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Show THE HOUSE OFll A THOUSAND CANDLES Br MEREDITH NICHOLSON iAitbir ! "THE MAIN CHANCE," ZELDA OAHERON." Elc. Copright lw t lkbb-Urrlll Co. CHAPTER XkV. Continued. "Ah, to bo sure! You woro away Christmas ovo, when thoso vandals broko In. Hates merely mentioned It In tho last roport I got from hltn In Now York. That was all right. I assumed, as-sumed, of courso, that you had gono oft Bomowhoro to get a Uttlo Christmas Christ-mas cheer; I don't care anything about it." "Uut I had followed her I wont to Cincinnati to bco hor don't you understand? un-derstand? Sho dared mo to come It was a trick, a part of tho conspiracy to steal your property." Tho old gontloman smllod. It was an old trick of his to grow calm as other peoplo waxed angry. "Sho dared you to conio, did shot That Is quito llko Marian; but you didn't havo to go, did you, Jack?" "Of courso not; of courso I didn't havo to go, but " I stammered, faltered and coasod. Memory throw open hor portals with a challenge I saw Mnrlan on tho stairway at tho Armstrongs'; I heard hor low, soft laughter; I felt tho mockery mock-ery of her voice and oyes; I know again tho oxqulslto delight of being near her. My heart told mo well enough why I had followed hcrt "Jack, I'm glad I'm not burlod up thero In that Vermont graveyard with nobody to exercise tho right of guardianship guar-dianship over you. I'vo had my misgivings mis-givings about you; I used to Utlnk you wero a born tramp; and you disappointed disap-pointed mo In turning your back on architecture, the noblest of all professions; pro-fessions; but this performance of yours really beats them all. Don't you know that a girl llko Marian Dove Do-ve re ux isri't likely to become tho agent of any rascal? Do you really bollovo for a mlnuto that she tempted you to follow her so you might forfeit your rights to my property?" "But why was sho trying to find those notes of his? Why did sho come back from Cincinnati with his party? If you could answer mo thoso things, maybo I'd admit that I'm a fool. Plckorlng, I Imagino, Is a protty plauslblo fellow whoro women are con-corned." con-corned." "For God's sako, Jack, don't speak of that girl as women) I put her In that will of mlno Just to plquo your curiosity, knowing that If thero was a penalty on your marrying hor you would bo wholly likely to do It, for that's tho way human bolngs aro made. Dut you'vo mixed It all up now and Insulted her In tho grossest way possible for a fellow who Is really a gontloman. And I don't want to loso you; I want you hero with mo! Thoso rich Americans, who go to England to llvo, don't appreciate tho beauty of their own country. This landscapo Is worthy of tho best that man can do. And I didn't undortako to build a crazy houso out hero but ono that should havo somo dignity and character. charac-ter. That passago around tho chimney chim-ney la nn Indulgenco, Jack, I'll admit It's a llttlo bizarre, you seo that chimney Isn't so big outsldo as It Is In!" and ho laughod and rubbed his kneos, ''and my bringing foreign laborers horo was really to mako It easier to get tilings dono my way. Walt till you havo seen tho May-apples blossom and heard tho robin sing In tho summer twilight, help mo to finish tho houso, thon If you want to loavo I'll bid you Godspeed." Tho feeling In his tone, tho display of sontlmont so at varlanco with my old notion of him, touched mo In splto of myself. Thero was a characteristic nobility and dignity In his plan; It was worthy of him. And I had novcr loved him as now, whon ho finished this nppeal, and turned awny to tho window, gazing out upon tho somber woodland.