Show Alt Tess year was I afHE HOUSE OF sets I THOUSAND lag CANDLES of f vafiBr rr iBr MEREDITH NICHOLSON r hsi 01 01 t TilE MAIN CIIANCE ZELDA erD DAMERON Elc Top To-p i val lowrtk11 1W1 bj Ilobbi lltrrlll Co onng CHAPTER III Continued he tt y resentment I felt on first hoar a Ba ie terms ot my grandfathers will coupe passed Ho had treated mo as as I deserved and tho least I HU I do was to accept the penalty ho ailed aid upon mo In a sane and nmln J or pint This tram of thought occu Wort pe as we tramped along the high The road now led away from catco ike and through a heavy wood lerbat nUy on tho right loomed a darker delug dark-er and I put out my hand and tectj > 00 a wall of rough stone that to a height of about eight feet of tat Is this Bates 7 I asked of Us Is Glenarm land sir Tho financ iras one of your grandfathers nj to I Its a quarter of a mile long cost him a pretty penny I warrant rot i The road turns off from the so all tow but tho Glonarm property is the I ie front forK thero was a wall about my prls ousel I grinned cheerfully to ot N If f When a few moments later i win raide paused at an arched gateway ie ca e long wall drew from his ovor has a bunch of keys and fumbled nt lock of an Iron gate I felt tho I Call tof t adventure quicken within me 0 gato clicked behind us nnd ugly s found a lantern and lighted it oiler the easo of custom 4 Ro use this gate because its nearer regular entrance is farther down a road Keep close sir as tho lira eon Isnt much cleared eho eundorgrowth was Indeed heavy lean I followed tho lantern of my guide difficulty In darkness tho place 0fk aed as wild and rough as a tropl girl ivlldcrness lane nly a little farther rose Bates mb ahead of me and then Theres 10 light slrand lifting my eyes d a i 1 stumbled over tho roots of a ol t t tree 1 saw for tho first time the rust outlines of Glenarm House rind ere we are sir exclaimed my I s stamping his feet upon a walk pass Sowed him to what I assumed tote girt to-te front door of tho house where a ch rap shone brightly at eIther side deer massive entrance Bates flung U one without ndo and I stepped quick t Bto a groat hall that was lighted t 1 by candles fastened Into brack y b n the walls coin hope youvo not expected too ig b Mr GJonarm said Bates with f lae of mild apology Its very In Ipleto for living purposes C he IVell weve got to make the best ed10 it t I answered though without rites h cheer Tho bound of our steps ed > in the well of a great stair cos There was not as far as I could sGcro a single artlplo of furniture In place elI Zeros something youll like better ie and Bates paused far down tho arid and opened a door at single candle made a little pool k ight In what I felt to bo a largo ago a I was prepared for a disclosure ti arren ugliness and waited In pre sick foreboding for tho silent u I e to reveal a dreary prison r f lease sit hero sir saId Bates e4 l He I make a better light Trim e moved through the dark room j ° perfect easo struck a matched match-ed a taper and went swiftly andy Kim and-y about He touched tha taper to ef Q candle after another they seem ooed o bo everywhere and won from befs dark a faint twilight that yielded hlc Ijr to n growing mellow splendor and < tent I havo often watched the rtes i In dim cathedrals of tho Old a 4 set countless candles ablaze on a it Jnificent altars always with awe llh the beauty of the spectacle but ie Sethis unknown house tho austere et lug man summoned from tho shad sen a lovllor and moro bewildering en itment Youth alone of beautiful m tIei gs Is lovelier than light en ie lines of the wall receded as tho I t Increased and the raftered cell drew away luring tho eyes up JU d I roso with a smothered ox e nation on my lips nnd stared about d Ching off my hat In reverence ash as-h spirit of the place wove Its spell it mo Everywhere there woro st ks they covered the walls to thong p tho-ng with only long French wins iI s and an enormous fireplace break tho line Above the firoplaco a iJ4 silo dark oak chimneybreast la nor emphasized tho grand scale of MI room From every conceivable s efrom shelves built for tho pur u b1 from brackets that thrust out st arms among tho books from a ne t crystal chandelier suspended ss the ceiling and from tho breast t be chimney Innumerable candles lt ed with dazzling brilliancy lox Ys lied in wonder and pleasure ns es paused his sorcerers wand In des d dir Qlenarin was very fond of can let light ho liked to gather up candle ks and his collection Is very fine t ii often called this The Houso of a isand Candles Theres only about J ndrod hero but it was one of his 1 cells that when tho house was find k fin-d there would bo a thousand lights bad QuIto n Joking way your grander J grand-er it pulled his humor to call It a I i 1 = thousand He enjoyed his own pleasantries pleas-antries sir I fancy ho did I replied staring In bewilderment Oil lamps might bo moro suited to your own taste sir But your grand father would not have them Old brass and copper were specialties with him and he had a particular taste Mr men arm had in glass candlesticks no held that tho crystal was most effec tlvo of all Ill go and let In the bag gage man nnd then servo you somo sup perHo He went somberly out and I exam ined tho room with amazed and de lighted eyes It was CO feet long nUll half as wide Tho hardwood lloor was covered with handsome rugs every piece of furniture was quaint or Interesting Inter-esting Carved In the heavy oak paneling panel-ing above tto fireplace In largo Old English letters was the Inscription Clu Spirit of man Is 1 the Candle of the Cord and on either side great candelabra sent long arms across the hearth All tho books seemed related to architecture architec-ture Gorman and French