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Show :T HE HOUSE OF A I THOUSAND CANDLES u BY MEREDITH NICHOLSON jM. 'Si ' l CopyritfLt by The. Bob os-Merrill Company ' 'si ' , 4 and finally or the affair In the nlcht aad our Interview with Bates. . "I feel like rubbing my eyes and accusing; ac-cusing; you of reading penny-horrors. he said. "That doesn't sound like the twentieth century in Indiana." "But Ferguson you'd better have a eare la Ms direction. Sister Theresa "Bless your heart! Ferguson's gone without notice. He got his. traps and skipped without aaying a word to any one." ,.. "We'll hear from again. 00 doubt Now, gentlemen, I believe we understand one another. I don't like to draw you. either one of you, Into my private affairs teaka ' The big chaplain laughed. "Glenarm" prefixes went out of commission com-mission quickly that morning "if yott hadn't let me in on this I should never have got over It Why, this. is a page out of the good old times! Bless me! I aever appreciated your grandfather! I must run I have another service but I hope you gentlemen will call on me, day or night, for anything I can do to help you. Please-don't forget me. I had . the record once for putting the shot" ' - "Why not give our friend escort through the tunnel?" asked -Larry. "I'll not hesitate to say that I'm dying to see If "To be sure!" We went down Into the cellar, and poked over the lantern and candlestick collections, and I pointed out the exact spot where Morgan Mor-gan and I had Indulged in our revolver duel. It was fortunate that the plastered plas-tered walla of the cellar showed clearly the cuts and scars of the pistol-balls, or I fear my story would have fallen on Incredulous ears. The debris I had piled upon the false block of stone In the cellar lay as I had left It. but the three of us quickly freed the trap. The humor of the thing took strong hold of my new allies, and while I was getting a lantern to light us through the passage Larry sat on the edge of the trap and howled a few bars of a wild Irish jig. We set forth at once and found the passage unchanged. un-changed. When the cold air blew In upon us I paused. "Have you gentlemen the slightest Idea of where you are?" We must be under the school grounds, I should say," replied Stoddard. "We're exactly under the Btone wall. Those tall posts at the gate are a scheme for keeping fresh air In the passage. "You certainly have all the modern Improvements," Im-provements," observed Larry, and I heard him chuckling all the way to the crypt door. When I pushed the panel open and we stepped out into the crypt Stoddard whistled whis-tled and Larry swore softly. "It must be for something!" exclaimed the chaplain. "You don't -suppose Mr. Glenarm built a secret passage just for the fun of It, do. you T He must have had some' purpose. Why. I sleep out here within forty yards of where we stand and I never had the slightest idea of this." "But other people seem to know of It," observed Larry. "To be sure; the curiosity of the whole countryside was undoubtedly piqued by the building of Glenarm House. The fact that workmen were brought from a distance dis-tance was In Itself enough to arouse interest in-terest Morgan seems to have discovered the passage without any trouble." ."More, likely It was Ferguson. He was the sexton of the church and had a chance to investigate," said Stoddard. "And now; gentlemen, I must go to my service. II: see you again before the day is over." "And we make no confidences ' I admonished. ad-monished. 1 " 'Sdeath! I beleive that is the proper expression under all circumstances." And the Reverend Paul Stoddard laughed, clasped my hand and went up Into the chapel vestry. . I closed the door In -the wainscoting and hung the map back in place. We went up Into the little chapel and found a small company of worshipers assembled as-sembled a few people from the sur-1 sur-1 rounding farms, half a dozen Sisters sitting sit-ting somberly near the chancel and the school servants. Stoddard came but into the chancel, lighted the altar tapers and began the 1 Anglican communion office. 2 had forgot-I forgot-I ten what a church aervlce was like; and I Larry, I felt sure, had not attended church since the last time his family had dragged him to choral vespers. It was comforting to know that here was. at least, one place of peace within reach of Glenarm House. But I may be forgiven, I hope. It my mind wandered that morning, and my thoughts played hide-and-seek with memory. Por it was here, in the winter twilight, that Marian Devereux. had poured out her glrl'a heart In a great flood of melody. I was glad that tha organ was closed; It would have wrung my heart to hear a note from It that her hands did not evoke. . When we came out upon the church porch and I stood on the steps to allow Larry to study the grounds, one of the brown-robed Sisters spoke my name. - It was Sister Theresa. "Can you come in for a moment?" she asked. "I will follow at once," I said. She met me in the .reception-room where I had seen her before. "I'm sorry to trouble you on Christmas day with my affairs, but X have had. a letter from Mr. Pickering, saying that he will be obliged to bring suit for settlement set-tlement of my account with Mr. Glen-arm's Glen-arm's estate. I needn't say that this troubles me greatly. In my position a lawsuit is uncomfortable; it would do a real harm to the school. Mr. Pickering Picker-ing implies In a very disagreeable way that I exercised an undue Influence over Mr. Glenarm. You can readily understand under-stand that that is not a pleasant accusation." accu-sation." "He is going pretty far," I said. "He gives me credit for a degree of power over others that I regret to say I do not possess. He thinks, for Instance, that I am responsible for Miss Devereux's attitude toward fcim eoruethlng that I have had nothing whatever to do with." "No, of course not." "I'm glad you have no harsh feeling toward to-ward her. It was unfortunate that Mr. Glenarm saw fit to mention her. In his will. It has given her a great deal ef notoriety, and has doubtless strengthened the impression in some minds that she and I really plotted to get as much as possible