The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1908-05-19
THE HOUSE OF
A THOUSAND
CANDLES
By MEREDITH NICHOLSON
Author Of THE MAIN CHANCE" ZELDA
CAMERON" Etc.

,HAPTER XvIII.-contInued.

SAaAhACA - 0ACh WAARPHARs ~ 40
Bates, sir"
What have you done; what has hap
,pened?" / demanded.
He put his hand to his head uncer-
'tainly and gasped as though trying to
gather his wits.
He was evidently dazed by whatever
had occurred, and | sprang round and
helped him to a couch. He would not
lie down but sat up, staring and pass,
ing his hand over his head. 1t was
rapidly growing lighter, and l saw a
purple and black streak across his
temple where a bludgeon of some sort
had struck him.
What does this mean, Bates? Who
has been in the house?"
~"It was early this morning" he fall
tered, about two o'clock, l heard
noises in the lower part of the house.
i came down, thinking likely 1t was
you, and remembering that you had
been sick yesterday"
Yes, go on"
The thought of my t~ruancy was no
balm to my conscience just then.
"As came into the hall, saw lights
in the library. AS you weren't down
last night the room hadn't beer lighted
at all. l heard steps, and some one
tapping with a hammer"
Yes; a hammer. Go on!"
1t was, then, the same old story!
The wal had been carried openly into
the house, but Bates,-just why should
ANY one connected with the conspiracy
injure Bates, who stood so near to
Pickering, its leader? The fellow was
undoubtedly hurt,-there was no mis-
taking the wound on his head. He
spoke with a painful difficulty that
was not assumed, | felt increasingly
sure, as he went On.
81 saw a man pulling out the books
and tapping the inside of the shelves.
He was working very fast. And the
next thing l knew he let in another
man through one of the easements
the one there that still stands a little
open"
He finched as he turned slightly to
Indicate 1t, and his face twitched with
pain.
Never mind that; tell the rest of
your story"
''Then l ran in, grabbed n of the
big candelabra from the table, and
went for the nearest man. They were
about to begin on the chimney-breast
lit was Mr.. Glenarm's pride in all
the house,-and that accounts for my
being there in front of the fireplace.
They rather got the best of me, sir"
Clearly; l see they did. You had a
hand-to-hand fight with them, and be-
ing two to one-"
@No; there were two of us,-don't
you understand, two of us! There
was another man who came running in
from somewhere, and he took sides
with me. l thought at first 1t was you,
sir. The robbers thought so, too, for
one Of them yelled, Great God; Glen
arms come back!' just like that. But
it wasn't you, sir, but quite another
person"
That's a good story so far; and
then what happened?"
81 don't remember much more, ex
cept that some one soused me with
water that helped my head consider,
ably, and the next thing l knew l was
staring across the table, there at YOU
Who were these men, Bates? Speak
up q~uicklyl"
My tone was peremptory. Here was
I felt, a crucial moment in our rela
lions.
WELL" he began, deliberately, 81
dislike to make charges against a fel
low man, but strongly suspect n Of
the men of being"
Eyes! Tell the whole truth or 1t vii
be the worse for you"
II very much fear one of them wa:
Ferguson. the gardener owe the way
I'm disappointed in him, sir"
Very good; and now for the othei
one"
Il didn't get my eyes on him. l haC
closed with Ferguson and we were
having quite a lively time of it wheI
the other one came in; then the mai
who came to my help mixed us all up
he was a very lively person Ian,
what became of Ferguson and the res
of it l don't know"
There was food for thought in wha
he said. He had taken punishment il
defense of my property,-the crack Of
his head was undcniable,-and l coul,
not abuse him or question his veracit.
with any grace; not, at least, withou
time for investigation and study. How
ever, l ventured to ask him one ques
ton:
IF you were guessing, shouldn'
you think it quite likely that Morgat
was the other man?"
He met my gaze squarely.
81 think it wholly possible. MI
Glenarm," he replied at once.
"And the msn who helped you-wh
in the devil was he?"
"Bless me, l don't know. sir! H
disappeared. I'd like nightly to Sc
him again"
"Humph! Now you'd better do some
thing for your head. I'll summon tn
village doctor if you say so"
mo; thank you sir. I'll take car
of 1t myself"