The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-09-21
THE NEWS DEMOCRATS DAILY SIUkY
To be published in daily installments this page
The House of a
Thousand Candles
MEREDITH NICHOLSON
Copyright by
The Bobbs- Merrill Company
CHAPTER XI.

lie knew that I detested. him, that Pick
erings noble aims and high ambitions
had been praised by my family until his
very name sickened me; and yet my own
grandfather had thought II wise 10 in
trust his fortune and my future To the
man of all men who was most repugnant
70 me. l rose and paced the floor in
anger.
Instead OF accepting Pickerings word
for IL that the will was all straight
should have employed counsel and taken
legal advice before suffering myself to
be rushed away into a part OF the world
j had never visited before, and oooped
up In a dreary house under the eye OF a
somber scoundrel who might poison me
any day, II he did not prefer 10 shoot
upon some one, and Bates was the near
est target for IT, l went to the kitchen.
where he usually spent his evenings, TO
vent my feelings upon him, anly to find
him gone. / climbed 10 his room and
found IL empty. Very likely he was OF
condoling with his friend and fellow con-
spirator the caretaker. and i fumed with
rage and disappointment. / was thor
oughly tired, as tired as on days when
i had beaten my way through tropical
Jungles without food or water; but |
wished, in my impotent anger against /
knew not what agencies, to punish my
self, to induce an utter weariness that
would drag the exhausted to bed.
The snow In the highway was well
beaten down and swung off countryward
past ST. Agatha's. A gray mist hung over
the fields In whrling clouds, breaking
away occasionally and showing the
throbbing winter stars. The walk. and
my interest in the alienation OF star
lighted and mist-wrapped lanscape won
me TO a better state OF mind, and after
tramping a couple OF miles, / set out for
home. Several times on my tramp / had
caught myself whistling the air OF a ma
jestic old hymn, and smiled, remember
ting my young friend Olivia, and her play-
ing in the chapel. She was an amusing
child; the thought OF her future lifted
my spirit. and l turned into the school
park as ] passed the outer gate with a
half-recognized wish to pass near the
barracks where she spent her days.
At the school gate the lamps Of a
carriage suddenly blurred in the mist.
Carriages were not common In this re-
Gion. and l was not surprised to find that
this was the familiar village hack that
met trains day and night at Glenarm
station. Some parent, l conjectured, pay
ing visit TO st. Agatha's; perhaps the
father OF Miss Olivia Gldays Armstrong
had come TO carry her home for a strict
er discipline than Sister Theresa's school
afforded
n The driver sat asleep on his box, and
i passed him and went on into the
grounds. whim seized me 10 visit the
crypt OF the chapel and examine the
lopening to the tunnel As I passed the
little group OF school buildings a man
icame hurriedly from one Of them and
turned toward the chapel
| first thought Il was Stoddard but |
Jcould not make him out In the mist and
y waited for him 10 put 20 PAGES between
tss before / followed along the path that
led from the school 10 the chapel
Il lie strobe into the chapel porch with
len air Of assurance. and I heard him ad-
tdress some one who had been waiting
iThe mist was now so heavy that / could
lnot see my hand before my face and
lstole forward until could hear the voices
iof the two men distinctly
'Bates!'
yes. sir"
I heard feet scraping on the stone floor
OF the porch.
This is a devil OF place 10 talk in
hut it's the best we can do Did the
Young man know I sent for you7'
mo, sir. He was quite busy with his
books and papers"
"Humph We can never be sure Of
him"
Il suppose that Is correct. sir"
Well you and Morgan are a fine pair
4 must say ! thought he had some sense
and that you'd see to ., that he didn't