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Show THE HOUSE OFll A THOUSAND 1 CANDLES H Dr MEREDITH NICHOLSON Aalhtr at "THE MAIN CHANCE." ZEIDA HJ topjilslit itoi l)j lloUb-Mrrlll Co, CHAPTER XXVII. Contlnued.i Hi Then tlioy wcro silent and I heard HJ Mm futilely striking n match, whan HJ suddenly tlio Inntorn fell, Its wires HJ rattling as It struck tlio ground, and HJ tlio two exclaimed with renewed trior- HJ rlmcnt upon their misfortune. HJ "K you will nllow mo!" I called out, HJ fumbling In my pocket for my own HJ matchbox. HI I hnvo fionictlmcs thought that HJ thcro Is really some sort of decent HJ courtesy to mo. An old man caught In HJ a rough path that was nono too good HJ nt best! And a girl, oven though my HJ enomy! Hut theso wcro not, I fancy, HJ tho reflections that crossed my mind HJ at tho moment. HJ "Ah, It's Jack," oxclnlmod my grand- HJ fatlior. "Marian was showing mo tho HJ tho way to tho gate and our light wont HJ "Miss Dovcroux," I murmurod. I HJ havo, I hope, an Icy tono for persons HJ who have Incurred my dlsplnnsuro, HJ and I employed It thon nnd thcro with, HJ no doubt, its fullest vnluo. HJ Slio and my grandfather woro grop- HJ Ing In tho dark for tho lost Inntorn, HJ and I, putting out my hand, touched HJ hor unglovod flngors. HJ "I beg your pardon," uho murmured HJ frostily. HJ Thon I found nnd grnspod tho lan-HJ lan-HJ HJ "Ono moment," I Bald, "and I'll soo HJ what's tho trouble" HJ I thought my grandfather took It, HJ but tho flamo of my wax mntoh showed HJ her lingers clasping tho wlro frame. HJ Tho cloak slipped away, showing hor HJ arm's soft curve, tho bluo and white HJ of hor bodice, tho purple blur of vlo- HJ lots; nnd for a second I saw her fnco, HJ with u Hinllo qnlvuiliiK about hor lips. HJ My grandfather wns beating tho HJ ground Impatiently with IiIh stick, urg- HJ lng us to lonvo tho lantern nnd go on. HJ "Lot It alono," ho said. "I'll go HJ down through tho chapel; thoro's a HJ lantern In thoro Romuwhoro."' HJ "I'm awfully Rorry," sho said, "but HJ I rccontly lost my best lantern!" HJ To bo stiro sho had! I wns angry HJ that sho should so brazenly recnll tho HJ night I found hor looking for Plckoi- HJ lng'a notes In tho pnBsngo at tho Dooi HJ of Itowlldcrmcnt! HJ Sho had lifted tho lantern now, nnd HJ I was Btrlvlng to touch tho wax taper HJ to tho wick, with Imminent dnnger to HJ my bare fingers. HJ "Thoy don't really light well when I tho oil's out," Bho observed, with an HJ exasperating nlr of wisdom. HE I took it from hor liniid and shook HJ it closo to my ear. HJ "Yes; of courso. It's empty," I mut- HJ torcd disdainfully, nnd throw It from HI mo. HJ "Oh, Mr. Glonnrm!" Bho cried, turn- HJ Ing away toward my grnndfnthor. HJ I heard his stick beating tho rough path Bovornl yards nway. Ho was HJ hastening toward Glonnrm Houso. HJ "I think Mr. Olcnarm has gono HJ homo." H "Oh, that Is too bad!" sho ex- HJ claimed. H "Thank you! Ho's probably nt tho HJ ehapol by this tlmo. If you will por- HJ mlt me" HJ "Not at all!" HJ A man In tho sixties should not HJ tax his arteries too sovoroly. I was HJ qulto Buro that my grandfather ran HJ up tho chapel Btops; I could hear his HJ stick beating hurriedly on tho stones. HJ "If you wish to go farther" I bo-HJ bo-HJ HJ I was Indlgnnnt at my grandfathor's HJ conduct; ho had dollborately run off, HJ leaving mo alono with n young woman HJ whom I had resolved novor to seo HJ again. HJ "Thank you; I shall go back now. I HJ was moroly wnlklng to tho gnto with HJ Mr. Glonnrm. It Is so lino to hnvo him HJ back ngain, so unbollovnblo!" HJ It was Just such n pollto murmur as HJ ono might employ In speaking to an HJ old foo at a friend's table. H , Sho listened a moment for his stop; HJ then, apparently satisiled, turned back HJ townrd St. Agatha's. I followed, un- HJ certain, hosltatlng, marking hor dofln- J to onward (light. From tho folds of HJ hor cloak stolo tho faint porfumo of HJ vlolots. Tho sight of hor, tho sound J of her voice, comblnod to croato and HJ to destroy! n mood with every stop. HJ I waB seeking somo colorless thing HJ to say when Bho spoko over hor thoul- HJ dor: HJ "You nro vory kind, but I nm not HJ . tho least afraid, Mr. aionnrm." HJ "Hut there Is something I wish to HJ say to you, now that wo hnvo mot. I should like" Hj Sho slackcnod her stop. "Yea." HJ "I am going nway." HJ "Yea; of courso; you aro going HJ away." HJ Hor tono Implied that this was somo-H somo-H thing (hut had boon ordained from the H beginning of tlmo, nnd did not mats' mat-s' tor. HJ "And I wish to say a word about Mr. Pickering," I addod. HJ Sho paused nnd faced mo abruptly. H We wero at tho odgo of tho wood, H and tho school lay milto near. Sho caught tho clonk closer about her and gnvo her head n little toss' I remembered remem-bered well, as a trick compelled by tho vngnrlcs of woman's headdress. "I can't talk to you hero, Mr. Glen-n?m; Glen-n?m; I had no Intention of ever sco-Ing sco-Ing you ngaln; but I must say this to you" "Thoso notes of Plckorlng's I Bhall ask Mr. Qlonnrm to give them to you as n mark of cstcom from mo." Sho stepped backward as though I had struck her. "You risked much for them and for him " I wont on. "Mr. Glonnrm, I hnvo no Intention of discussing that, or any other mat-tor mat-tor with you" "It Is bettor so" "Hut your accusations, tho things you Imply, are unjust, Infamous!" Tho quavor In hor volco shook my resolution to dent harshly with her. "If I had not myself been n witness" wit-ness" I began. "Yes; you hnvo tho conceit of your own wisdom, I dnro sny." "Hut thot challenge to follow you, to break my pledgo; my running nway, only to find that Pickering wns closo nt my heels; your visit to tho tunnol In search of thoso notos don't you know that thoso things woro a blow that hurt? You had been tho spirit of tills woodlnnd to mo. Through nil thoso months, from tho hour I watched watch-ed you paddlo off Into tho sunsot in your canoe, tho thought of you mndo tho days brlghtor steadied nnd cheor-ed cheor-ed mo, nnd nwakoncd ambitions that I had forgotten abandoned long ngo. And this hldoous strugglo hero It scorns bo Idlo, so worso thnn usolcsa now! Hut I'm glnd I followed you I'm glnd neither fortuno nor duty kopt mo back. And now I want you to know that Plckorlng shall not Buffer for anything that has happened. I shall not punish him; for your sake ho shall go freo." A sigh bo dcop that it was like a sob "Hut you challenged mo to follow you! 1 want to know why you did that!" 8he drew away, struggling to freo herself. "Why wns It, Marian?" "Hecauso I wanted " "Yes?" "I wanted you to como, Squire Glen-nrm!" Glen-nrm!" My history of the nlTalr at Glonnrm has overrun tho bounds I had sot for It, and those, I submit, nro not days for tho desk and lion. Marian Is turning over tho sheets of manuscript that Ho at my left elbow nnd demanding demand-ing thnt I quit work for a walk abroad. My grandfather is pacing tho torraco outside, planning, no doubt, thoso changes In the grounds that are his constant dollght. Of some of tho persons concerned In this wlntor'a talo lot mo Bay a word moro. Tho prisoner whom Larry loft behind wo discharged nftcr sovornl days with all the honors of war, and (I mny add without broach of confidence) confi-dence) a comfortable Indemnity. Larry Lar-ry has mado a reputation by his book on Russia a, searching study into tho Conditions of tho Cznr's omplro, and, having squeezed thnt lemon, ho Is now In Tlbot. Ills father has secured from tho Hrltlsh government n promlso of Immunity for Larry, so long as that amlnblo adventurer kcops away from Ireland. My friend's lntcst letters to mo contain, I note, no rofcronco to Tho Sod. Hates is in California conducting a fruit ranch, nnd whon ho visited us last Christmas ho boro all tho marks of n gontloman whom tho world uses well. Stoddard's life has known many romnrkablo