, 1908-04-09
Che OF
THOUSAND CANDLES
By MEREDITH NICHOLSON

arc UAlIlnk IOT us Oul lQ6Ie. 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 1t harder
for me than necessary. But l gave my
promise a year g 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 mo-.
Taylor was still at his lecture on the
needs of our American merchant ma.
rlne when Pickering passed hurriedly.
crossed the track and began speaking
earnestly to the girl in gray.
THE American nag should
the seas. What we need is not more
battleshIps but more freight car.
riers-" Taylor was saying.
But l vas watching Olivia GLADYS
Armstrong. In a long skirt, with her
hair caught up under a gray toque that
matched her coat perfectly, she was
not my Olivia of the tam-o'-shapter.
who had pursued the rabbit; nor vet
the unsophisticated school girl, who
had suffered my idiotic babble: O
again, the dreamy rapt organist of the
chapel. She was a grown woman with
at least 20 m to her credit, and
there was about her an air of knowing
the world, and of not being at all a
person one would make foolish speech.
es to. h spoke to Pickering gravely.
Once she smiled dolefully and shook
her head, and l vaguely strove to re.
member where l 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.
lar Of her dress; and l was glad, very
glad, that l 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 it she
had said to M that evening when |
had found her playing on the chapel
organ? So much happened that day
that l had almost forgotten, and, in
deed, l had tried to forget that | made
a fool Of myself for the ediication O.
an amusing little school girl. Then
you prefer to ignore the first time
ever saw you" she had said; but If I
had thought Of 1t at all 1t had been
with righteous self-contempt. Or, I
may have fattered my vanity with the
reflection that she had eyed me-her
hero. perhaps-with wistful admira-
ton across the wall.
Meanwhile the Chicago express
roared into Annandale and the private
car was attached. Taylor watched
the trainmen with the cool Interest of
4 man for whom the proceeding had
no novelty, while he continued to d.
late upon the nations commercial op-
portunities. l turned perforce, and
walked with him back toward the sta
ton. where Mrs. Taylor and her sister
we're talking to the conductor.
Pickering came running across the
platform with several kilograms in his
hand.
I'm awfully sorry, Glenarm, that
our stops &C short,"-and chickering's
face wore a worried look as he ad-
dressed me. his eyes on the conductor. |
HOW Ihr 40 you 60! 1 asked. |
California. We have large interests
out there and I have to attend some
stockholders meetings in Colorado in
January"
All, you business men! You bust
ness men!" | said r~eproachfully.
wished to call him a ~blackguard then
and there. and II was on my tongue to
d., ~, boat -N,nl,lal tho, 10 ,,,.ft
until he had shown his hand fully
was the better game.
b ladies' entered the car and l
shook hands with Taylor. who threat
ened to send me his pamphlet on The
Needs of American Shipping when he
got back to New York.
It's too bad she wouldn't go with
US. Poor girl! this must be q dreary
hole for her." he said to Pickering,
who helped him upon the platform OF
the car with what seemed to be I'M
necessary precipitation.
You little know U.S." I declared. for
Pickering's benefit. Life in AMMAN
dale is nothing II not exciting. The
people here are Indifferent marksmen
or there'd be murders galore"
Mr.. Glenarm is a good deal OF =
Wsg," explained Pickering, hastily
swinging himself aboard as the train
started.
Yes; it's my humor that keeps me
alive" responded. and taking on my
hat ] saluted Arthur Pickering wrh
my broadcast salaam.
CHAPTER XIV.
Make an Engagement.
TIL south bound train was now due