Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-07-12
THE HOUSE OF
A THOUSAND
CANDLES
CHAPTER x,v.-con.inu.d.
., MEREDITH NICHOLSON
ASHER .' -Tss Tss...ss.- ss,s -esa.e'.- e. ZELDA
cop,rishi ~ ~ sse.Nss1iii Co

ering rather reluctantly to where the
companions Of his travels were pacing
to and fro In the crisp morning air.
AZ soon as Pickering had got me
well under way In conversation with
DTayior, he excused himself hurriediy
and went OF. rs assumed. to be sure
the station agent had received orders
for attaching the private car to tho
Chicago express. Taylor proved to be
a supcrcilious person.-I believe they
call him Chilly BILLY Mt the Metropoli-
tan club.-and our efforts to converse
were pathetically unfruitfui. Tho two
ladies stood by. making no conceal.
ment OF their impatiencc. Their eyes
were upon the girls from st. Asatha's
on tho other platform. whom they
could sec beyond me. ] had jumped
the conversation from Indiana farm
values to the recent disorders In Bul.
Harin, which interested me more. when
Mrs. Taylor. ignoring me. spoke ab'
,ruptly to her sister.
That's she-the one In the gray
coat. talking to the clergyman. She
came q moment ago In the carriage"
The one with the umbrella?
thought you said"
Mrs. Taylor glanced Mt her sister
warningiy. and they both looked nj
me. Then they detached themselves
and moved away. There was some one
on the farther platform whom they
wished to see. and Taylor. not under.
standing their mancuvcr-hc was real
ly anxious. think. not to be left alone
with mc-started down the platform
aftcr them. I following. Mrs. Taylor
and her sister walked to the end OF
the platform and looked across. bis.
cult toss away. to whcre Stoddard
stood talking to the girl had already
heard described as wearing gray
coat and carrying nm umbrella.
Tho girl In gray crossed the track
quickly and addressed the two women
cordially. Tayior's back was to her
Md he was growing eloquent In mild
.weii.brcd way over the duilncss Of our
statesmen In no, seeing the advan'
tagcs thnt would accrue to tho United
States In fostering our shipping indus
try. His wife. her sister and tho girl
In gray were NO near that could hear
plainly what they were saying. They
were referring apparently to the girls
them to California.
$50 you can't go-it's too bad' We
had hoped that when you really saw
as on tho way you would rclcnt," said
Mrs. Taylor.
But there are many reasons: and
above all Sister Theresa needs me-"
II was the voice of Olivia. n little
lower. n little more restrained than !
had known It: but unieniabiy It was
she.
But think OF the rose gardens that
nre waiting for us out therc!" said the
other lady. They were showing her
the Difference that elderly women al.
ways have for pretty girls.
ALAS. and again alas!" exclaimed
Olivia. please don't make It harder
for me than necessary. But gave my
promise year ago to spend these
holidays in Cincinnati"
She ignored me wholly and after
shaking hands with the ladies' returned
to the other platform. wondered
whether she was overlooking Taylor
on purpose to cut me.
Taylor was still at his lecture on the
4heeds of our American merchant ma.
Inc when Pickering passed hurriedly,
Slossed the track and began speaking
earnestly to the girl in gray.
"The American flag should command
the seas. What We need is not more
battleships but more freight car.
riers-" Taylor was saying.
But was watching Olivia Gladys
Armstrong. In a long skirt, with her
hair caught up under gray toque that
matched her coat perfectly. she was
not my Olivia of the tam-o.shanter,
who had pursued the rabbit; nor yet
the unsophisticated school girl, who
had suffered my idiotic babble; nor,
again. the dreamy rapt organist OF the
chapel. She was a grown woman with
Mt least 20 summers to her credit, and
there was about her an air of knowing
the world, and of not being at all
person one would make foolish speech
es to. She spoke to Pickering gravely.
Once she smiled dolefully and shook
her head, and vaguely strove to re-
member where I had seen that look
In her eyes before. Her gold beads.
which had once carried in my pocket,
were clasped tight about the close col
Tar OF ner dress' anu was slau, very
glad, that had ever touched anything
that belonged to her.
Who was Olivia Gladys Armstrong
and what was Arthur Pickering's bust.
ness with her? And what was 1t she
had said to me that evening when I
had found her playing on the chapel
organ? So much happened that day
that 1 had almost forgotten. and. In
deed, had tried to forget that made
fool of myself for the edification of
N amusing little school girl. "Then
III nrefer to ignore the first time 1