- "Mr. Donovan la ready to go, sir," announced Hates at tho door, and wo went Into tho library, where Larry and Stoddard woro waiting. CHAPTER XXVI. Shorter Vistas. Larry had assomblod his effects In tho library, and to my surprlso, Stoddard Stod-dard appeared with his own hand-bag. "I'm going to seo Donovan woll on his way," said tho clorgyman. "It's a pity our party must break up," exclaimed my grandfather. "My obligations to Mr. Donovan aro vory sreat and to you, too, Stoddard, lack's friends aro mlno horenftor, and whon wo got now doors for Glenarm House you Bball honor mo by accepting accept-ing duplicate keys." "Where's Dates?" asked Larry, and tho mnn camo In, respectfully, impor-turbahly impor-turbahly as always, and began gathering gather-ing up tho bags. "Stop ono momont! Mr. aionarm," ald Lnrry. "Ileforo I go I want to congratulato you on tho splendid courage of this man who has sorvod you and your Iioubo with so much faithfulness and tact. And I want to toll you somothlng olso, that you probably prob-ably would novor loam from him " "Donovan!" There wan a sharp cry In nates' voice, and ho sprang forward with his hands outstretchod ontreat-Inclv, ontreat-Inclv, Dut Larry did not hoed him. "Tho momont I sot eyes on this man I recognized him. It's not fair to you or to htm that you should not know him for what he Is. Let mo lntroduco an old friend, Walter Crelghton; ho wns a student at Dublin whon 1 was thero, a poor boy 'with nobody to holp hltn; but I remombor him os ono of tho best fo'lows In tho world." "For God's sake no!" plondod Dates. Ho was deeply moved and "turned his faco away from us. "But, llko mo," Larry went on, "ho mixed In politics. Ono'nlght In n riot at Dublin a constnblo was killed. No ono know who wns guilty, but a youngstor was suspected, tho son of ono of tho richest nnd best-known men In Ireland, who happened to get mlxod In tho row. To draw attention from tho boy, Crolghton let -suspicion attach to his own name, and, to holp tho boy's caso further, ran away. I had not heard from or of him until tho night I camo horo and found him tho defendor of this houso. Dy God; that was no servant's trick, It was tho act of a royal gontloman." They clasped hands, and with a now light In his faco, with a now man-nor, man-nor, as though ho resumed, as a familiar famil-iar garment, an old disused personality, person-ality, Hates stood transfigured in tho twilight, a man nnd n gentleman. I think wo wero all drawn to him; I know that a sob clutchod my throat and tears tilled my eyes as I grasped his hand. "Hut what in tho devil did you do It for?" blurted my grandfather, excitedly excited-ly twirling his glasses. Dates (I still call him Hatos, ho Insists In-sists on It) laughed. For tho first tlmo ho thrust his hands Into his pockets and stood at his caso, ono of us. "Larry, you may remember that I showed a fondness for tho stngo In our university dnys. When I got to Amor-lea Amor-lea I had llttlo money nnd found It nocessary to find employment without dolay. I saw Mr. Glenarm's advortlso- Ised Larry asylum and no quosttens asked. Aa my two frlonds waved farowoll to mo from tho rear platform of their train a mood of depression seized mo; I had lost much that day, and what I hod gained, my restoration to tho regard re-gard of tho kind old man of my own blood, who had appealed for my companionship com-panionship In torms hard to deny, seemed trilling ns I tramped back over tho Ico. Perhaps Plckorlng, after all, was tho real gnlner by tho day's ovontat I trnmpod on back toward Uio Glen-nrm Glen-nrm shore, nnd leaving tho lako, half-unconsciously half-unconsciously struck Into tho wood beyond be-yond tho dividing wall. Tho molted snow of mid-day was now crisp Ico that rattled and broko under my trend. I camo out into an open spneo beyond St. Agatha's, found tho walk and turned toward homo In tho gathorlng night. As I noared tho main ontrnnco to tho school tho door opened and a woman wom-an camo out under tho overhanging lamp. Sho carried n lantern, and turned with a hand outstrotched to somo ono who followed hor with caro-ful caro-ful stops. "Ah, Marian," cried my grandfather, "It's over tho task of youth to light tho way for ago!" CHAPTER XXVII. And 8o the Light Led Me. Ho had bcon to si-o Sister Thorcsa, and Mnrlan was walking with him to tho gato. I saw her quite plainly In tho light that fell from tho lamp ovor-head. ovor-head. A long cloak covered hor, and a fur toquo capped her graceful head. My grandfather and his guldo wero apparently