The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-09-14
THE NEWS DEMOCRATS DAILY STORY
To be published in daily installmcnts on this page
The House of a
Thousand Candles
MEREDITH NICHOLSON
Copyright by
Che Bobbs- Merrill Company
CHAPTER Y.

~ was not the bit OF idle penciling IL
had appeared TO be at first sight A
scale had evidently been followed and the
iihes ora"n with ruler. with such
trihes my grandfather had no doubt
amused himself. There was a long corri-
oor Indicated. but OF this | could make
nothing. studied II for several minutes
thinking II might have been a tentatIve
sketch OF some part OF the house. In
turning 1t about under the candelabrum
saw that in several places the glaze
mad been rubbed from the paper by an
eraser and this piqued my curiosity. I
brought magnifying glass to bear upon
the sketch. The drawing had been made
with a hard pencil and the eraser had
removed the lead but a well-dehned inn
print remained. I was able to make out
The letters n w u to Ca reference
clearly enough to points of the compass
and a distance. The word "ravine" was
scrawled over rough outline OF door
way or opening OF some sort and then
the phrase:
THE DOOR OF BEWILDERMENT
Now l am rather an imaginative per-
son; that is why engineering captured
make an architect Ga person who quar-
rels with women about their kitchen
sinksO of boy who wanted to be an
engineer that my grandfather and |
failed to hit IL off. From boyhood |
have never seen great bridge or watched
n locomotive climb a difficult hillside
without a thrill; and a lighthouse stnl
seems to me quite the finest monument
q man can build for himself My grand
<.s
medieval houses always struck me as
trifing and unworthy OF grown man.
And fate was busy with my affairs that
night, for. instead OF lighting my pipe
with the little sketch. / was strangely
impeiled 10 study II seriously
| drew for myself rough outlines OF
\ the interior OF Glenarm house as Il had
lappeared 10 me. and then l tried to
reconcile the little sketch with every
ppart OF It,
n The Door Of Bewilderment" was the
charm that held me. The phrase was
In itself lure. The man who had
built a preposterous house in the woods
Of Indiana and called IL THE house Of
Thousand Candles was quite capable
81 other whims and as l bent over this
scrap Of paper in the CANDLE lighted lib
AIRY IL occurred 10 me that possibly I
lad not done Justice 10 my grandfather's
aroused as TO the hidden corners Of the
queer old house. round which the wind
shrieked tormentlngly.
1 went TO my room, put on my cordu-
4 Roy coat for its greater warmth In going
through the cold halls, took a candle
l hnd went below. one o'clock In the
morning is not the most cheering hour
or exploring the dark recesses Of a
etrange house, but had resolved 10 have
I n look at the ravine- opening and deter
nine. IL possible. whether It bore any
felation to THE Door OF Bewilderment' y
All was quiet I'm the great cellar;
hnly here and there an area window
attled dolorously. | carried n tapeine
With me and made measurements Of the
ength and depth of the corridor and OF
he chambers that were set of from IL.
lrhese figures I entered I'm my notebook
or further use. and sat down on an
Empty nail-keg to reflect The place
my feet burned steadily with no hint
~ draft: but | saw no solution OF my
5robem All the doors along the cor
idor were open. or yielded readily to
ny hand. | was losing sleep for nothing:
Inv grandfather's sketch was meaning
HISS. and l rose and picked up my candle.
awning
Then a curious thing happened The
andle. whose thin flame had risen un-
saveringly. sputtered and went out as
sudden gust swept tho corridor.
had left nothing open behind me. and
1he outer doors of the house were always
5cked and barred. But some one had