| Show d 7 4 m n nr I larli I hi TORV t 1 Ineq i na in ellp IE HOUSE OF torf THOUSAND 1 t i p CANDLES e4l MEREDITH NICHOLSON letrt < the d t-he l 101 THE MAIN CHANCE ZELDA DAMEHON Elc t the rtbpjrlglit lice bj Imobbrnerral Co any C APTER XI Continued Sara H ell ho exclaimed this has med very pleasant but I must run I Iie v just j been over to see Morgan II 111n thecarotnker at the resort village Inn Tliefir follow accidentally shot him ig 1 0t1 eifJtcSBterday cleaning his gun org io teys t or-g of that sort and ho has an iJ ilo in his arm that will shut VellstJI for a month or worse lie cen g o an errand to do for him lies Is rda tenUous fellow and wished me Julda for him to Mr Pickering that 11 been hurt but was attending to Innlh Ila ethos Pickering owns a house lemp Jfarther end of the colony and 8t Lt n i has charge of it You knowIng mplol know-Ing of courso IPlorl I 1 looked my clerical neighbor cneq a h t In tho eye a trifle coldly per dng Iba I was wondering why Morgan t ti hom I had enjoyed a duel In my l bu 1B liar only a few hours before silo be reporting his injury to Arthur Ar-thur 1Jlclwrlng yWlUk ° jI flnk I havo seen Morgan about or M I said e to yes Hes n woodsman and a L the 7rn our Nlmrod of tho lake ood sort very likely aanian arc say Ho has sometimes al no t me ducks during tho season the bo sure They shoot ducks at t V a those Hoosier huntersso I es I sea aSu II the laughed as ho shook himself Into lets ub eatcoat fie rnanlte possible though unsports l an 1 ijIf But wo dont have to look a e mltlgm Ballard In tho eye nrt luJSgj viv 1ughed Tat > It was easy T-at frtfWjilauish with him n to pyitho way I forgot to get Pick vestod dngs address from Morgan If you s un bapPflq to have jti avith pleasure I said Alexis oCt U J jjig Broadway New York to the d Thats easy to remember suspei d smiling and turning up his dlraadt liar Dont forgot me Im I 01 benll < ed In a hermits cell back of fo pet and I believe we can find nhftm Ire matters of Interest to talk on stole ntr Wesli confident of it I said glad of pith lv li pathy and cheor that seemed all t e ate from his stalwart figure y + tr j i ow on my overcoat and walked o gate with him and saw him qhf theli nTff toward the village with long I as trldeli chl1dr iit ionth CHAPTER XII obs Cr I I Explore a Passage J ash Sa I found Bay him busy roplon Ush skshlf the candlesticks In the library sod to 1F = 1I ned to me that ho was always or tneloltfo about with an armful of can ago a iesi ithoro Zhero are a good many queer imngatn this world but I guess youre Idren rjn r ofUho queerest I dont mind tell > ol bu0outhat there are times when I was dlfjhlnkgjwi a thoroughly bad lot and s a mashenlfagaln I question my Judgment verlyiixdint h give you credit for being nuchlSnoro than a doddering fool Salt LIiea as standing under a ladder belie y llmliieatbj f1 be-lie great crystal chandelier and clyn noot k flown upon mo with that pa line a3 qulry that is so appealing In a killed W soy the oyes of an Irish set f1 n you accidentally step on his ns of two ho KMr Glenarm ho replied hum is vhoji I emp01 I want you to grasp this Idea ordered going to dig Into this old shell rho H1f bottom Im going to blow It jl14 l dynamite If I please and if gun K ca you spying on me or reporting ms beergyj gs to my enemies or engaging large dp r questionable performances Is decty yer Ill hang you between the crisis ft o tt there In the school walldo itldlng few erstandso that tho sweet 318 of St Agatha and tho dear Ills Ill-s nnnKlo i1 01 girls and tho chaplain and f the I II Direst will shudder through all laced nheJ es at tho very thought of you the ryL Slnly Mr Glenarmand his mona Was the same ht would havo used reat tux suTiiS 1I asked him to pass mo the Hatches and under my breath I con Ian poylgne1j Im to tho hardest tortures of abberotheflery pit ml the niuwas to Morgan 10 Cu ijYSjslr be res u nt pqsslblo business do you sup Inv31 2Ii 9has with Mr Pickering I do g Ilade l lityWhl t sir thats clear enough Mr n Ie I M u King owns a houso up the lake e1aJij1l1l through your grandfather standar 0 rd dSo has tho care of It sir V J plausible Indeedand I IeSOJ Peu1 4 off to his work ttbert luncheon I went to tho end of I o dor and began to sound the al They wero as solid as rock s glvenl go onded dully to tbo strokes of L I be tea bl lt mer I sounded them on both I Iv b y ng aid tracing my stops to tho stair bey oralng moro and more impa mbductim y Illluck or stupidity There LUe oM y reason why I should know 11 oulU house and yet a stranger and i OIdab ran through It with amazing teasurtf arh ettes A an hours idle search I re Igaretld d ga 1 iII tIo tho cud of tho corridor re limo eatid or thIJiifil all my previous soundings and css se JJiI j dulged In language unbccom tcr the i 4 r tag n gentleman Then In my blind anger I found what patient search had nut disclosed I threw tho hammer from me In a fit cf temper and It struck ono of tho square blocks In tho cement floor which gave forth a hollow sound I was on my knees In an instant my fingers searching tho cracks and drawing draw-Ing down close I could fool a current of air slight but unmistakable against my face The cement square though exactly like the others in the cellar floor was evidently only I an imitation with an opening beneath Tho block was fitted Into Its place with a nicety that certified to tho skill of tho hand that had adjusted it I broke a blade of my pocketknife tryIng try-Ing to pry It up but In a moment I succeeded and found it to be In reality a trap door hinged to tho substantial inrtof the floor A current of cool fresh air tho same that had surprised mo ill tho night struck my face as I lay fiat and jeered Into tho opening Tho lower passage was as black as pitch and I lighted a lantern I had brought with me found that wooden steps gave safe conduct below and went down I stood erect In the passage and had several Inches to