| Show THE HOUSE OF A THOUSAND CANDLES by MEREDITH NICHOLSON author of cl till THY MAIN CHANCE ZELDA gic etc IM by oban GO CHAPTER ill III continued any resentment I 1 felt on first hearing bearing the terms ot 0 roy my grandfathers will mill had bad passed ile he had treated rne me as well as I 1 deserved and the least I 1 could do was to accept the penalty he had laid upon me in a sane and amla ble bla spirit this train of thought mccu pled me as we tramped along the high way the road now led away from the lake and through a heavy wood present Presen tl on the right loomed a dahlk barrier and I 1 put out my hand and touched a wall of rough stone that robe rose to a height of about eight feet NA ahat hat Is this dates I 1 asked this Is glenarm glenara land sir air the wall was waa one of your grandfathers giand gi and fathers ideas its a of a mile long and cost him a pretty penny I 1 warrant you the road turns oil off from the lake now but the glenaro glenarm property Is all lake front so go there was a wall about my prig on house I 1 grinned cheerfully to myself when a few moments later my guide paused at an arched gateway in the long wall drew from hta hlis over coat a bunch of keys and fumbled at the lock of an iron gate I 1 felt the spirit of adventure quicken within me the gate clicked behind us and dates bates found a lanstein and lighted it with the ease of custom I 1 I 1 use this gate because its neared the regular ent entrance ranLe Is farther down the road keep close sir air as the tim her ber isn t much cleared the undergrowth was indeed beav and I 1 followed the lantern of my guide with difficulty in darkness the place seemed as wild and rough as a cal al wilderness only a little farther rose dates bates voice ahead of me and then there a the light sir and lifting mv eyes as I 1 stumbled over the roots of a cicat gi eat tree I 1 saw for the first time the dark outlines of glenarm glenara house here we are sir air exclaimed 11 hates ites stamping his feet upon a walk I 1 followed him to 0 o what I 1 assumed to be the tha fiant door of the house where a lamp shone brightly at elthel side tot lof a massive entrance bates flung it open without ado and I 1 stepped quick ly into a great hall that was mas lighted dimly by candles fastened into baack ets on the walls ails I 1 I 1 hope you ve riot not expected too much mr ift glenarm glenara Gl said dates bates with a tone of mild apology it a very in complete tor for living purposes well weve got to make the best of it I 1 answered though without much cheer the sound of our steps echoed in the well of a gibat stair case th rs ra was not as far as I 1 could see a single article of furniture in the place here fleres s something you 11 like better sir and dates bates paused far down the hall and opened a door A single candle made a little pool of light in what I 1 felt to be ft a large room I 1 was prepared pie pared for a disclosure dib closure of barren ugliness and waited malted in heartsick foi boding for the silent guide to repeal a dreary prison please sit here sir air said dates bates while I 1 make a better light ile he moved through the dark room with perfect pei feet eabe struck a match lighted a taper and went swiftly and loftly about ile he touched the taper to one candle after another they seem pd ed to be everywhere and won mon from the dark a faint twilight that 1 slowly to a glowing mellow splendor of light I 1 have often watched the acolytes in dlin dim cathedrals cathe dials of the old set countI countless candles ablaze on magnificent altars always with awe for the beauty of the spectacle but in this unknown house the austere serving man summoned summon pd aiom the shad aws a loviner lo 10 viler and more bewildering en cliant ment youth alone of 0 beautiful things is lovelier than light the lines of the vail mall receded as the light increased and the flattered latt ered cell ing drew away luring the eyes up ward I 1 rose roae with a smothered ex cla matlon mation on my lips and stared about snatching matching off my hat in reverence as the spirit of the place wove its spoil spell about me everywhere there were books they covered the walls walla to the ceiling cel ling with only long french win dows and an normous fireplace bieak bicak ing the line above the fireplace a massive dark oak chimney breast urther further emphasized the grand scale of the room from every conceivable place f from shelves built for the pur pose fr froma T brackets that thrust out long arms among the books from a great crystal chandelier suspended aiom the ceiling cel ling and aiom the breast of the chimney innumerable candles blazed with dazzling bill Hancy flancy I 1 ex claimed in wonder and pleasure plea suie as dates bates paused his sorcerers wand in hand band I 1 mr air glenarm glenara was very fond of can dle die light ho he liked to gather up candle sticks and his big collection la Is very fine ile he afton called this the house of a thusa id candles th theres reb only about a hundred ht adred here but it was one of his that when the house was fin I 1 shed e would be a thousand lights ile he haet ha quite boulte a joking way your grand father it suited his hi bt mor to call all it a thousand ile he tn joed his own pa pleas lag aut antiles ties sir air I 1 fancy he lid did I 1 replied staring in bewilderment oil lamps might be more suited to your own taste sir but your grand father would not have them old brass and copper were specialties with alth him and he be had bad a particular taste mr dir glen aim had in glass candle sticks ile he hell hel that the crystal was most effect the hie of all 1 II 11 go and let la in the bag bageman and then serve aou ou some sup per ile he went ment somberly out and I 1 exam ned ined the room with amazed and delighted eyes I 1 it t was 50 feet long and halt half as aa vide m ide the haid hai d wood floor was covered with handsome rugs every piece of furni furniture tire was quaint or inter esting carved in the heavy oak panel ing above the fireplace 16 large old letters was the inscription abe spirit of cr man mait Is tbt tl canitis candit of the h nm cord and on either side great candelabra sent long arms aci oss the heat health th all the books i elated