The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1907-11-06
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CE9STORYGS
THE HOUSE OF
A THOUSAND
CANDLES
BY MEREDITH NICHOLSON
Author o, THE MAIN CHANCE" ZELDA
CAMERON" Etc.
cep,rlsht ~ by ns1b.- NerrIlI Co.
CHAPTER I.

The viii Of John Marshall elenarm.
Pickering's letter bringing news OF
my grandfathers death found me at
Naples early IN October John
Marshall Glenarm had died in June,
leaving a will which gave me his prop
erty condittonally, Pickering wrote,
and Il was necessary for me to return
Immediately to qualify as legatee. IL
was by the merest luck that the letter
came 10 my hands at all, for It had
been sent to Constantlnople. in care
OF tho consul.general instead of my
banker there, and It was not Picker
ing's fault that the consul was friend
Of mine who kept track of my wander
ings and was able to hurry the execu-
tors letter after me to Italy, where
had gone to meet an English finan-
cier who had. was advised unlimited
money to spend on African railways.
am an engineer. a graduate of an
American institution Familiarity known
as "The Tech" and as my funds were
running low | naturally turned to my
profession for employment.
But this letter changed my plans,
and the following day / cabled Pick.
ering OF my departure and was out
ward bound on a steamer for New
York. Fourteen days later | sat In
Picker ng's office In the Alexis Build
ing ar | listened intently while he
read, IN much ponderous emphasis,
the Pre- 'isions Of my grandfather's
will. v zen he concluded | laughed.
Pickerin was n serious man, and |
was glad % see that my levity panied
him. ! d, for that matter, always
been 81 irce OF annoyance to him,
and his l. k OF distrust and rebuke
did not tro Die mo In the least.
reached across the table for the
paper. and l. gave the sealed and be-
ribboned copy OF John Marshall Glen
arms will into my hands. read II
through for myself. feeling conscious
meanwhile that chickering's cool gaze
was hent inquiringly upon me. These
are the paragraphs that interested me
most:
IL give and devise unto my said
grandson, John Glenarm, sometime a
resident of the city and state of Now
York. and later vagabond OF parts
unknown. a certain property known as
Gienarm House, with the lands and
heredltaments thereunto pertainine
and hereinafter more particularly de
scribed and all personal effects, goods
AMI other property that may be
located In the premises and on the
land herein described. said realty
lying in the county OF Wabana in the
state OF Indlana,-upon this condition,
faithfully and honestly performed:
THAT said John Glenarm shall re-
main an occupant OF said Glenarm
House and OF my lands appurtenant
thereto, demeaning himself meanwhile
In an orderly and temperate manner
Should he fail at any time during said
year to comply with this provision
said property shall at once revert to
nay general estate. shall become. with
cot reservation and without. necessity
Cor any process OF law the property
absolutely OF Marian Devereux. OF the
county and state OF New York"
We'll" he demanded, striking his
hands upon the arms OF his chair
"what do you think OF TT"
NOT lut VI tlt nut ntli
laughing again. There was. in the
first place, delicious irony In the
fact that l should learn through hin
Of my grandfather's wishes with re
speot to myself. Pickering and hat
grown up In the same town In Yer
mont: we had attended the same pre-
paratory school, but there had beer
from boyhood a certain antagonisn
between u.s. He had always succeeded
where | failed, which is to say, mus
admit, that he had succeeded prett!
frequently. When | refused TO settl
down to my profession, but chose 4
see something OF the world first, Picb
ering gave himself seriously TO tn
law, and there was, knew from IN
beginning. no manner of chance tina
he would fail
am not more or less than human
and remembered with Joy that QUO
had thrashed him soundly at IN
prep school for bullying n smaller DO!
but our score from school days wa
not without TALES on his side. II
was easily the better scholar graz
him that; and he was shrewd an
plausible, You never quite knew th
extent OF his powers and resource
and he had, / always maintained. IA
most amazing good luck,-as times
the fact that John Marshall GlenarI
had taken a friendly interest In hin
II was wholly like my grandfathe
who was a man OF many whims,
give his AFFAIRS into Pickering's kee
ing; and I could not complain, for
had missed my own chance with hin
1t was, / knew readily enough, part
my punishment for having succeedC
SO signany IN mourning my gran
tathors displeasure that he had mac
& necessary for me to treat wit
Arthur Pickering In this matter OF Il
will: and Pickering was enjoying n
situation TO the full
But there Was something not Who'll
honest In my mirth. for my condu
during the three preceding years hi
been reprehen sible. had used n