The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-09-13
THE NEWS DEMOCRATS DAILY STORY
To be published in daily installmcnts on this page
The House of a
Thousand Candles
MEREDITH NICHOLSON
Copyright by
The Bobbs Merrill Company
CHAPTER TX.

Here i thought In my admiration, Is a
real product OF the western world felt
that we had made strides toward such
a comradeship as IL IL proper should ex-
tst between a shool-girl in her teens and
a male neighbor OF twenty-seven. was
going back 10 English fction-the young
squire walking home with the curates
pretty young daughter and conversing
with fine condescension
I'VE girls all wish we could come over
and help hunt the lost treasure. II must
be simply splendid 60 live I'm a house
where there's a mystery y.-eecret passages
and chests OF doubloons and all that sort
of thing! My! Squire Glenarm. I sup
pose you spend all your nights exploring
secret passages"
This free expression OF opinion startled
me, though she seemed wholly innocent
Of impertinence.
"Who says there's any secret about
the house7" I demanded.
"Oh. Ferguson. the gardener. and all
the girsv'
II fear Ferguson is drawing on his Inn
agination."
Well, all the people in the village think
so. rye heard the candy shop woman
speak of Il often"
shed better attend to her tary,"
retorted
"Oh, you mustn't be sensitive about fl
All us girls think II ever so romantic
and we call you sometimes the lord OF
the realm, and when we see you walking
through the darkling woods at evenfall
we say. My lord Is brooding upon the
treasure chests"
This, delivered in the stilted tone OF one
who is half-quoting and half-improvising.
was irresistibly funny, and laughed with
good will
Il hope you've forgiven me" began.
Kicking the gate TO knock off the snow,
and taking the key from my pocket.
But l haven't. Mr. Glenarm. Your as
sumption Is, to say the least. unwar-
ranted-I got that from a book"
ut isn't fair for you to know my name
and for me not to know yours" / said
leadingly.
You are perfectly right. You are Mr..
John Glenarm the gardener told me-and
l am just Olivia. They don't allow me to
be called Miss yet I'm very young, sirr
We only told me half" and kept
my hand on the closed gate. The snow
sun fell steadily and the short afternoon
was nearing is close. / did not like TO
lose her-the life. the youth the mirth FOR
which she stood. The thought OF Glenaru1
House amid the snowhung wood and OF
the long winter evening that must spend
alone moved me TO delay. Lights already
cleaned In the school buildings straight
before us and the sight OF them smote
me with loneliness.
OLIVIA Gladys Armstrong, she said
laughing, brushed past me throught the
gate and ran lightly over the snow to-
ward 81. Agathas.
CHAPTER X.
.AN Affair WITH THE cARErAEER
/ read In the library until late. hearing
the howl OF the wind outside with satis-
tacuon IN the warmth and comfort OF the
great room. Bates brought In some sand
wiches and bottle OF ale at midnight.
II there's nothing more sir"
THAT Is all, Bates" And he went of
scdately 70 his own quarters
L was fostloss and In no mood for bed
Ond moufntd the lack OF variety in my
grandfather's library. I moved about from
shelf TO shelf. taking down one book after
another. and while thus engaged came
upon a series OF large volumes extrn-il-
lustrated In water colors OF unusual
beauty. They occupied a lower shelf and
i sprawled on the floor like n boy with
a new picture-book. in my absorption, pil-
Ing the great volumes about me They
were on related subjects pertaining 10 the
french chateaux.
In the last volume I found a sheet OF
white notepaper no larger than my hand,
forgotten book-mark, | assumed and
half-crumpled I'm my fingers before I no.
ticed the lines Of a pencil sketch on one
eide Of II. 1 carried II 20 the table and
spread ~ out.
ITe ne Continpad Touno-rowl