spare It extended both ways running back under tho foundations of the houce and cut squarely under the park before the house and toward the school wall The air grew steadily fresher until after I had gone about two hundred yards I reached a point where the wind seemed to beat down on mo from above I put up my hands and found two openings about three yards apart through which the air sucked steadily I moved out of tho current with a chuckle In my throat and a grin on my face I had passed under the gate in the school wall and I knew now why tho piers other now H was an august hrm now a tliemo from Wagner and RuiUij Mendelssohns spring song won tut cold dark chapel to light and warmth with Its exultant notes Sho ceased suddenly with a little sigh and struck her hands together for tho place was cold As sho reached up to put out the lights I stopped forward for-ward to the chancel stops Please allow mo to do that for you youSho turned toward me gathering a capo about her Oh Its you Is it 7 she asked looking look-ing about quickly I aont remember that you worn Invited I didnt know I was coming myself my-self I remarked truthfully I lifting my hand to tho lamp That Is my opinion of youtbat youro a rather unexpected person But thank you very much She showed no disposition to prolong pro-long the Interview but hurried toward the door and reached tho vestibule before be-fore I came up with her You cant go any farther Mr Glen arm sho said and waited as though to make sure I understood Straight before us through tho wood and beyond be-yond the school buildings tho sunset faded sullenly Night was following fast upon the gray twilight and already al-ready the bolder planets were aflame In tho sky Tho path led straight ahead beneath tho black boughs I might perhaps walk to tho dormitory dormi-tory or whatever you call It I said Thant you no Im late and havent time to bother with you Its against tho rules you know for us to receive visitors She stepped out upon the path But Im not a caller Im Just a neighbor And I owo you several calls anyhow Sho laughed but did not pauso and I followed a pace behind her I 9 n I ii i r q v Y1Li r I z rivi i i 1 n Oh Yes Im Terribly Wicked Squire Glenarm that held It had been built so high they wero hollow and were tho means of sending fresh air Into the tunnel When I had traveled about twenty yards more I felt a slight vibration accompanied ac-companied by a muffled roar and almost al-most immediately camo to a rough wooden stair that marked tho end of the passage I had no means of judging Judg-ing directions but I assumed that I was well within the school park I climbed the steps and In a moment stood blinking my lantern In hand In a small floored room Overhead tho tumult and thunder of an organ explained ex-plained the tremor and roar I had heard below I was in the crypt of St Agathas chapel The Inside of tho door by which I barf entered was apart I a-part of tho wainscoting of the room and tho opening was wholly covered with a map of tho Holy Land It was all very strange and interestIng interest-Ing I looked at my watch and found that It was five oclock but I resolved to go Into tho chapel before going home The way up was clear enough and I was soon In the vestibule I opened the door expecting to find a service In progress but tho little church was empty save where at the right of tho chancel an organist was filling the church with the notes of an exultant march Cap in hand I stole forward and sank down In one of tho pews A lamp over tho organ keyboard i gave the only light In the chapel and made an aureole about her head about the uncovered head of Olivia Gladys Armstrong I smiled as I recognized rec-ognized her and smiled too as I remembered re-membered her name But tho Joy she brought to the music tho happiness In her face as sho raised It in tho minor I harmonies her Isolation marked by tliq little Isle of light against the dark background of tho choir these things touched and moved me and I bent forward for-ward my arms upon the pew In front of mo watching and listening with a I kind of awed wonder There was no pause In the outpouring outpour-ing of the melody She changed stops and manuals with swift fingers and passed from one composition to an I hope you dont think for a mOo ment that I chased a rabbit on your side of the fenco in tho hope of meetIng meet-Ing you do you Mr Glenarm Bo it far from me Im glad I camo though for I liked your music immensely im-mensely Im In earnest I think II quite wonderful Miss Armstrong Sho paid no heed to me And I hope I may promise mysell tho pleasure of hearing you often You are very kind about my poor music Mr Glenarm but as Im going away I felt my heart sink a trifle She was the only amusing person I had met at Glenarm and tho thought 01 losing her gave a darker noto to the I bleak landscape Thats really too bad And just when we wero getting acquainted And I was coming to church Sunday to hear you play and to pray for snow so youd come over often to chase rabbits This I thought softened her heart At any rate her tone changed I dont play for services theyre afraid to let me for fear Id run comic opera tunes into tho To Deura How shocking 1 Do you know Mr Glenarmher tone became confidential and her paco slackened we call you the squire at St Agathas and tho lord of the manor and names like that All the girls are perfectly crazy about you Theyd bo wild If they thought I talked with you clandestinely that the way you pronounce It Anything you say and any way you say It satisfies mo I replied Thats over so nlco of you alma said mockingly again I felt foolish and guilty Sho would probably get roundly scolded ff the grave sisters learned of her talks wltl me and very likely I should win their hearty contempt But I did not turn back I hopo tho reason youre leaving Isnt I hesitated Ill conduct Oh yes Im terribly wicked Squire Glennrm Theyr sending mo off TO BE CONTINUED |
