, 1908-05-21
G!h@ HOUSE OF a
THOUSAND CANDLES
By MEREDITH

We closed the rav1ne door, restored
tbe wall as best we could. and re-
turned to the library. We made a list
of the Pickering notes and spent an
hour discussing this new feature Of
the situation and specializing as to tho
hiding place of the remainder of my
grandfather's fortune. Larry and
Stoddard both declared their intention
of remaining until my troubles were
ended in spite of my protests. Stod.
dard stayed for dinner. and afterwsrd
we began again our eternal quest for
the treasure, our hopes high from
Larry's lucky strike of the afternoon.
and with a new eagerness born of the
knowledge that the morrow would GER
tainly bring us face to face with the
real crises. We ranged the house from
tower to cellar: we overhauled the
tunnel, for, 1t seemed to me, the hun
dredth time.
1t was my watch, and at midnight.
after Stoddard and Larry had recon.
noltered the grounds and Bates and I
had made sure of all the interior fas-
Jennings. | sent them off to bed and
made myself comfortable with a pine
In the library.
was glad of the respite, glad to be
alone.-to consider my talk with Ma
risn Devereux at st. Agatha's, and her
return with Pickering. Why could she
not always have been Olivia. ranging
the woodland, or the girl in gray, or
that woman, SO sweet in her dignity.
who came down the stairs at the Arm.
s%trongs'? Her own attitude toward
NE was so full of contradictions she
had appeared to me in so many moods
and guises, that my spirit ranged the
whole gamrt of feeling as l thought of
her. But 1t was the recollection of
chickering's infamous conduct that col
ored all my doubts of her. Pickering
had always been in my way, and here,
but for the chance by which Larry had
found the notes, l should have had no
weapon to use against HIM.
The wind rose and drove shrilly
around the house. A bit of scaffold-
ing on the outer walls ratified loose
somewhere and crashed down on the
terrace. 1 grew restless, my mind in
tent upon the many chances of the
morrow. and running forward to the
future. Even If l won in my strife
with Pickering l had yet my way to
make in the world. His notes were
probably worthless,-I did not doubt
that. | might use them to procure his
removal as executor, but | did not look
forward with any pleasure to a legal
fight over a property that had brought
me only trouble.
Something impelled me to go below,
and, taking a lantern, l tramped SOM
berly through the cellar, glanced at
the heating apparatus. and, remember
ing that the chapel entrance to the
tunnel was unguarded, followed h
corridor to the trap, and opened It.
The cold air blew up sharply and I
thrust my head dow to listen.
A sound at once arrested me. I
thought at first 1t must be the suction
of the air, but Glenarm House was no
place for conjecture. and | put the
lantern aside and jumped down into
the tunnel. A CLEAN of light showed
far away for ar instant, then h dark
ness and silence were complete.
a rapidly ver the smooth floor.
which l had %traversed sc often that I
knew its every line. My only weapon
was a heavy hickory club. Near the
Door of Bewilderment l paused and
listened. The tunnel vas perfectly
quiet. took a step forward and STUN
bled over a brick, fumbled on the wall
for the opening which we had closed
carefully that afternoon. and at the
instant l found it a lantern flashed
blindingly in my fac and drew back.