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Show 3 ;STORV I THE HOUSE OF ill A THOUSAND CANDLES . . i m By MEREDITH NICHOLSON Author el "tllE MAIN CHANCE," ZELDA CAMERON," Elc. ! ' " - Copjllglit IWi bj lluUbl-UtrrlU Co. CHAPTER XVII. Continued. Thcro was n somul of mirth and scampering foot In tho hall nbovo nnd then down tho step3, hotween tho lino i ?, of guests arrested In their descent, canio n dark laughing girl In tho garb 4 of Llttlo lied Hiding Hood, amid gon- ;, oral applause and laughter. f "It's Olivia! She won tho wngorl" exclaimed tho spectacled gentleman, 1 ' and tho girl, whoso dark curls wero Bhokon nhout her fnco, ran up to us I and throw hor arms about him and J kissed him. It wns a charming picture pic-ture tho figures on tho stairway, tho I pretty, graceful child, tho eager, happy fc faces nil about. I was too Interested In tho sceno to bo uncomfortnblo. Then, nt tho top of tho stair, hor height accentuated by her gown of j white, stood Marian Dovoroux,' hcsl-1 - tatlng nn Instant, as a bird pauses before be-fore taking wing, and then laughingly running hotween tho lines to whero y Olivia faced her In mock abjection, A To tho charm of thu girl In tho wood- land was added now tho dignity of beautiful womanhood, and my heart leaped at tho thought that I had over spoken to hor, that I was thoro bo-causo bo-causo she had taunted mo with tho risk of coming. Abovo, on tho stair landing, a deep-toned deep-toned clock began to strlko midnight and every ono cried "Merry Christmas!" Christ-mas!" and "Olivia's won!" and thoro was moro hand clapping, in which I , Joined with good will. k Somo ono bohlnd mo was explaining what had Just occurred. Olivia, tho ' . youngest daughtor of tho houso, had , boon denied n gllmpso of tho ball; . Miss Dovoroux had mado a wager with her host that Olivia would ap-' ap-' ." pear boforo midnight; and Ollvln, do- v fcatlng tho plot agalnBt hor, gained tho main hall at tho stroko of 12. "Good night! Good night!" railed Olivia tho real Olivia In derision to tho company, nnd turned and ran back through tho npplaudlng, laughing throng. Tho spcctncled gentleman was Olivia's Oliv-ia's father, and ho mockingly rebuked Marian Dovoroux for having encouraged encour-aged nn Infraction of parentl disci-t disci-t pllno, whllo sho was twitting him upon Ctlio loss of his wager. Thon hor eyes rested upon mo for tho first time. Sho lifted hor brows slightly, but contln-ucd contln-ucd talking placidly to hor host. Tho J situation did not ploaso mo; I had not travoled so far and burglariously entered en-tered Doctor Armstrong's houso In quest of a girl with bluo eyes merely to stand by whllo sho tniked with another an-other man. I ifrow nearer, Impatiently; and was conscious that four other young men in white wnlstcoats and glows qulto as lrroproachablo as ray own stood ready to claim her tho Instant sho was frco. I did not propoao to bo thwarted by tho beaux of Cincinnati and I addressed ad-dressed my host boldly. "I beg your pardon, Doctor," I said with nn assurance for which I blush to this hour. "All right, my boy; I, too, havo boon In Arcady!" ho oxclalmcd in cheerful apology, and alio put her hand on my arm nnd I led her nway, "Ho called mo 'my boy,' so I must bo passing mustor," I remarked, not daring dar-ing to look at her. "Ho'b afraid not to rocognlzo you. His Inability to romcmbor faces Is a town Joko." r Wo. reached a quiet cornor of tho ii great hnll and I found a seat for hor. 1 "You don't seem surprised to soo mo, you knew I would como. I should havo como ncross tho world for this, for Just this." Hor oyes wero gravo at onco. "Why did you como? I did not think you wero so foolish. This Is nil so wretched. You didn't know that Mr. . Plckorlng Mr. Pickering " Sho wns greatly distressed and this namo canio from hor chokingly. "Yes; what of him?" I lnughed. "Ho Is well on tho way to California, and J without you!" fl.