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Show I HRlAai 1 feSTORYgp 1 I THE HOUSE OF I 1 A THOUSAND I I CANDLES J 9 By MEREDITH NICHOLSON H Anbtr t "int main timet," JtttA DMtI0!l." tic. Jj CHAPTER XI. Continued. JH "Well." tin exclaimed, "thin hn H been very pleasaht. but I must run I H tint a Just been over tu see Morgan. H tlia caretaker, nt tho resort village H The wr follow accidentally shot tilm- H self csterln)r clemlng lila gun or H noniethlng cif Hint sort, ami he lift nn ngly liolo In Ills arm that will iihiit lilm up for a mnntli or worse lie H Kftvo mo nn crraml tu do fur lilm He' ffl n ronnclcnUoim fclliw ami wished me U to wire for lilm tn Mr Pickering that H lin'il Inn hurt, but wait attending tu fl tilt duties Pickering own n house nt tho farther end f the colony and H Mo run ii haii charge of It. You know H 1'lckerlng, of course?" H t looked my clerical neighbor J ittralght In the v)e. n trlllo coldl), per- U Imps. I wus wondering why Morgan. with whom I had enloyed a duel In my own collar only n few hour before, nhoulil lie reortlti hli Injury to Ar- thur t'lckerlng 'W "I think I have aeon Morgan about flj here," I said. ! "Oh, yes! I In' n woodsman and a IV hunter our Nlmrod of the lake." itj "A good sort, very llkolyl" jlj "I daro say Ho has sometimes H tirought mo ducks during tho sensoil" BJ "To bo sure! They shoot ducks at JH night thoso Hooslcr hunters so I 91 hear I" W Ho laughed as lie. shook hlmscir Into H his greatcoat. "That's iKisslhlo, though tmsports manllka Hut we don't havo tu look n Bt Rift mallard In the ejo." I Wo laughed together. It was easy H to laugh with him. "lly tho way, I forgot to get l'lck crlng's nddress from Morgan, if jou B happen to havo It" I "With ideasuro," I said "Alexis flj Ilulldlng, Ilroadway, Now York" m "Oood! That's easj to rcmemtier." ho said, smiling nnd turning up his coat collar. "Don't forget mo. I'm H quartered In n hermit's cell back of R tho chapel, and I believe we can find M many matters of Interest to talk H nbout." "I'm cnnlldont of It," I said, glad of tho sympalhy nnd cheer that soomod M to vmanato from his stalwart figure fsi ' throw on my overcoat and walked 1' " "to'tho gnto with him and saw htm - hurry 'toward tho vlllago with long strides. CHAPTER XII. I Explore a Passage. "nates!" I found him busy replenishing replen-ishing tho candlesticks In tho library. It seemed to mo that ho was always poking about with an armful of candles. can-dles. "thero are a good many queer things In this world, but I guess you're ono of tho queerest. I don't mind tell lng you that thero rtro times when I think )ou a thoroughly bad lot, and then ngnln I question my Judgment nnd don't glto )ou credit for belug much mora than n doddering fool." Ho was standing under n ladder beneath be-neath tho great crjstnt chandelier and looked down upon mo with that pa tient Inquiry that is so appealing In n dog In, say, tho cje of nn Irish setter, set-ter, when ou accidentally step on his I tall. "Yos, Mr. Olenarm," ho replied humbly. hum-bly. "Now, I want you to grasp this Idea that I'm going to dig Into this old shell top and bottom; I'm going to blow It up with dnamlto. If I pleaso; and if I catch you spying on mo or reporting my doings to my enomles, or engaging In any quostlonnblo performances whatever, I'll linng jou between tho posts out thero In tho school wall do you understand? so thnt tho sweet Bisters of Bt. Agatha nnd tho dear little lit-tle school girls nnd tho chaplain and all tho rost will shudder through all their Hie at tho ery thought of ou." "Cortamly, Mr. Olenarm," nnd his tono was tho same h would haio used It I had asked htm to pass ma the U matches, nnd under my breath I con- 1 signed him to thu hardest tortures of H tho fiery pit. nj "Now, as to Morgan " B "Yos, sir." Jfl "What posslblo business do you sup- HJ 1mo ho hns with Mr. Pickering?" I do- H inanded. "Why, sir, Hint's clear enough. Mr. I'lckeilng owns n house up the lako, H ho got It through your