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Show THE' HOUSE OF A THOUSAND CANDLES BY MEREIITH NICHOLSON a I Copyright . by TLe Bobba-Mer rill Comptny paused an Instant as though pondering. "I make It four times, not counting once In the road and other times when you didn't know. Squire Glenarm! I'm a foolish lit il girl to hava remembered the first. I see now how b-l-l-n-d. I have been." - - She opened and closed the door softly, and It heard her running up the steps within. I ran back t the chapel, roundly abusing abus-ing myself for having neglected my more serious affairs for a bit of silly talk with a schoolgirl, fearful lest the openings open-ings I ha'd left at both ends of the passage pass-age should have been discovered. The tunnel added a new and puzillcg factor to the problem already before me, and I was eager for an opportunity to sit down In peace and comfort to study the situation. At the chapel I narrowly escaped running run-ning into Stoddard, but I slipped past him, pulled the hidden door Into place, traversed the tunnel without Incident, and soon climbed through the hatchway and slammed the false block securely CHAPTER XII. (Continued.) "Tou can't go any farther, Mr. Glen-arm." Glen-arm." she said, and waited as though to make sure I understood. Straight before us through the wood and beyond the school buildings the sunset faded sullenly. sul-lenly. The night was following fast upon the gray twilight nd already the bolder planets were aflame In the ' sky. The path led straight ahead beneath the black boughs. "I might perhaps walk to the dormitory, dormi-tory, or whatever- you -call- it." I said. "Thank you. no'. I'm late and haven't time to bother with you. It's against '- the ules, you know, for us "to receive Visitor." She stepped out into .the path. - "But I'm not a caller. I'm Just a neighbor. And I owe you several calls, anyhow." , ' She laughed, but did not pause, and I followed a pace behind her. "I hope you don't think for a minute that I chased a rabbit on your elde of ' the fence Just to meet you; do you, Mr. Glenarm?" . "Be It far from me! I'm glad I came, though, for I Uked your music Immensely, I'm in earnest; I think it quHe wonderful. Miss Armstrong " She paid no heed to me. "And 'I . hope I may promise myself the pleasure of hearing you often." "You are positively flattering. Mr. Glenarm; but as I'm gd"vs awajr " I felt rcy heart sink at the thought ef her going away. She was .the only amusing person I had. met at Glenarm. - and the Idea of losing her gave a darker note to the bleak landscape, v. "That's really too bad! And Juet when we were getting acquainted! And I was coming to church every Sunday to hear i ou play and -to pray for snow, so you'd 'Tyome ovef often to chase rabbits!" H This, I thought, softened her heart. f At any rate, her tone changed. "I don't play for services; they're afraid to let me for fear I'd run corulo opera tunes Into the Te Deum!" "How shocking!" " CHAPTER VIII. A Pair of Eavesdroppers. When I came down after dressing for dinner. Bates called my attention to a belated mail. I pounced eagerly upon a . letter in Laurence Donovan 8 well-known hand, bearing, to my surprise, sur-prise, an American stamp and postmarked post-marked New Orleans. It was dated, however, at Vera Cruz, Mexico, December Decem-ber 13, 1901. Dear Old Man: I have had a merry time aince I saw you in New York. Couldn't get away for a European port a I hoped when I left you, aa the authorities aeemed to be taking ray case aerioualy. and 1 waa lucky to get off aa a deck-hand on. a southbound boat. I expected to get a slice of English prodigal veal at Chrltttmas, but as things ataod now, I am grateful to be looee even In this God-foraaken bole. Th British bulldog bull-dog is eager to Insert Its teeth In my trpua-er. trpua-er. and 1 was flattered to see my pit-lure bulletined In a conspicuous place the day i struck Vera Crus. You aee, they're badgering badger-ing th Oovernment at home because I m not apprehended, and they've got to catch and hang me to ahow that they've really got their hands on the Irish situation. I sra not afraid of the greaaera no people who gorge themselves them-selves ' wtth bananas and red peppers can be dangerous but the British Consul her has a bad eye and even as I write I am dimly, conscious that a sleek person, who Is ostensibly os-tensibly engaged In literary work at the next table, la really killing time while he waits-for waits-for me to ftoish thia screed. Jo doubt you are peaceably settled en your ancestral eatate with only a few months and a little patience between you and your grandfathers siller. You always were a lucky brute. People die Just to leave you money, whereas 1 11 have to die to get out of Jail. I hope to land under the 8tars and Stripes within a few day, either acrpaa country through El Paao or via NewJ Orleans preferably the former, a a mans social position po-sition la-rated--high ia Tea ia ftroportion t th amount of reward that a out for him. "Do you know, Mr. Glenarm" her - tone became confidential and her pace slackened "we call you" the squire, at SL Agatha's, and the lord of the manor, and names like that! All the girls are perfectly crazy about you. They'd be wild, if they thought I talked with you, clandestinely Is that the way you pronounce pro-nounce It?" "Anything you say and any way you ay it satUfies me," I replied. "That's ever so nice of you," she said, , mockingly fegain. I felt foolish and guilty. She would - probably get roundly scolded if the grave Sisters-learned of her talks with me. and ery .likely I should win their hearty . eertitempt. But I did not turn back. "I hope .the reason you're leading laa't. " L-hesitated..