Bisbee daily review., 1915-01-10


 Octavia quietly rose and excused her self. About five minutes later. when the company had plunged into another se- ries of anecdotes, suddenly became conscious that the fireplace. near which l sat, had an at once begun to act strangely Much in the manner of its performance the previous night. it alb. ruptly gasped and choked, the smoke hallooned in great swirl and then poured out into the room.
 After my examination of the fues in the morning ! had dismissed them from my mind, and this extraordinary behavior of the library Fireplace as- founded me. It is not in reason that q perfectly normal fireplace, built in the most approved fashion and with chimneys that rise into as clear an ether as october can bestow could act so monsrously without the interven. ton of some malign agency. We had discussed an the possibilities the pre- ! vious night and l was not anxious to hear further lay opinions The chim- uey's conduct was annoying, the more so that to my professional sense it was inexpIicable.
 Lord Awowood had retreated di7- creetly toward the door. and the others had risen and stood close behind Ce- ! cilia. whose gaze was bent rather ac- cusingly upon me.
 A dark thought had crossed my mind, As our eyes met l felt that she had read my suspicious and did not wholly reject them. Henderson was vaiiantly l poliug the logs, while one of two of ! the other men gave him the benefit of their advice. l crossed the hall to the | drawing room, but no one was there ] ] went back 10 the billiard room, but | saw nothing of Miss Octavia. Cecilia ] had rung for the footman. and passed him in the hall on his way Co answer ] her summons. l stopped him with an inquiry on my lips, but l could not ask l the question. Even in my perplexity as to the cause of the chimney's re- marbable performances I did not so ] far forget myself as to communicate 1 my suspicion to servant.
 Nothing Thomas" l said, and the 1 man passed on
 It was possible, of course, that Miss . Octgvia knew more than she cared to tell about the cratic ways of the IT, brary chimney, or she might indeed be the cause of its vagUries Sufficient time had elapsed after retirement from the library to allow her to gain the roof and clap stopper on the chim- ney pot This did not. however uc- count for the fact that on the previous evening she had been present in the library when the same chimney had l manifested u similar suIkiness. l was still pouderiug these thiu-s when heard loud laughter from the library and on returning found the logs again blazing in the fireplace. from which the smoke rose demurely u the hue
 This fireplace is like a geyser, NIT. Ames," said Cecilia, "and spurts smoke at regular intervals As remember, the clock on the stair was striking 9 last night when the smoke poured out and there-it is striking now" ] She tossed her head slightly, and this
 was, thought. in disdain of the sus- piciOn that must still have shown itself a little stubbornly in my face.
 ] withdrew again iu a 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 l knew from my eX.
 animation iu the morning that the 1ue Of her fireplace tapped the chimney that rose from the drawing room and had nothing whatever to do with the library chimney.
 From the fourth floor I 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 iu the crisp, still air blithe- ly. l leaned upon the crenelations
 and looked off across the hills, enjoy
 ing Che loveliness of the sky, in which
 the planets throbbcd superbly There
 was nothing to be learned here and
 crept back tO the trap door through
 which l had come, made 1t fast and
 continued ou down to the library. There somewhat to my surprise !
 found that in my absence an 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 nc 3 circumstances can become your . wife"
 retreated hastily to the billiard room, where l took a cue from the - tack and amused myself for perhaps
 dGeen minutes when, hearing thl e outer door close and knowing that 8 1 Hume had departed with his congee | l returned Co the library.
 f Cecilia sat where l had left her. ana !, al first glance ! thought she was read |. ing But she turned quickly as q crossed the room. She held iu he
 hand an oblong silver trinket not larg e CT than a card case A short penci O similar to those affixed to dance card