The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1908-04-16
THE HOUSE OF
A THOUSAND
CANDLES
BY MEREDITH NICHOLSON
author Of THE MAIN CHANCE" zEiDA
CAMERON" Etc.
CHAPTER xx.-cort,r,,sd

Il
waited for what seemed an inter.
mlnable time. 1t was growing dark
and maid brought lamps. | took a
BOOK from the table. 1t was "The Life
OF Benvenuto Cellni" and Marian Dew
ereux was written on the fly leaf nv
Enthusiastically the same hand that had
penned the apology for Olivia's per-
iormances. | saw in the clear. flowing
hhes OF the signature, in their lack of
superfiuity, her own ease, grace and
charm; and, in the deeper stroke with
which the tx" was crossed, | felt
challenge, a readiness to abide by con-
sequences once her word was given.
Then my own inclination to think we'll
or her angered me, and l dropped the
book impatiently as she crossed the
threshold.
Il am sorry to have kept you wait
ing, Mr.. Glenarm. But this is my busy
hour
Il shall not detain you long. came"
i besitated. not knowing why / had
come.
She took chair near the open door
and bent forward with an air of atten.
ton that was dsquieting She wore
black-perhaps to fit her the better
into the house of a somber Sisterhood.
/ seemed suddenly to remember her
from time long gone. and the effort
of memory threw me off guard. Stod-
dard had said there were several
Olivia Armstrong;; there were GER
tainly many Marian Devereuxs. The
silence grew intolerable; she was wait
ing for me to speak, and blurted:
Il suppose you have come to take
charge of the property"
do you?" she asked.
And you came back with the execu-
tor to facilitate matters. I'm glad to
see that you lose no time"
"Oh!" she said lingeringly, as though
she were finding with difficulty the
| note in which | wished to pitch the
conversation. Her calmness was mad
dening
II suppose you thought it unwise to
wait for the bluebird when you had be-
guiled me into breaking a promise,
when was trapped, defeated"
Her elbow on the arm of the chair,
her hand resting against her cheek
the light ripping goldenly in her hair
her eyes bent upon me inquiringly
mournfully,-m as l had seen
Observation-Disclosures before! My heart
leaped in that moment, with that
thought.
81 remember now the first time"
said, more angry than had ever been
before in my life.
That is quite remarkable" she said,
and nodded her head ironically.
ut was at Sherrys; you were
with Pickering-you dropped your fan
and he picked it up, and you turned
| toward me for a moment. You were in
black that night; 1t was the unhappi-
ness in your face, in your eyes, that
made me remember"
/ was intent upon the recollection,
eager to fix and establish it.
You are quite right 1t was at
Sherry's. l was wearing black then;
many things made me unhappy that
| night"
Her forehead contracted slightly and
she pressed her lips together.
81 suppose that even then the con-
spiracy was thoroughly arranged" l
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 it, / faced her; her
eyes were like violet seas. She spoke
very quietly.
"Mr. Glenarm, has it occurred to you
that when talked to you there in the
park, when | rsked unpleasant gossip
in receiving you in house where you
had no possible right to be, that | was
counting upon something,-foolishly
and stupidly,--yet counting upon it,"
"You probably thought / was fool,
| retorted.
"No."-she smiled slightly. Il
thought believe | have said this to
YOU before!-that you were a gentle
man. | really did, Mr.. Glenarm.
must say it to justify myself l relied
upon your chivalry,-I even thought
| when l pldyeu DtluB Oil'i"t 'HSN 49,
had a sense of humor. But you are
not the one and you haven't the other
I even went so far, after you knew per-
fectly well who l was, 70 try to help
vou-to encourage you TO prove your
self the maa your grandfather wished
YOU to be. And now you come to me
in a shocking bad huS1or--l 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! suppose chivalry would re-
ouire me to vacate, so that you may
enjoy at once the spells OF war l
stormed with growing heat.
81 fancy it would not be very DIM
cult to eliminate you as factor IN the
| ,.oy,n vlYnI inilV