In high spirits and their laughter smoto harshly upon mo. It scorned to shut mo out, to lift a harrier har-rier against mo. Tho world lny thero within tho rndlus of that swaying light, nnd I hung aloof, hearing her Hands.' ' mcnt for a valot Just as a lark I an-sworod an-sworod It to seo what an Amorlcan gontloman Booking a valot looked llko. I foil In lovo with Mr. Glonarm at sight" "And I with you!" declared my grandfather. "I novor bollovod your story at all, you woro too porfect in tho part!" "Well, I didn't greatly mind the valot business; It helped to hldo my Identity; and I did llko tho humor and whims of Mr. Glonarm. Tho houso-kcoplng, houso-kcoplng, after wo camo out here, wasn't so ploasant" ho looked at his hands ruefully "but this J6ko of Mr. Glonarm's making a will and thon going go-ing to Egypt to seo what would hap-pon, hap-pon, that waB too good to mUs. And whon tho holr arrived I found now opportunities op-portunities of practising amatour theatricals; the-atricals; and Pickering's efforts to enlist en-list mo In his Bchomo for finding tho monoy nnd making mo rich jjavo mo still grcator opportunities. Thero woro times whon I wna strongly tempted tempt-ed to blurt tho wholo thing; I got tlrod of bolng suspected, nnd of play-Ing play-Ing ghost in tho wall; and If Mr. Glonarm Glon-arm hadn't got hero Just as ho did I should havo stoppod tho fight and proclaimed pro-claimed tho truth. I hopo," lio said, turning to mo, "you havo no hard feelings, sir." And ho throw Into tho "sir" Just a touch of irony that mado us all roar. "I'm cortalnly glad I'm not dead," declared my grandfnthor, staring at Hatos. "Llfo is more fun than I over thought possible Hloss my soul!" ho said, "It It Isn't a shamo that Hates can novor cook another omoletto for mo!" Wo sent Hatos back with my grandfather grand-father from tho boat-house, and Stoddard, Stod-dard, Larry and I started across tho Ico; tho light coating of snow mado walking comparatively easy. Wo strodo on sllontly, Stoddard loading. Thojr plan was to tako an accommodation accommoda-tion train at tho first station beyond Annnndalo, loavo It at a town 40 miles away, and then hurry oast to an obscure ob-scure placo In tho mountains of Maryland Mary-land whoro a rollglotts ordor maintained main-tained a house. Thero Stoddard prom- volco and Jealous of tho vory companionship com-panionship and sympathy botwoon them. Hut tho light led mo. I romomborod with bitterness that I had always followed fol-lowed hor, whether as Olivia, trailing trail-ing In hor girlish grnco across tho snow, or as tho girl In gray, whom I had followed on that night Journey at Christmas ovo; and I followed now. Tho distrust, my Bhattorod faith, my uttor lonelinoss, could not weigh against tho Joy of hearing that laugh of hors breaking mellowly on tho night. ' I pausod to allow tho two flguros to widen tho dlstanco botwoon us as thoy travorscd tho path that curvod away toward tho chapel. I could still hear their voices, and seo tho Inntom Hash and disappear. I felt an impulso to turn hack, or plunge Into tho woodland; wood-land; but I wns carried on uncontrollably. uncontroll-ably. Tho light gllmmorod and hor volco still floated .buck to mo. It atolo through tho keon winter dark llko a memory of spring; and 'so hor volco and tho light lod mo. Thon I hoard an exclamation of dismay dis-may followod by laughter, In which my grandfather Joined merrily. "Oh, novor mind; wo'ro not afraid!" sho exclaimed. I had roundod tho curvo In tho path whoro I should havo soon tho light; but tho darkness was unbroken. Thoro was ellonco for a momont, In which I drew quito noar to them. Thon my grandfathor's volco broko out cheerily. "Now I must go back with you! A flno porson you aro to guldo an old man I A foolish virgin, indeed, with no olt in hor lamp!" "Pleaso do not! Of courso I'm going go-ing to seo you quito to your own door! I don't Intend to put my hand to the lantern and thon turn back I" "This walk isn't what it should bo," said my grandfather, "we'll havo to mako a bettor ono In tho spring." (TO I1E CONTINUED.) |