it. my lord What have sou stuck in your coatg
 'Theyre bounders. all the rest of 'em.' he asserted doggedly. but be- ieve you to be a gentleman"
 "I thank you Lord Arrowood. for this mark Of confidence Open your seati declare that even if you have v ted a bit of the Holister plate will let you go"
 Reluctantly shamefacedly and stu breathing hard from bis late exertious, Lord Arrowood of ArrOwoOd HautH England obeyed me. There were five buttons Co the close fitting jacket, and the loosening of every succeeding one seemed to. give him pain Then. wits his head slightly lifted as though in disdan of me. be held out for my ob- seryation a pie, iu the pan in which t had been baked The top crust was browued to nicety. Its edges were crimped neatly. and in spite of She fact that had SO lately dined sumptuousiy at Miss Hollisters hospitable board. at sight of this alluring pastry 1 eXperi- enced the sharp twinges of aroused ap- petite
 Now you have it, and l hope you are satisfied" said Lord Arrowood. kindly allow me to retire by the way | 1 came"
 First" l replied. sobered by the | gravity of his manner. "it would inter est me as student of character to 1 know just what species of pie lured | you to this burglarious deed" 'I have reason to think" he answer i ed. with tears in his eyes that it is a | gooseberry ! was hungry, if you must know the truth. and. having sampled the old ladys pies this morning. with ! nothing to eat since. saw the coal 1 hole open and ladder beneath, and | the rest of it was easy. If you and 1 the other chap hadn't chased me all 1 over the estate I'd been otf with my pie and and mo harm done. The old lady's insane. you know. and has DO manner of use for pies The house is haunted in the bargain. When you had abost winded me down ih the eel lar and eat me off from the ladder and chased me up here the ghost took a hand, and if you hadn't tripped me and sat on me the spirits would certainly have nailed me 0 Lord. what night!
 You are sure you speak the truth
 when you say that the coal hole was open and that you found the ladder there when you came"
 No manner of doubt of it. AS have already said. l believe you to bC a gentleman, and between gentlemen
 certain condolences may pass tha } wouldn't be possible between gentle man and those cattle down there
 He jerled his head scornfully to in dicate the suitors below
 ] bowed with such dignity as is pos
 sible when addressing noblemui
 whom you have just caught in the ac of lifting gooseherry pie from lady' | pantry-a pie which you hold perforc
 in your hands
 "The fact is that l was without th - price of food and, Co repeat ] wa B beastly hungry"
 Poverty and hunger, my lord. arr pardonable sins. but gOoseberry pas :. tries are sacred Co Hezekiah. My im
 pressions of Hezekiah are the pleas
 antest. and cannot allow you to In
 tervene between her and the pie hot IT fin my hands. if you will accompan
 me below ] will undertake Co gain aC
 cess to the pie vault return this pi
 to It's proper place and hand you a r. the foot of the ladder am apple pie |
 place of it l dare say it never will D
 missed but from what l know q d Hezekiah any trihing with her app' P. tite would be crime indictable d
 common law"
 7' His lordship seemed rcassured, an " we were about to descend by the col
 cealed stair when be arrested me.
 Mir. Ames. you are a gentleman an .e possess a generous heart We unde ir stand eaeb other perfectly, aud as
 have every rehson to believe Chat m sl suit is hopeless l ask tine loan of pr until can confer with my friend, tl
 British consul at New York. l sha
 sail at once for England" la He stepped down before me inio t h dark stairway. and ] closed the do'
 after me and followed him. fouu
 my way to the pie pantry without d
 hculty, returned the gooseberry pie