- ; "111 conduct? Oh,- yes; I'm terribly wicked, Squire Glenarm! They're send; ng me off." "But I suppose they're awfully strict, the Sisters." "They're hideous perfectly hideous." "Where is your home?" I demanded. "Chicago, Indianapolis. Cincinnati, perhaps?" per-haps?" ' VHumpb! you are dull. You ought to know from my accent that I'm not from Chicago. And I hope I haven't a Ken-. Ken-. tucky girl's air of waiting- to be flattered flat-tered to death. And no Indianapolis girl would talk to a strange man at the edge of a deep wood In the gray twilight i of a winter day that's from a book; and the Cincinnati girl is without my elan, esprit whatever you please to call it. She haa more Teutonlo repose more of Getcheh-of-the-Rblne-valley about her. Don't ycrar. adore French, Squire Glenarm?" Glen-arm?" she concluded breathlessly, and with do pause In her quick step. "I adore yours. Miss Armstrong." I asserted, yielding myself further to 4 he Joy of .Idiocy and delighting in the mock- j pry and changing moods of her talk. I did not make her out; indeed. I pre- i Jerred not to! I was not then and J am not. now, thank God of an analytical turn of mind. And as I grow older I take my fellow human beings a good deal as I And them. And as for women, old or young. I envy no man his gift of resolving . them Into elements. As well carry a sprsy of arbutus to the laboratory labora-tory or subject the enchantment of moon-V moon-V j light upon running water to the flarn and blow-pipe as try to analyse the I heart of a girl particularly a girl who ' paddles a canoe with a sure stroke and " puis up a good race with a rabbit. A lamp shone ahead of us at the entrance en-trance of one othe houses, and lights appeared in all Jhe buildings. "If I knew your window I should certainly cer-tainly alng under it except that you're going home! You didn't tell me why they were deporting you." "I'm really ashamed to! You would -ever " They'd probably give m the freedom of the State tf they knew my crimes had been tne subject of debate In the Houae of Commona. But the man acroas tbe table Is casually looking over here for a glimpse of my signature, signa-ture, so I out give him a food one just for fun. Wrlth beat wiahea alwaya. Faithfully your. GEORGE WASHINGTON SMITH. P. 8. I eban't mail thia here, but give it to a red-halrod Irlbhman on a ateamer that eails north tonight. Pleasant, I must say, this eternal dodging! Wish I could share your rural paradise for tbe length of a pipe and a bottle! Have forgotten whether you aid Indian Territory or Indiana, but will take chances on the latter aa more remotely suggesting the aborigines. Bates gave me? my-coffee in the library, libra-ry, as I wished to settle down to an evening of refleetiou without Jelay. Larrv'a report of himself wag not reassuring;. re-assuring;. I knew that if he had any idea r trying to reach me he would not mention it in a letter which might fall into the hands of the authorities, and the hope that he might Join ,me grew. I was not. perhaps, entitled to a companion at Glenarm under the terms of my exile, but as a matter of protection in the existing condition of affairs there could be no legal or moral reason whv I should not defend myself against my foes, and Larry waa an allv worth having. (To Be Continued.) "Oh, yes, l would: I'm really an old fries!" I lnlsted. feeling more like an idiot every minute. , - . "Well, don't tell! But they caught nje flirting with tbe grocery boy! Now . aren't .you disgusted T" "Thoroughly! 1 esn't believe It! Why, you'd a lot better flirt with me," I suggested- boldly. "Well, I'm to be sent away for good at-ChFlstmae. I may come back then If I can square myself. My! That's slang -rlsn't It horrid?" ."The Sisters don't like slang, I suppose?" sup-pose?" They-loathe H! Miss Devereaux you know who she is! she spies on us and t,Us."' - -Tou don't say ao; but I'mJ not surprised sur-prised at her. I've heard about her!" I, declared bitterly. We had reached tbe door, and I expected ex-pected her to fly; but she lingered a moment. mo-ment. "Oh. if-you kno her! Perhaps you're a .spy. too!, I'-'s Just .as well we should never" meet again, Mr. Glenarm," she de- elared .-haugbUiy. ----- ... j "The memory of these few meet-V meet-V ingg will always linger with me. Miss ' Armstrong.", I returned in an Imitation L of her tone." "I shall acorn to remember you!" and she folded her arms under tbe cloak tragically. trag-ically. "Our meetings have been all to few, . Vilas Armstrong. Three, exactly. I be-' be-' Ueve." . . T see you prefer to Ignore the first time Z ever saw you." she said, her hand -on the door. . "Out there in you.- canoe? Never! And you've forgiven me for overhearing you and the chaplain on the wall-please!" wall-please!" - , She grasped the knob of tbe door and - ' .... . . |