belated to architect archi tec ture german and french works stood side bide by side among those by english and american authorities I 1 found archaeology represented in a division where all the titles were mere latin or ital tan lan I 1 opened several cabinets that sketches and drawings all in careful order and in another I 1 f found und an elaborate card catalogue evidently the work mork of a practiced hand the minute examination vas v as too much foi me I 1 threw aselt irto a great chair that might have been spoil from a cathedral satisfied to enjoy the gen eral era effect to find an apartment so handsome and so marked by good taste in the midst arnld at of an indiana wood staggered me I 1 was so eo lost in con tomp lation that I 1 did not hear bear a door open behind me the tha respectful mournful voice ot of pates announced there a a bite ready for you sir air I 1 followed him through the hall ball to a small high wainscoted room where a table was simply set this Is what wr mr glensie called the refectory ile he took hla his own meals here the library was the main thing with him ile he never lived to 0 o finish the hoube more inores s the pity sir air he Ile would mould have made something very handsome ot of it it he be d had a few ears more but he hoped sir air that oud see it com coin plated I 1 the he work m was as near neap his heart sir air yes to be sure I 1 replied ile he brought cold fowl and a salad and produced a bit of stilton of un mistakable authenticity I 1 I 1 ti fiust the ale la is cooled to your ilk ing its it s your grandfathers grandfather a favorite it I 1 may say gay it sir air I 1 liked tho the fellows humility ile he served me with a grave deference and an accustomed hand candles in crys tal holders shed an agreeable light upon the table the i oom loom was A as snug and comfortable and hickory logs in a small email fireplace crackled cheerily it my grandfather had bad designed to punish me with mith loneliness as his weapon big shade it if it lurked near me must have been grievously disappointed I 1 had often eaten my bread alone and I 1 found a pleasure plea auie suie in the quiet ot of the strange unknown house there stole over me too the that I 1 was at last obeying a wish lot bf my gi grandfathers giand fathers 9 that I 1 was doing something he would have me do I 1 was touched by the traces everywhere ot of his interest lit in what was to him the art ot of arts there was something quite fine in his devotion to it I 1 be little re factory had bad its air of distinction though it was waa without decoration there had bad been we always said in the family something whimsical or enen een morbid in my granish grand e s devotion to architecture but I 1 felt that it had bad really appealed to something Bom ething dignified d and noble in his own mind and char acter and a gentler mood than I 1 had known in years possessed roy my heart ile he had bad asked little of me and I 1 de ter mined that in that little I 1 would not fail dates gave me my coffee put matches within roach reach and left tho oom loom i I 1 diew out my cigarette case and held it halt balf opened in my harld hand when the glass la in the window back of me crack 4 sharply a bullet whistled over my head bead struck I 1 opposite wall and fell flattened and warred marred on an the table under nader my hand CHAPTER IV A voice from the lake I 1 ran to the window and peered out into the night the wood through which we bad approached the house seemed to encompass it the branches 0 of f a great tree brushed the panes I 1 was tugging at the fastening of the window when I 1 became aware of bates at my elbow did something happen sir air ilia unbroken calm angered me some one had fired at me through a window and I 1 had narrowly escaped being shot I 1 resented the unconcern a w with ith which this servant accepted the situa situation t ion nothing woith mentioning loning somebody tried to assassinate me all I 1 I 1 said in a voice that failed to ba calmly ironical I 1 was still fumbling at the catch of the window allow me sir air and he threw up the sash m falth ith an case that increased inci eased my irritation I 1 leaned out and tried to find some clue to my assailant dates bates opened another window and surveyed thedarl landscape with mith me it was a shot from mit without hout was it sir air I 1 of course it was 3 1011 ou dian didn t sup pose I 1 ahot at myself did youa you lie ile examined the broken pane and picked up the bullet from the table its it s a rifle ball I 1 should say i A it I 1 liked the fellows humility he served with great deference the bullet was half balf flattened by its contact with the wall it was a cart ridge bill of large caliber that might have been from either rifle or pistol its very unusual sir girl I 1 wheeled upon him angilly and found him turn fum bling with the be bit of metal a troubled lit look on his face lie ile at once con untied as aa though anxious to allay my fears quite accidental most likely boys on the lake are shoot ing at duels ducks I 1 laughed out so go suddenly that bates started back in alarm you idlett I 1 roared seizing him by the cellai with both hands and shaking him lercell you fool do the people arodd heie shoot ducks at night do the shoot waterfowl water fowl with elephant guns guna and fire at people through windows just tor for fun I 1 threw hm back against the table so that it leaped away from him and he fell prone on the floor get cupl up I 1 commanded and fetch a lantern ile he said nothing but did as I 1 bade him no e traversed the long cheerless cheer lesa hall to the front door and I 1 sent him before me into the woodland my no eions of the alle geography of the region were the vaguest but I 1 wished to ex amine for myself the premises that evidently contained a dangerous prow ler I 1 was very angry and my rago rage increased as I 1 followed dates bates who had suddenly retired within himself we stood soon boon beneath the lights of the refectory window the ground was coveted with leaves which broke crisply under our feet what lies beyond liere here I 1 do banded about a quarton of mile of woods wooda sir air and then the lake go ahead I 1 ordered I 1 straight to the lake TO BE CONTINI CONTINUED TED |
