Bisbee daily review., 1915-02-06
The Siege of The Seven Snitors
 By MEREDITH NICHOLSON Copyright, 1910, by Meredith Nicholson
Copyright, 1910, by Meredith Nicholson


 every man probably thinks that when | Cecilia has seen little more of him in particular, in contrast with the others l he will win her favor They're afraid l of one another. those men. That's the l reason they've been herding together so close since the first day you came Mir Wiggins was taking it for granted that he was the whole thing just like the mau!-and those others forced him to join in some arrangement by which they were to hang together These calls in a bunch came from that. as though any one of them wouldn't take advantage Of the others if he saw chancel Some of this I got from Wig gy himself, the rest just guessed"
 But you may not know that they sent n delegation after me into town Co warn me off the grass"
 That was Mir Dick He never saw me when Cecilia was around. and he wns terribly snippy sometimes and supercilious, but I'm going to get even with him. I've about underlined him for number six she concluded with the manner of a queen who. about to give her chief executioner his orders for the day. glances calmly over the list of victims
 That's a good idea Dick is iusuf ferable. ] hope you haven't counted wrong
 "As We were saying, about the note book, she resumed. "the fifth man has already been respectfully declined The dates of the proposals are written in the notebook SO learned from the book that Mr. Ormsby. Mir Arbuthnot and Mir Gorse had proposed on the steamer. Professor Hume. you know. tried his luck at Hopeded, and Lord Arrowood must have stopped Cecilia as she was riding to the station on my bicycle yesterday morning His goose is cooked"
 He stopped Go tell papa goodby and spoke very highly of you. Papa and you are the only gentlemen he met in America. But now We come to Mir Wiggins"
 We do; ana why in the name of an that is beautiful and good hasn't he tried his lucky
 "Because knowing Cecilia's admira- | lion for him," replied Hezekiah de- murey. "I have kept him SO diverted 1 Chat he hasn't been able Co bring him l self to the scratch"
 You didn't want him to blunder in as the first. fourth or sixth mau| Hezekiah gravely nodded her pretty , head
 Z And while you were engaged in this | sistcrly labor. Cecilia has been afraid that you were seriously interested In rmw
 "That is like Cecilia. Shes fine. and ] wouldn't cause me trouble for any thing" and there was no doubt of ! IJezekiah's sincerity.
 But now that see the light and un- derstaud au this. how can we make sure that Wiggy win be on the spot at ihe right moment? While We sit here he may be the sixth man, l might take care of Wiggy by asking Cecilia 70 marry me, being careful to have him appear Johnny on the spot when I had been duly declined"
 "Um. ] shouldn't take any chances if | NNAE lNNH NLIE NN-IIIINNAH AHlEllIIlA ID look at an imaginary bird in a tree top. "for if you had counted wrong and were really the seventh man she would have to accept you"
 "Hezekiah"
 "Oh l really didn't mean what you thought ] meant We don't need to discuss it any more That's the ordeal ! I've arranged for you" she answered. and set her lips sternly.
 But. my dear Hezeklah. by what means can this be effected? don't dare tell him the combination he's playing against or sit on him until his hour strikes"
 Certainly not; you mustn't tell him or anybody else. You know the plan, but you're not supposed to. and mo- body must know I've mc1dled Mean. while Cecilia must expose herself to proposals at an times Aunt Octavia s , heart would be broken if she thought Providence had been tempered with She likes Wlggy well enough, except that his ancestors were an Tories. and he cant be a Son of the Revolution"
 She rose and pointed to her coat. 
 "Drop it into the boat for me. Chim neys. We meet in funny places, don't we? Papa expects me for luncheon and ! must row back and get my bi cycle You3 No. you can't go along f you've got a lot of thinking to do, and youd better be doing t." X few minutes later. as | swuns ' along the highway toward the Pres colt Arms, saw Cecilia Hollister rid
 ing toward me at a lively galIop Q She crossed the bridge without check ing her horse and then. with a hurried glance oyey her shoulder she pointed with her crop to a byway.
 ! hurried after her and found he Y waiting for me in quiet lane She ha' q dismounted and seemed greatly de '. tprbed as addressed her
 "l hadn't expected Co meet you- a thought you rode on with your aunt to
 ward Mount Kisco"
 We did, but on our way home Alum
 Octavla stopped to call on friend an |. as ! didn't feel in a mood for visits Chi ! morning. rode on alone ] was walk
 ing my horse i'm the road beyond Bed