- ,,i "No you don't know you don't un- ft " dbrstand ho's horo! Ho abandoned his California trip at Chicago; ho telo-graphod telo-graphod mo to expect him horo to-night! to-night! You must go at onco nt onco!" "Ah, but you can't frighten mo," 1 said, trying to rcallzo Just what a mooting moot-ing with Plckorlng In that houso might mean. "No," sho lookod anxiously about, "thjy woro to nrrlvo lato, ho and tho Taylors; they know tho Armstrongs qulto woll. Thoy may como at any momont now. PIcbbo go!" "Hut I havo only n fow minutes myself, my-self, you wouldn't havo mo sit thorn out In tho station down town? Thoro nro somo things I hnvo como to say, and Arthur Plckorlng and I nro not afraid of each othor!" "But you must not meet him hero. Think whnt that would mean to mo! You nro vory foolhardy, Mr. Olonarm. I had no Idea you would como " "Hut you wished to try mo, you challenged mo." "That wasn't mo, It was Olivia," sho laughod, moro nt easo, "I thought" "Yes, what did you think that I i wab tied hand nnd foot by n dead man's money " "No, It wasn't that wretched for-tuno; for-tuno; but I enjoyed playing tho child before you I really lovo Olivia and It seemed that tho fairies wero protecting protect-ing mo nnd that I could play being a child to tho very end of tho chapter without any real mischief coming of It. I wish I wero Olivia!" sho declared, hor eyes nway from mo. "That's rnthor Idle. I'm not really suro yet what yout1 namo Is, nnd I don't care. Let's Imagine that wo haven't any names, I'm suro my name Isn't of any use, and I'll bo glad to go nnmclcss all my days If only " "If only " she repeated Idly, opening open-ing and closing her fan. It was n frail bluo trifle, painted In golden butter-(lies. butter-(lies. "Thoro nro so mnny 'If onllcs' that I hcsltnto to chooso; but I will venturo one. If only you will como back to St. Agatha's! Not to-morrow, or tho next day, but, say, with tho first bluebirds. I bcllovo thoy nro tho harbingers up there." Her very easo was a balm to my spirits; sho was now a vorltablo daughter daugh-ter of repose. Ono arm In Its long, I whlto sheath lay quiet in her lap; her right hand held tho golden butterflies against tho soft curvo of hor check. A collar of pearls clasped hor throat and accented tho elenr girlish outlines of j hor profile. I felt tho appeal of hor youth and purity. It was llko a cry In I my heart, and tho dreary houso by tho lake, and Pickering and tho weeks within tho stono walls of my prison i wero ns though thoy had never been. j "Tho friends who know mo host never expect mo to promtso to bo any-whero any-whero at a given tlmo. I can't toll; perhaps I shall follow tho bluebirds to I Indiana; but why should I, when I can't play being Olivia any moro?" "Why not? You havo seen how dull I I am; and that noto of apology you At the Top of the StalrHer Height Accentuated by Her Gown of White, Stood Marian Devereux. wroto from tho school really fooled mo. But I havo Been tho real Olivia now. I don't want you to go too far not whoro I can't follow and this flight I shall hardly daro repeat." Hor Hps closed llko a roso that had gono back to bo a bud ngaln nnd sho pondered a momont, slowly freeing and imprisoning tho golden buttorfllos. "You havo risked a fortuno, Mr. Qlonarm, vory, vory foolishly, If you aro found horo. Why, Olivia must havo recognized you! Sho had scon you often ncoss tho wall." "Hut I don't enro I'm not stnylng nt that rum up thcro for monoy. My grandfather meant moro to mo than that" "Yes; I bollovo that Is so. Ho was a dear old gentleman; nnd ho liked mo becauso I thought his Jokes adorable My fathor and ho had known each othor. Hut thoro was no expectation no wish to profit by his friendship. My namo in his will is a great embarrassment, embar-rassment, n sourco of real annoynnco. Tho nowspapors printed dreadful pictures pic-tures of mo in connection with tho will. I say to you, qulto frnnkly, that I wouldn't accopt a cont of Mr. Glon-nrm's Glon-nrm's money if It wero offered mo; and that is why," and hor smllo wns a flash of spring, "I want you to oboy tho terms of tho will and earn your fortuno." Sho closed tho fan sharply and lifted hor oyes to mlno. "Hut thoro Isn't any