grandfather. H Morgan hns the enro of It. sir." M "Very plausible. Indeed I" and I H sent lilm off to his work. I After luncheon I went tn tho end of tho corridor, and began to sound the fl walls They were ns solid as rock, H nnd responded dully to llio strokes of tho hammer. I sounded them on both M I sides, retracing my steps to the stair-H stair-H way, becoming mora if ml more Impa- tlent at my III luck or stupidity. Thero B was every reason why I should know J my own house, and yet a stranger and Bj t an outlaw ran through it with amazing H daring H After an hour's Idle search I roll ro-ll turned to tho end of tho corridor, roll ro-ll pealed all my previous soundings, and, I I fear, indulged In languago unbecom- lng s gentl man Then In my blind J anser I round what patient search had I ntii dl-Hosed I I thnw the hammer from me In a lit i f n mper and It struck one of the sipnn Works In the cement Boor wl'bh itaie forth a hollow sound. I whh on iik knees In an Instant. m fliiK'-m m-arrhtng the cracks, and draw-1 lng down close I conlil feel a current of air, slight but tiumlstakable, ncalnst til) face The cement square, though exactly like the others In the cellar tleor. was etldentl) only an imitation, with an opening beneath Tho block was lilted Into Its place, with a nicety that certified to the skill of the hand that had adjusted It I broke a blade of tn) pocket knife trying try-ing to pry It up, but. In a moment. I succeeded and found It to m In reality a trap door, hinged to the substantial part of the floor A current of cool, fresh air. the same that had surprised me in the night, struck my face as I lay Hat and Iwereil Into the opening. The lower passage was as black us pitch, nnd I lighted a lantern I had brought with me, found that wooden steps gave sale conduct below nnd went down I stood erect In the inssago nnd had severnl Inches to spare. It extended both wnys, running back tinder tho foundations of tho house, anil cut squarely under the twrk before the house and toward the school wall The nlr grew steadily fresher, until, after I had gone about two hundred yards, I reached n point where the wind seemed to beat down on me from abote. I put up my hands and found two openings about three yards apart, through which the air sucked steadily I moed out of the current with n chuckle In my throat nnd n grin on my face, I hd nssed under tho gala In the school wall, and I knuw now why tho piers that held It had been built so high, they woro liolloSt-niAl wcru tho iis-ans of sending fresh nlr Into tho tunnel. When I had traieled about twenty jards mora I felt n slight vibration accompanied ac-companied by n muffled roar, and almost al-most Immediately camo to a rough wooden stair that marked tho end of tho passage. I had nn menns of Judging Judg-ing directions, but I nssumed that I was well within the school park. I climbed tho steps nnd tn a moment stood blinking, my lantern In hand, In a small, Moored room, Overhead tho tumult and thunder of an organ explained ex-plained thu tremor and roar I hail lieard below I was in, tho crypt of Ht. Agatha's chacl. Tho Inslda of tho door by which I hsit entered was a part of tlia wainscoting of tho room, and tho opening was wholly covered with a map of tho Holy I-nnd. It was all ery strange and Interesting. Interest-ing. I looked nt my watch und found that It was flvo o'clock, but I rosolvod to go Into tlia chapel hefora going homo. Tho way up was clear enough, and I was soon In the estlbulo I opened tho door, expecting to llml n service In progress, hut tho lit t lo church wns empty snvo where, nt thu rluhLol the chancel, nn organist wits lllllng thu church with tho notes of an exultant march. Clip In hand I stole forward, and sank down In one of tho pew A lamp oer the organ keylioard goto the only light In the chapel, nnd undo nn uureolo about her head, about the uncovered heud of OlUla. 