The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1908-06-04
THE HOUSE OF
A THOUSAND
CANDLES
By MEREDITH NICHOLSON
Author Of "TBE MAIN CHANCE" ZELDA
CAMERON" Etc.
Copyright iVO5 BY BObbs-Merrill Co.
'cHAprER xxV.--ContInued.

"Ah, to be sure! you were away
| Christmas eve, when those vandals
broke In. Bates merely mentioned 1t
in the last report ! got from him in
New York. That was all right. | as
sumed. of course, that you had gone
off somewhere to get little Christ
mas cheer; | don't care anything
1 about it,"
! "But | had followed her-I went to
Cincinnati to see her-don't you un-
derstand? She dared me to come-lt
was trick, part of the conspiracy
to steal your property"
The old gentleman smiled. 1t was
an old trick of his to grow calm as
other people waxed angry.
"She dared you to come, did she!
That is quite like Marian but you
didn't have to go, did you. Jack?"
"Of course not; of course | didn't
have to go, but"
stammered, faltered and ceased.
Memory threw open her portals with
challenge. saw Marian on the
stairway at the Armstrong;; l heard
htl lOWi SUI lduSutCls lClJ lHt HUN
cry of her voice and eyes; knew
again the exquisite delight of being
near her. My heart told me well
enough why had followed her!
Jack, I'm glad I'm not buried up
there in that Vermont graveyard with
nobody to exercise the right of guar
dianship over you. I've had my mis-
glvings about you; used to think you
were born tramp; and you disap-
pointed me In turning your back on
architecture,-the noblest of all pro-
fessions; but this performance of
yours really beats them ALL Don't
you know that a girl like Marian De
vereux isn't likely to become the agent
of any rascal? Do you really believe
for a minute that she tempted you to
follow her so you might forfeit your
rights to my property?"
But why was she trying to find
those notes of his? Why did she
come back from Cincinnati with his
party? If you could answer me those
things, maybe I'd admit that I'm
fool. Pickering, imagine, is pretty
plausible fellow where women are con-
cerned."
For Gods sake. Jack, don't speak
OF that girl as women! I put her in
that will of mine just to pique your
curiosity, knowing that If there was a
penalty on your marrying her you
would be wholly likely to do it.-for
that's the way human beings are
made. But you've mixed it all up now
and insulted her in the grossest way
possible for fellow who is really a
gentleman. And l don't want to lose
you; want you here with me! These
rich Americans, who go to England to
i've, don't appreciate the beauty of
their own country. This Landscape is
worthy of the best that man can do.
And | didn't undertake to build a
crazy house out here but one that
should have some dignity and charac-
ter. That passage around the chin.
ney Is an indulgence, Jack,-I'll admit
It's a little bizarre,-you see that
chimney isn't SO big outside as It is
inland he laughed and rubbed his |
knees,-"and my bringing foreign
laborers here was really to make it
easier to get things done my way.
Wait till you have seen the May
blossom and heard the robin sing in
the summer twilight, help me TO
nnish the house,-then if you want
to leave I'll bid you Godspeed."
The feeling in his tone, the display
OF sentiment so at variance with NV
old notion of him, touched me in snite
OF myself There was a characteristics
nobility and dignity in his plan: II
was worthy of him. And | had never
loved him as now, when he finished
TINS appeal, and turned away 10 the
window, gazing out upon the somber
woodland.
Mr. Donovan is ready to go, sir
announced Bates at the door, and we
went into the library, where Larry and
stoddard were waiting.