changcB In tho thrco years that hnvo passed, but thoy must wait for another dny, and, perhaps, anothor historian. Suffice It to say that It wns ho who married us Marian and mo In tho llttlo chapel by tho wall, "I Wanted You to Come, Squire Glenarm?" broko from her. Sho thrust forth hor hand cntrcntlngly. "Why don't you go to him with your goncroslty? You nro bo ready to bo-llovo bo-llovo III of mo! And I shall not do-fond do-fond myBolf; but I will sny thoso things to you, Mr. Glonnrm: I hud no Idea, no thought of scolng him nt tho Armstrong's, it wbb a surprlso to mo and to thorn whon ho tolographod ho was coming. And whon I wont Into In-to tho tunnol thoro undor tho wall that night, I had a purpose n purpose pur-pose " "Yob?" Sho pausod nnd I bont for-ward, for-ward, earnestly waiting for hor words, knowing that horo lay hor groat offending. of-fending. "I wns afraid I was afraid that Mr. Glonnrm might not como In tlmo; thnt you might bo dispossessed loso tho light, and I enmo hack with Mr. Pickering because that ,was tho easiest and qnlckost way and I thought somo dreadful thing might happen horo to you " ' Sho turned nnd ran from mo with tho Sliced of the wind, tho clonk fluttering flut-tering out dnrkly about hor. At tho door, undor tho light of tho lamp, I was closo upon hor. Hor hand wns on tho vcstlbulo latch. "Hut how should I havo known?" I cried, "whon vou hnd taunted mo with my Imprisonment nt Glenarm: you had darod mo to follow you. If you can toll mo If thoro is an answer to thnt" "I shall novor toll you nnythlng mofo! You woro so eager to think 111 of mt to nccuso mo!" "It was because I lovo you; It wns my Jealousy of that man, my boyhood enemy, that mado mo catch at any doubt! You nro so bcaullful you nro bo much n part of tho peace, tho charm of nil this! I hnd hoped for spring for you and tho spring together!" to-gether!" "Oh, pleaso !" Hor Might had shaken tho toquo to an unwonted nuglo; hor breath camo quick and hard as sho tugsod at tho latch eugorly. Tho light from ovor-head ovor-head wns full upon us, but 1 could not go with hopo and belief struggling unsatisfied In my heart. I seized her hands and sought to look Into hor oyes. and that whon ho comes now nnd thon to visit us, wo ronow our Impression of him ns n man largo of body and of soul. Sister Theresa continues at tho head of St. Agatha's, and bIio nnd tho other Sisters of hor brown-clad company com-pany nro dollghtful neighbors. Pick-orlng's Pick-orlng's fnlluro nnd subsequent disappearance disap-pearance wero described sufficiently In tho newspapers, and his namo is novor nientloncd nt Glonnrm. As for myself Marian Is tapping tho floor restlessly with hor boot and I must hnston I may Bay that I am no Idler. It was I who carried on tho work of finishing Glenarm House, and I mnnago tho farms which my grandfather has lately acquired In this neighborhood. Hut hotter still, from my own point of vlow, 1 maintain In Chicago nn ofllco ns consulting engineer, engi-neer, nnd I havo already had sevoral Important commissions. Glonnrm Houso Is now whnt my grandfather had wished to mako it, a bcAtttiful nnd dignified mansion. Ho insisted on tilling up tho tunnel, so that tho Door of Howlldorment Is no moro. Tho passago In tho wall and tho strong box In the pnnollng of tho chlmnoy-brenst remain, though tho lat-tor lat-tor wo U80 now as a hiding plnco for cortaln prized bottles of raro whisky which John Marshall Glenarm ordalna shall bo takon down only on Christmas Christ-mas Eves, to drink tho hcnlth of Ollvln Gladys Armstrong. Thnt young woman, I may add, Is now a hollo in hor own city, nnd of tho scores of youngsters all tho way from Pittsburg to Now Orleans who lay slogo to hor heart, my word Is, may tho best man win! Marian-Mho most pntlont of women is wnlklng toward tho door, oagor for tho sutiBhlno, tho freo nlrs of spring, tho bluo vlatns lakownrd, and at last I am ready to go. The End. |