| Show waito TORY ak L THE HOUSE OF A THOUSAND CANDLES by MEREDITH NICHOLSON author ol of THE MAIN CHANCE ZELDA fic L oy dy ljobobo marrou to lo CHAPTER XI continued well ell he be exclaimed this has been very pleasant but I 1 must run I 1 hae just j u B t been over to see morgan th he caretaker r e taker at the be resort village the poor fellow accidentally shot him self yesterday lest 30 s erday cleaning his gun or comet something bi na of that sort and he has an ugly hole in his aim that will NOR shut him up for a month or worse ile he gave me an errand to do for hlin him ile he s a conscientious and wished me to ft ire for him to mr air pickering that tied ho d been hurt but nas w as attending to ills duties Pic lierIng owns owna a at the farther end of the colony and morgan has haa charge of it you know of course I 1 looked my clerical neighbor straight in the eye a trifle coldly per haps I 1 was mas wondering why morgan with m ith whom I 1 had enjoyed eljo ed a duel in my own cellar only a few hours before should be reporting his injury to ar thur ing I 1 I 1 think I 1 have seen morgan about here I 1 said oh yes lies iles a woodsman and a hunter our nimrod of the lake A good sort very likely 1 1 I dare siy ile he has sometimes brought roe me ducks during the season to be sure they shoot ducks at night those boosler hoor ter hunters so oo I 1 hear bear ile he laughed as he shook himself into his greatcoat that a possible sible though UTi un sports manlike bat we don t have to look a gift mallard in tho the eye I 1 we laughed together r it was easy to laugh with him dy BY tho the way I 1 forgot to get pick edings address from morgan if you happen to have it with pleasure I 1 said alexis building broadway new york good cay to remember he said smiling and turning up his coat collar don forget me I 1 in quartered in a hermits hermit s cell back of the chapel and I 1 believe we e can find many matters of interest to talk about I 1 m confident of it I 1 said glad of the sympathy and cheer that seemed 0 40 o emanate from ilia hla stalwart figure I 1 threw on my overcoat and walked to the gate with him and saw him hurry toward the village with long strides CHAPTER XII I 1 explore a passage dates bates I 1 I 1 found him busy realen ashing the candlesticks in the library it seemed to me that lie he was always poking about with an ainsil of can dies adles there are a good many things in this but I 1 guess youre one of the qu queerest Lerest I 1 don t mind tel tell 1 ing vou that there are times when 1 I think ou a thoroughly bad lot and then again I 1 question in judgment and don t give you credit for being much more thin a doddering fool lie ile was standing under a ladder be neath the gibat crystal chandelier and looked down upon me with that pa tient inquiry that is so appealing in a dog la in say the eyes of an irish set ter when you accidentally step on his tall yes mr glenarm glenara Gl lie he replied hum bly now I 1 i w ant you to grasp this idea that I 1 ni in going to dig into this old shell top and bottom I 1 m going to blow it up with da dynamite if I 1 please and it if I 1 catch you si BI ying yang on me or reporting my doings to my enemies or engaging in any questionable inces whatever III hang yoa between tho posts out there in the school wall do sou stand so that the sweet sisters of st agatha and the dear lit tle tie school girls and the chip liln and all the rest will shudder through all their ih lles es at the very thought of 0 you yon I 1 I 1 certainly mr Gl glenara glenarm and his tone was the same ho h bould ft have used it I 1 had asked him to pass me the matches and under my breath I 1 con signed him to the hardest tortures of the flery pit now noa as to morgan yes sir bar 11 V hat bat possible business do you sup pose he be has with mr mir pickering ide I 1 de why sir that s clear enough mr pickering owns a house up the lake he got it through sour our grandfather giand father morgan has the care of it sir very plausible indeed and I 1 seat bent him off to his work after luncheon I 1 vent to the end of the corridor and began to sound the walls they were as aa solid as aa rock and responded dully to the strokes of the hammer I 1 sounded them on both sides aides retracing my steps to the stair way becoming more and mote moie ampa tient at my III luck or stupidity there was every reason why I 1 should know my own house and yet a stranger and an outlaw ran raa through it with amazing daring after an hour hours a idle search I 1 returned to tue end of the corridor re boated all my previous soundings and anda I 1 apar par indulged in language ing it gentleman then in my blind anger I 1 found what patient braich had not disclosed I 1 threw the hammer from me in a nt lit of cf temper and it struck one of the square blocks in the cement floor which gave foith a hollow sound I 1 was waa on my kapes in an instant my finger searching the cracks and draw ing down close I 1 could feel a current of air slight but unmistakable against my face the cement square though exactly like the others n the tha cellar floor was eNi evidently dently only an imitation with an opening beneath the block was fitted into its place with a nicety that to the skill of the hand that had bad adjusted it I 1 broke a blade of my pocketknife pocket knife try ing to ply it up but in a moment I 1 succeeded and found it to be in reality a trap door hinged to the substantial part of the floor A current of cool fresh or air the same that had bad surprised me in ill tile the night struck my face as I 1 lay jay flat and peered into the opening the lower passage was as black as aa pitch and I 1 lighted a lantern I 1 had brought bi ought with me found that wooden steps gave sate safe conduct below and went down domn I 1 stood erect in the passage and had several ili inches hes to spare it extended both ways running bick back under the foundations of the house and cut squarely under the park before the house and tow ton ard the school wall the air diew steadily fresher until arter after I 1 had gone about two bundled yards I 1 reached a point where the wind ind seemed to