01ads Armstrong' I smiled as I recognised rec-ognised her and smiled, too, ns I remembered re-membered her name. Hut the Joy she brought to thu music, thu happiness In her facu ns sho raUed It In the minor harmonies, her Isolation, marked by tho little Isle of light against tho dark background of tho choir, theso things touched und moved mo, and I bent forward, for-ward, my arms upon tho pew In front of me, watching and listening with a kind of awed wonder. There wns no pauso In tho outpouring outpour-ing of tho melody. Hho changed stops and manuals with swift fingers and passed from ono composition to un- other; now It was an nutit hn. now a theme from W agner, and (raally , Mendelssohn's spring song won u cold, dark chapel to light and warmth with Ha exultant notes She ceased suddenly with a little sigh and struck her hands together, for the place was cold As she n-ac bed up lo put nut the lights I stepped for ward to the chancel steps "I'lease allow me to do that for ou" llhe turned toward me. gathering a cape about her. ' Oh, It's jou. Is if" she nskeil. looking look-ing about quickly. "I don't remembor that ou were lnlted" "1 didn't know I wns coming myself." my-self." I remarked truthfully, lifting my band to the lamp "That Is my opinion of ou, that you're a rather unexpected person. Hut thank )ou, very much" She showed no disposition to prolong pro-long the Inter (w. but hurried toward the door, and reached the estlbulo before be-fore I came up with her. "You ean't go any farther, Mr Olenarm," Olen-arm," sho said, nnd waited as though to make sure I understood Htrnlght before us through the wood nnd bo-)ond bo-)ond the school buildings the sunset faded sullenly. Night was following fast upon the gray twilight nnd already al-ready the bolder planets were allaino In the sky The path led straight ahead beneath the black houghs "I might perhsp walk tu the dormitory, dormi-tory, or whateer Jou call It. ' I said, "Thank you. no' I'm Into and hau-n't time to bother with ou. It's ngalnst tho rules, jou know, fur us to recelvo visitors." fiho stepped out upon tho path. "Hut I'm not a caller; I'm Just n neighbor! And I owo )ou socral calls, anyhow." Hho laughed but did not pause nnd I followed a paco behind her. "Oh Yes, I'm Terribly Wicked, Squire Olenarm." "I hopo jou don't think for a mo. incut that I chanod'a rabbit on your sldo of tho fence In tho hupa of meet,-lng meet,-lng you, do you, Mr. Olenarm t" "Ho It far from mo! I'm glad I camo, though, for I liked your music Immensely, Im-mensely, I'm In earnest; I think II quito wonderful, Miss Armstrong." film paid no heed to, me. "And I hopo I may oromlsa mjscll tho pleasuro of hearing you often." "You aro very kind about my pool music, Mr. Olenarm; hut ns I'm golns away " ' I felt my heart slnli a trlllo. Sh wns thu only nmuslnri person I lind met at Olenarm, nndtho thought ol losing her gnta a darker nolo to tin bleak landscnpo. ",' "That's really too IJndl And Just when wo woro gutting ncqualntadl And I wns coming to ctiurch Sunday to hear you play anil to jjiray for snow, so juu'd corao otcr (often to chaso rabbits!" f This, I thought, softened her heart At any rate her tono ojmnged. "I don't play for rrnlces; they're afraid to let uui for foar I'd run comic opera tuniMiuUi tlio.1o Don ml" "How shocking!" u- "Do jou know, Mrjmlennrm," her tono became conlldenpiil awl, her paoo slackened, "we call ftm the squlro, at St. Agatha's, and the lord of the manor, und names llko that! All tho girls aro perfectly ctasy about jou They'd bo wild If Hie' thought I talked with jou, clandestinely, Is that the wnj jou pronounce It?" "Anything jou say nnd any way you say It satisfies me," I replied. "That's eer so nlco of you," sho said, mockingly again. I felt foolish und guilty. She would probably get roundly scolded If tho grno sisters learned of her talks with me, and very likely I should win their hearty contempt. Hut I did not turn back. "I hopo tho reason you'ro loavlng Isn't" I hesitated. "Ill conduct? Oh, j'os; I'm terribly wicked, Squlro Olenarm I They'ro sending me off." (TO Hi: CONTINUED.) |
