Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-04-05
'HSERlAl&
G2STORYG9
THE HOUSE OF
A THOUSAND
CANDLES
BY MEREDITH NICHOLSON
Asihss Il TINE MAIN CHANCE" zElpA
pANEnuh." kie.
CHAPTER ii.-continued.
,ep,nslt i,a5 - n.SssMssIiii %

CHAPTER ii.-continued.
THE big chap in the lead Is my
friend Pickering." I answered. and
Larry turned his head slightly.
Yes. supposed you weren't look
Ing at the women" he observed dryk
I'm sorry I couldn't see the objec5
your interest. Bah. these men'"
laughed careiessly enough. but !
was already summoning from my
memory the grave face Of the Girl In
black.-her mournfui eyes. the CLINT of
gold In her hair. Pickering was GER
tainly finding the pleasant places in
this vale of tears. and felt my heart
ho, against him. II hurts. this seeing
man you have never liked succeed.
Ing where you have failed'
why didn't you present me- I'D
lik. To make the acquaintance Of n few
representative Americans. may
need them to go bail for me-"
Pickering didn't nee me. for one
thing. and for another he wouldn't 20
bail for you or me II he did. He isn't
built that way"
Larry smiled quixxically.
You needn't explain further. The
sight Of the lady has shaken you. She
reminds me OF Tcnnyson:
"-Th. s,ar-iiks sorrows of immortal
and the rest Of Il ought to be solemn
warning to you.-many drew swords
and died. and calamity followed In
her train. Bah. these women! !
thought you were past aii thnt!"
Il don't know why n man should be
past Il Mt 81! Besides. Pickcrins's
friends arc strangers to me. Hut what
became of that Irish colleen you used
To moon over. Her distinguishing fen
turc. as I remember her photograph.
was short upper lip. Yon used to
force her upon me frequently when
we were In Africa
''Humph. When got back to Dub
lin found that she had married u
brewers son.-think OF IT,
Put ut your faith In short upper
lip. Her face never inspired any con-
fidcncc In me-"
That will do. think you. Ill have
n bit more OF that mayonnnise II the
waiter Isn't dead. think you said
your grandfather died In June. a let.
ter advising you of tho fret reached
you at Naples In October. Has 1t oc-
Cured to you that there WAS quite nm
interim therc7 What. may ! ask. was
thS executor doing all that time? You
may be sure he was taking advantage
OF the opportunity to look for the red.
red gold. suppose You didn't give
him n sound drubbing for not keeping
tho cables hot with Inquiries for your"
He eyed me In that dlsdain for my
stupidity which I have never suffered
from any other man.
We'll. no: to tell the truth. was
thinking of other things during the In
teTvicw.'
Your grandfather should have pro-
vided n guardian for you. lad. You
o,ghtnt to be trusted with money. Is
our bottle empty? Well. II that per-
sen with the fat neck was your friend
Pickering. I'd have n care OF what's
coming TO me. I'D he quite sure that
Mr.. Pickering hadn't made away with
the old gentleman's Doodle. or that It
didn't get lost on the way from him to
you
"The times running now. and I'm
in for the year My grandfather was
fine old gentleman. and | treated him
like dog. I'm going to do what he
directs In that will, no matter what
the size of the reward may be-"
Certainly: that's the eminently
proper thing for you to do. But.-but
keep your wits about you. II a fellow
with that neck can't find money where
money has been known to exist. It
must be buried pretty deep. Your
grandfather was trifie eccentric, !
Judge. but not n fool by any manner
OF means. The situation appeals to
my Imagination. Jack. 1 like the idea
of 1.-THE lost treasure and the whole
business. Lord. what a salad that is!
Cheer up. comrade! You're as grim
as an OWL"
Whereupon we fell to talking of peo-
pie and places we had known in other
lands.
We spent the next day together and
in the evening. at my hotel, he criti-
cized my effects while packed, In his
usual ironical vein.
You're not going to take those
things with you. hope!" He indi-
Gated the rifles and several revolvers
which brought from the closet and
threw upon the bed. They make me
homesick for the Jungle"
He drew from its cover the heavy
rifle had used last on a leopard h:int
and tested its weight.
Precious little use you'll have for
this! Better let me take 1t back to
The Sod to use on the landlords.
say, Jack, are We never to seek our
fortunes together again? We hit 1t off
pretty well. old man, come to think of
it,-I don't like to lose you."