beat do doan NA n on roe me from abon abao e I 1 put up my hands and found two openings about three 3 bards ards apart till through ough which bich the air sucked steadily I 1 moved out of the current with a chuckle in my throat and a grin on my face I 1 had passed under the gate in the s school hool wall and I 1 knew now why villy the piers others now it was an august b ra r a now how a theme from wagner and mendelssohn a sons song won mit u cold dark chapel to light and warmth i with its exultant notes she ceased suddenly with alth a little sigh and struck her bands together for the place was cold As she reached up to put out the lights I 1 stepped for ward to the chancel steps please allow nie to do that for oua she sha turned toward me gathering a cape about her oh it its a you Is it she asked look ing about quickly I 1 aon aoa t remember that you were invited 1 I dida t know I 1 was coming coining my self belt I 1 retrial remarked iced ked truthfully lifting my hand to the lamp that la is my opinion of you that you re a rather unexpected person but thank you very much she showed no disposition to pro long the interview but hurried toward the door and reached the vestibule Nesti bule before I 1 came up with her you can t go adv farther mr glen arm she said and waited as aa though to make sure I 1 understood dundei stood straight before us through the tha wood and beyond the school buildings the sunset faded sullenly night was following fist upon the gray twilight and al ready leady the boldea planets were aflame in the the path led straight ahead beneath the black boughs I 1 might perhaps walk alk to the dorat tory or whatever ou ell call it I 1 said I 1 thank you not no 1 I in late and badent time to bother with you it its a against the rules ruler sou know tor for us to receive visitors I 1 she stepped out upon the path but I 1 in not a caller I 1 in just a neighbor and I 1 owe you several calls an anyhow how she laughed but did not pause and I 1 followed a pace behind her e 6 C all ac at I 1 r rp f f I 1 it 11 oh yes im terribly wicked squire clenard Cl 11 thit that held heij it had been built to ho high they were hollow and the means of sending fresh all into the tunnel when I 1 had traveled about twenty bards more I 1 folt felt a slight vibration ac com compacted compan panted led by a muffled roar and al most immediately came to a tough lough wooden stair that marked the end of the passage I 1 had no means of judg ing directions but I 1 assumed that I 1 was well within the school park I 1 climbed the steps and in a moment stood blinking my lantern la in hand in a small andall floored room overhead the tumult and thunder of an organ ex the tremor and roar I 1 had heard headd below I 1 was in n the crypt of st agatha a chapel the inside of the door by which I 1 hwi haul entered was a pait of the wainscoting ut of the room and the opening was wholly covered mith a map of the holy land it was all very strange and intel inte interest est iest ing I 1 looked at my watch and found that it was ave 0 clock but I 1 resolved to go into the chapel before going home the way up was clear enough and I 1 was soon in the vestibule I 1 opened the door expecting to find a service in pro gres resit but the little church was empty save where at the right of the chancel fh ancel an organist was waa filling the church the notes of an exultant march cap in hand I 1 stole stale fo ivard iNard and sank down in one of the pews A lamp over the organ keyboard gave the only light in the chapel and made mada an aureole about her head about the uncovered head of olivia gladys armstrong I 1 smiled as I 1 ree rec her arid and smiled too na as I 1 remembered her name dut but the joy she brought to the music the happiness in tier her face as she raised it in the minor harmonies her isolation marked hy by the little isle ot of light against the rk background of the choir these things touched and moved me and I 1 bent for ward my arms arma the pew in front of me watching and listening with a kind of awed wonder there was no pause tin n the outpour fag of the melody she changed stops stop and manuals with swift fingers and passed troia from one composition to an 1 I hope aou ou dont think for a mo ment that I 1 chased a rabbit on your side bide of the fence in the hope of meet ing you do you mr bir glenara glenarm Gl ue be it far from mel I 1 m glad I 1 came though for I 1 liked your music tin densely im I 1 in in earnest I 1 think it if quite wonderful miss armstrong she paid no heed to me and I 1 hope I 1 may promise the pleasure of hearing bearing aou ou often you are very kind about my poor music mr air glenarm glenara Gl but as I 1 ini m going away I 1 felt my heart sink a she was the only amusing person I 1 had bad met at glena glemann rn and the thought ol of losing her gao gaie a darker note to the bleak landscape that a really too baal and just when we were acre getting acquainted and I 1 was coming to church sunday to hear you play and to pray tor for snow enow so BO you d come over often to chase rabbits this I 1 thought softened her ber heart at any rate her tone changed 1 I dont play for services aft aid to let pie me tor for tear fear I 1 id d run comic opera tunes into the ToP Te Jeum etim ilow how shocking kIngI do iou know mr air glenara glenarm Gl GI her ber tone became confidential and her pico sla blackened ken we me call you the squire at st agatha s and the lord of 0 tile the manor and bamps like that all the girls are crazy about sou ou they d be wild it if they thought I 1 talked with yu you clandestinely la is that the way sou 3 ou pronounce it I 1 anything anything lou say and any way sou say it satisfies me I 1 replied ever so nice of you she said mockingly again J X mt falt foolish and guilty she would probably get roundly scolded if the giave giace learned of her talks with me and very likely I 1 should win theli hearty contempt dut but I 1 did not turn back 11 1 I hope the reason youre leaving lent I 1 hesitated I 1 III conduct con duel 9 oh ob yes im I 1 m terribly nicked clr A squire Glenar ml they n sending rie no off TO DL BE CONTINUED |