works stood side by side among those by English and American authorities I found archaeology represented In a division where all tho titles wore Latin or ItalIan Ital-Ian I opened several cabinets that contained sketches and drawings all In careful order and In another I found an elaborate card catalogue evidently tho work of a practiced hand The minute examination was too much for mo I throw myself Into a great chair that might have been spoil from a cathedral satisfied to enjoy tho goiter goit-er effect To find an apartment so handsome and so marked by good taste In tho midst of an Indiana wood > staggered me I was so lost In contemplation con-templation that I did not hear a door ii i I t Iii I ii JA 4 WJ J q2 j l y I J z r t I Liked the Fellows Humility He Served With Great Deference open behind me The respectful mournful voice of Bates announced Theres a bite ready for you sir I followed him through the hall to a small hlghwnmscoted room where a table was simply set This Is what Mr Glenarm called the refectory He took his own meals hero Tho library was the main thing with him He never lived to finish tho house mores the pity sir He would have made something very handsome of it if hed had a few years more But he hoped sir that youd see It completed com-pleted The work was near his heart sir Yes to be1 sure I replied Ho brought cold fowl nnd a salad and produced a bit of Stilton of unmistakable un-mistakable authenticity I trust the ale IB cooled to your liking lik-ing Its your grandfathers favorite If I may say it sir I liked the fellows humility He served mo with a grave deference and nan an accustomed hand Candles In crystal crys-tal holders shed an agreeable light upon the table the room was snug and comfortable and hickory logs In a small fireplace crackled cheerily If my grandfather had designed to punish mo with loneliness ns his weapon his shade if it lurked near me must have been grievously disappointed I had often eaten my bread alone and I found a pleasure In the quiet of the strange unknown house There stole over me too the satisfaction that I was at last obeying a wish of my grandfathers that I was doing something some-thing ho would havo mo do I was touched by tho traces everywhere of his Interest in what was to him tho art ot arts there was something quite fine In his devotion to It The little refectory re-fectory had its air of distinction though It was without decoration There had been we always said In tho family something whimsical or oven morbid In my grandslros devotion to architecture but I felt that It had really appealed to something dignified and noble In his own mind and character char-acter and a gentler mood than I had known in years possessed my heart Ho had asked little of mo and I do termined that In that llttlo I would not fall Dates gave mo my coffee put matches within reach and left tin loom I drew out my cigarette case and held it halfopened In my hand when tho glass In the window back of mo cracked sharply a bullet whistled over my head struck pposlto wall and fell flattened nnd marred on tho table under my land CHAPTER IV A Voice from the Lake I ran to tho window nnd peered out Into the night Tho wood through which we had approached tho house seemed to encompass It Tho branches of a great tree brushed tho panes I was tugging at tho fastening of tho window when I became aware of Bates at my elbow Did something happen sir His unbroken calm angered me Some one had fired at mo through a window and I had narrowly escaped being shot I resented tho unconcern with which this servant accepted tho situation Nothing worth mentioning Somebody Some-body trIed to assassinate me thats all I said In a voice that failed to bo calmly ironical I was still tumbling at the catch of tho window Allow me slraUll ho throw up tho Bash with an case that Increased my Irritation I leaned out and tried to find some clue to my assailant Bates opened another window pnd surveyed tho dark landscape with mo It was a shot from without was It sir Of course It was you didnt suppose sup-pose I shot at myself did you Hoexamined tho broken pano nnd picked up the bullet from tho table Its n rifle ball I should say Tho bullet was halfflattened by Its contact with tho wall It was a cartridge cart-ridge ball of largo caliber that might have been fired from either rifle or pistol Its very unusual sir I wheeled upon him angrily and found him fumbling fum-bling with tho bit of metal a troubled look on his face He at once continued con-tinued as though anxious to allay my fears QuIto accidental most likely Probably boys on tho lake aro shooting shoot-ing at ducks I laughed out so suddenly that Bates started back In alarm You idiot I roared seizing him by tho collar with both hands and shaking him lercely You fool do the people aro ind hero shoot ducks at night Do the shoot waterfowl with elephant guns and fire at people through windows Just for fun I throw Mm back against the table sq that It leaped away from him and ho fell prone on the floor Get up I commanded and fetch a lantern He said nothing but did as I bade him We traversed tho long cheerless hall to the front door and I sent him before mo Into tho woodland My notions no-tions of tho geography of tho region I wero tho vaguest but I wished to examine ex-amine for myself tho premises that evidently contained a dangerous prowler prow-ler I was very angry and my rage increased as I followed Bates who had suddenly retired within himself Wo stood soon beneath tho lights of the refectory window Tho ground was covered with leaves which broke crisply under our feet What lies beyond hero I demanded de-manded About a quarter of mllo of woods sir and then tho lake Go ahead I ordered straight to tho lake TO DC CONTINUED |