fortuno; It's all a myth, a Joko." "Mr. Plckorlng doosn't seem to think so. Ho had ovory reason for bo-Moving bo-Moving that Mr, Glonnrm wns a vory rich man.'' "Hut nssumlng that thoro's monoy burled thoro by tho lako llko a pirate's trcasuro, it Isn't Pickering's If ho finds It. Thoro nro laws to protect oven tho dead from robbory!" I concluded hotly. "How dlfllcult you nro! Suppose you should fall from n boat, or bo shot accidentally thon I might havo to tako tho fortuno nftor all; and Mr. Pickering might think of an easier way of gottlng it than by " "Stealing HI Yes; I know what you mean; but you wouldn't 1" Half-past 'i struck on tho stairway and I started to my feet. "You wouldn't" I repeated. "I might, you know!" "I must go, but not with that, nol with any hint of that, please!" "If you let him defeat you, If you fall to spend your year thoro, wo'll overlook this ono lapse," sho looked mo steadily In tho eyes, wholly guiltless guilt-less of coquetry but Infinitely kind, "then," Sho paused, opened tho fnn, held It up to tho light and studied tho golden butterflies. "Yes" "Then lot mo sec oh, I shall never chaso another rabbit as long as I livot Now go quickly quickly I" "Hut you haven't told mo when and whoro It was wo met tho first tlmo. Please!" Sho laughed, but urged mo nway with hor eyes. "I shan't do It! It l'sn't proper for mo to remember, If your momory Is so poor. I wonder how It would seem for us to meet Just once nnd bo Introduced! In-troduced! Good night! You really camo. You nro a gentleman of your word, Squlro Glonnrm!" Sho gave mo tho tips of hor flngors without looking nt mo. A servant camo In hurriedly. "Miss Dovoroux, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor Tay-lor nnd Mr. Plckorlng aro In tho drawing-room." "Yes; very well; I will como nt onco." Then to mo: "Thoy must not seo you thoro, that way I" and sho stood In tho door, facing fac-ing mo, hor hands lightly touching tho framo as though to secure my way. I turned for a last look and saw her waiting her oyes bent gravely upon mo, hor arms still half-raised, barring tho door; then sho turned swiftly away nnd passed through tho hnll. 1 Outsldo I found my hat and coat, and wakened my slooplng driver. Ho drove liko mad into tho city, nnd I swung mysolf upon tho north-bound trnln Just as it was drawing out of tho station. CHAPTER XVIII. I Meet an Old Friend. Whon I reached Glenarm Houso tho noxt morning I found to my astonishment astonish-ment that tho window I had loft open as I scrambled out tho night boforo was closed. I dropped my bag and crept to tho front door, thinking thnt If Bates had discovered my absenco It was useless to attempt any further deception. I was amazed to And tho great doors of tho main entrance flung wldo, and in real alarm I rnn through tho hall and back to tho library. Tho nearest door stood open, and, ns I peered In, n curious sccuo disclosed Itself. A fow of I ho Inrgo cathedral candles still burned brightly In sovoral places, tholr flames rlsmg strangely in tho gray morning light. Books had been taken from tho shelves and scattered scat-tered ovorywhero, and sharp Implements Imple-ments had cut ugly gashes in tho shelving. Tho drnwers contnlnlng sketches and photographs had boon pulled out and their contents thrown about and trampled undor foot. Tho houso was as silent as a tomb, but ns I stood on tho threshold trying to rcallzo what had happened, something some-thing stlrrod by tho flroplaco and I crept forward, listening, until I stood by tho long tablo benenth tho groat chandellor. Again I heard a sound ns of somo anlmnl walking and stretching, stretch-ing, followed by a moan that undoubtedly undoubt-edly was human. Thon tho hands of a man clutched tho frrthor odgo of the tnblo, and Blowly and evidently with Inflnlto dlfllculty a ilgiu' roso nnd tho dark fnco of Bates, with rvos blurred and staring strangoly, conj, -nted mo Ho drew his body to Its VjMght nnd leaned heavily upon tho inblb. 1 snatched n candlo and ben toward him to mako suro my eyos wero not tricking mo. (TO BE CONTINUED.) |