of your grandfather's estate." " (To Be Continued.) - . CHAPTER XX. , . (Continued.) ' "He always trets the mail first;, .oesn't bet "asked Larry. Yes, I believe he does.' "I thought so; snd 111 swear he never irot a letter from Vermont in . his life." i :' When we went down Bates was limp-Jnjf limp-Jnjf about the library, endeavoring to restore ortfer. - i Bales," I said to him, "you are a very curious person. I have had a thousand and one opinion's' about yon since .1 came here, and I still don't make you out.". ' He-turned from the shelves, a de-1 de-1 .. faced Tolume in his hands. - - " Yes. sir. It was a good desl that way with your lamented grandfather. He always said I puzzled him." 1 Larry, safe behind the fellow's back, made no attempt to conceal a smile. "I want-to thank you for your heroic . efforts to protect the bouse last night Yoii acted nobly. - and I must confess. Bates, that I didn't think It was In you. You've got the right stuff In you; I'm only sbrry that there are black pages ,ln your record that I can't reconcile with your, manly conduct of last night Put we've, got to come to an understanding." "Yes, sir."-. . - . "The most outrageous attacks have beer made on me since I rame here. You know what I mean well enough. Mr. .Glenarm never Intended that I should sit down In his house and be killed or robbed. He was the gentlest being that . - ever lived; and I'm going to fight for 1 his memory and te protect his property 'from the scoundrels who have plotted 'against me. I hope you follow me." i'Yes, Mr. Glenarm." He was regard- ' 1 me attentively. Hla ifps quavered, " i yrhaps from weakness, for he certainly Jooked UL . " "Now I offer you ytur choice) either to stand loyally by me and my grandfather's S house or to Join these scoundrels Arthur (Pickering has hired to drive me out I'm ! enot going to bribe you I. don't offer you 5 a cent for standing by me but I won't have a -traitor-in the house, and If yon don't Ilka me or my terms I want you (to go and go now." a - He straightened quickly his eyes Slighted and the color crept into his face, J I had never before seen him. appear so alike a human being. ' "Mr. Glenarm, you have been hard on (me; there have been times when you have a been very unjust " "Unjust my God. what do you expect me to take from you? Haven't I known jthat you were in league with Pickering? I'm not aa dull as I look, and after your Interview with Pickering in the chapel a porch yon can't convince me that you fwere faithful, to my Interests at that Jtime." ' " ' . - ' He started and cased at me wondering-Jly. wondering-Jly. t bad had no Intention of using the a chapel porch interview at this time, but it leaped out of me uncontrollably. ""-"I suppose, sir," he began brokenly, "that I can hardly persuade you that I meant no wrong on that occasion?" "Yon certainly cannot and It'a safer 'for you not to try. But I'm willing to let all that go as a reward for your work last night Make your choice now; stay here and stop your spying or clear out of Annandale within an hour." He took a step toward me. The table was between us. and he drew quite near, but stood clear of it, erect until there was something almost soldierly and com- mandlng in his, figure. - "By God, I will stand by you, John Glenarm!" he said, and struck the table smartly with' hia clenched hand. He flushed instantly and I felt the blood mounting into my own face as we gazed at each other he, Bates, the servant, ser-vant, and I. his master! He had always addressed me' so punctiliously with the air" of respect that his declaration of fealty, spoken with so sincere and vigor-eras vigor-eras an air of Independence, and with tha bold emphasis of the oath, held me spellbound, staring at him. The alienee was broken by Lrry, who sprang for- ward and grasped Bates' hand. ' "L too. Bates." I said, feeling my heart leap with liking, even with admiration, ad-miration, for the real manhood that seemed to transfigure this hireling this fellow whom I had charged with moat in-v in-v famous treachery, this servant who had eared for my needs In so humble a spirit U of subjection. 1 The knocker on the front door sounded J peremptorily, and Bates turned away ' without another word and admitted Stoddard, Stod-dard, who came- in hurriedly. "Merry Christmas!" In his big, hearty tones wss hardly consonant with the troubled look on his face. I Introduced him to Larry and asked him to sit down. , . ' "Pray excuse our disorder we didn't do It for fun; It was one of Santa Claus' tricks." - He stared about wondertngly. " ' "So you caught it, too, did you?" "To be sure. You don't mean to say that they raided the chapel?" ' "That's exactly what I mean to aay. .When I went Into the church for my early service I found that seme one had ! ripped oft the wainscoting In half a dosen places, and even pried up the '. altar. It'a the most outrageous thing I ever .knew.- - You've heard of the proverbial pro-verbial poverty of the church mouse . what do you suppose anybody eould want to raid a simple little country chapel for? And, more curious yet. the church , - plate was untouched, though the closet where It's kept was upset, as though the miscreants had been looking for something some-thing they didn't find." .' Stoddard was greatly disturbed and gazed about the topsy-turvy library with growing Indignation. We drew together tor a council of war. Here was an opportunity to enlist a sew recruit on my side. I already felt Stronger by reason of Larry's accession; as to Bates, my mind was still numb and bewildered. 'Va- "Larry, .there's no reason why we i'r shouldn't Join forcs with Mr. Stoddard, he seems to be affected by this struggle. strug-gle. W'e owe it to him and the school lo put him on guard, particularly since we know that Ferguson's with the enemy." en-emy." , "Yes, certainly," said Larry. '. He always liked or disliked new people peo-ple unequivocally, and I was glad to see that he surveyed the big clergyman With approval. - ."I'll begin at the beginning," I said, and tell you the whole story." I He listened quietly to the end while told him of my experience with Mor-aa, Mor-aa, of the tunnel Into the chapel crypt, ' - |