Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-08-30
SSERlAIA
ORYGY
THE HOUSE OF
A THOUSAND
CANDLES
esss,s1ss - !, ..s1,s.s'sl @.
CHAPTER xx-censinusd.
D, MEREDITH NICHOLSON
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Tho piano pounding eoniinued and ]
saited for what seemed an inter
minabie time. Il was growing dark
and maid brought Tampa ! took q
book from the table. II vas The Life
Of Benvenuto ceiiini'' and Marian Dey.
ersux was written ON the ny leaf. by
Enthusiastically tho same hand that had
penned the apology for Oiivia's per
formanees. ! saw in the clear. flowing
lines OF tho signature. In their lack OF
superfiuiiy. her own ease. grace and
charm; and. In the deeper stroke with
which the II" was crossed. felt
challenge. a readiness to abide by con.
sequences once her word was given.
Then my own inciination TO think well
OF her anscFcd me. and dropped the
book impalicntiy aa shc crossed the
threshold.
Il am sorry To have kept you walt.
Ing. Mr.. Gicnarm. Hut this is my busy
hour
Il shall not dcsain you Ions. ! came"
II hesiiaicti. not knowing Why had
come.
shs took chair near tho open door
and bent forward with an air of alton
tiou that was disquictins. She wore
biaek-pcrhaps to At her the better
Into tho house of somber ssstcrhood.
! seemed suddenly To remember hcr
from a iinc ions gone. and tho effort
of memory threw me Oh guard. Stod.
dard had said there were several
Olivia Armstrong;: there wcro cor.
tniniy many Marian Dcvcrcuxs. The
silence grew inioicrabic: she was walt.
Ing for me To speak. and biuricd:
Il suppose you have como 10 take
charge Of the property"
DO your she asked.
And you came back with the cxccu.
tor To facilitate matters. I'm glad to
sec that you lose no time"
.Oh!" shc said lin.crinkiy. as though
she were finding with dificulty tho
note In which wished to pitch tho
conversation. Her calmncss was mad.
ticnins.
II suppose you thought Il unwisc to
wait for the blucbird when you had be.
guiicd me into breaking n promise.
when was trapped. Defeated"
Her elbow on tho arm OF tho chair.
her hand resting against hcr check.
the light rippling goidcniy In her hair.
her eyes bent upon mo inquirinsly.
mournfully.-mousnfu as had seen
-wharc7-oncc before! My heart
lcapcd In that moment. with that
thought.
II remember now tho first timc."
said. moro angry than had ever been
before In MY life.
THAT Is quite remarkable" she said.
and nodded her head ironically.
''It was at Sherry's: you were
with Pickcring-you dropped your fan
and he picked II up. and you turned
toward mo for moment. You were In
black that night: It was the unhappi.
ness in your face. in your eyes. that
made me remember"
was latent upon the recollection.
eager to fix and establish It.
you arc quite right. II was at
Sherry's. was wearing black then:
many things made me unhappy that
night
Her forehead contracted slightly and
she pressed her lips together.
Il suppose that even then the con-
spiracy was thoroughly arranged" I
said tauntingly. laughing little per.
haps. in my brutal impulse to wound
her, to take vengeance upon her.
She rose and stood by her chair. one
hand resting upon 1t. faced her; her
eyes were like violet seas. She spoke
very quietly.
"Mr. Glenarm. has It occurred to you
that when l talked to you there in the
park, when rished unpleasant gossip
in receiving you in a house where you
had no possible right to be. that was
counting upon -foolishly
and stupidly.-yet counting upon it,"
You probably thought was fool"
I retorted.
"No,"-she smiled slightly. II
thought believe have said this to
you before!-that you were a gentle
man. really did, Mr.. Glenarm.
must say 1t to justify myself. relied
upon your chivalry.-I even thought.
when l played being Olivia,-that you
had a sense Of humor. But you are
not the one and you haven't the other.
l even went so far. after you knew per-
fectly well who I was, to try to help
you-to encourage you to prove your
self the man your grandfather wished
you to be. And now you come to me
in a shocking bad humor,-I really
think you would like to be insulting,
Mr.. Glenarm. If you could"
But Pickering,-you came back
with him; he is here and he is going to
stay! And now that the property be-
longs to you, there Is not the slightest
reason why We should make any pre-
tense of anything but enmity. When
you and Arthur Pickering stand to-
gether take the other side of the bar
ricade! l suppose chivalry would re-
quire me to vacate, SO that you may
enjoy at once the spoils of war;"
u