Part 2 (1/2)

Annandale derives its chief importance froo Express paused only for a s beside ht streamed from the open door of the station; a few idlers paced the platfore hackuidly solicited my business Suddenly out of the shadows ca ulster As I write, it is with a quickening of the sensation I received on the occasion of ure rises beforehis hat respectfully, be said: ”Beg pardon, sir; is this Mr Glenar wired me to meet you, sir”

”Yes; to be sure,” I said

The hackave him my trunk-checks

”How far is it?” I asked, retfully, Itrain

”Two miles, sir,” Bates replied ”There's no way over but the hack in winter In sus need stretching; I'll walk,” I suggested, drawing the cool air into ht, and its freshness was grateful after the hot sleeper Bates accepted the suggestion without comment We walked to the end of the platfor my trunks about, and after we had seen theon, I followed Bates down through the broad quiet street of the village There was ined, and several tall sht

”Brick-yards, sir,” said Bates, waving his hand at the stacks ”It's a considerable center for that kind of business”

”Bricks without straw?” I asked, as we passed a radiant saloon that blazed upon the board walk

”Beg pardon, sir, but such places are the ruin of men,”--on which remark I based a mental note that Bates wished to i beside ed brevity Clearly, here was a man who had reduced human intercourse to a basis of necessity I was to be shut up with him for a year, and he was not likely to prove a cheerful jailer My feet struck upon a graveled highway at the end of the village street, and I heard suddenly the lapping of water

”It's the lake, sir This road leads right out to the house,” Bates explained

I was dooined, on the beauty of the landscape in these parts, and I was rejoiced to know that it was not all cheerless prairie or gloomy woodland The wind freshened cud blew sharply upon us off the water

”The fishi+ng's quite good in season Mr Glenarreat pleasure in it Bass--yes, sir Mr Glenar quite equal to a black bass”

I liked the way the fellow spoke of randfather He was evidently a loyal retainer No doubt he could surandfather, and I detere his confidence

Any resentrandfather's will had passed He had treated me as well as I deserved, and the least I could do was to accept the penalty he had laid upon ht occupied hway The road now led away froht loomed a dark barrier, and I put out ht of about eight feet

”What is this, Bates?” I asked

”This is Glenarrandfather's ideas It's a quarter of aand cost him a pretty penny, I warrant you The road turns off from the lake now, but the Glenarm property is all lake front”

So there was a wall about rinned cheerfully to uide paused at an arched gateway in the long wall, drew from his overcoat a bunch of keys and fuate, I felt the spirit of adventure quicken within ate clicked behind us and Bates found a lantern and lighted it with the ease of custoular entrance is farther down the road Keep close, sir, as the tiroas indeed heavy, and I followed the lantern of uide with difficulty In the darkness the place seeh as a tropical wilderness

”Only a little farther,” rose Bates' voice ahead ofreat tree, I saw for the first time the dark outlines of Glenar his feet upon a walk I followed him to what I assuhtly at either side of ait open without ado, and I stepped quickly into a great hall that was lighted dimly by candles fastened into brackets on the walls

”I hope you've not expected too y ”It's very incoot to h without much cheer The sound of our steps reverberated and echoed in the well of a great staircase There was not, as far as I could see, a single article of furniture in the place

”Here's so you'll like better, sir,”--and Bates paused far down the ball and opened a door

A single candle e rooliness, and waited, in heartsick foreboding, for the silent guide to reveal a dreary prison

”Please sit here, sir,” said Bates, ”while I h the dark roohted a taper and went swiftly and softly about He touched the taper to one candle after another--they seeht, that yielded slowly to a growing ht I have often watched the acolytes in dim cathedrals of the Old World set countless candles ablaze on nificent altars--alith awe for the beauty of the spectacle; but in this unknown house the austere serving- enchantht

The lines of the walls receded as the light increased, and the raftered ceiling dreay, luring the eyes upward I rose with a smothered excla off my hat in reverence as the spirit of the place wove its spell about me Everywhere there were books; they covered the walls to the ceiling, with only long French s and an enor the line Above the fireplace a rand scale of the room From every conceivable place--from shelves built for the purpose, froreat crystal chandelier suspended fro, and from the breast of the chi brilliancy I exclaimed in wonder and pleasure as Bates paused, his sorcerer's wand in hand

”Mr Glenarather up candlesticks, and his collection is very fine He called his place 'The House of a Thousand Candles' There's only about a hundred here; but it was one of his conceits that when the house was finished there would be a thousand lights, he had quite a joking way, your grandfather It suited his humor to call it a thousand He enjoyed his own pleasantries, sir”

”I fancy he did,” I replied, staring in bewilderht be randfather would not have them Old brass and copper were specialties with hilass candlesticks He held that the crystal was eman and then serve you some supper”

He went sohted eyes It was fifty feet long and half as wide The hard-wood floor was covered with handso Carved in the heavy oak paneling above the fireplace, in large Old English letters, was the inscription: The Spirit of Man is the Candle of the Lord and on either side great candelabra sent long arms across the hearth All the books seemed related to architecture; Gerlish and Ay represented in a division where all the titles were Latin or Italian I opened several cabinets that contained sketches and drawings, all in careful order; and in another I found an elaborate card catalogue, evidently the work of a practised hand The minute exareat chair that ht have been spoil froeneral effect To find an apartood taste in the eredthe house I had seen only a dark bulk that conveyed no sense of its character or proportions; and certainly the entrance hall had not prepared me for the beauty of this room I was so lost in contemplation that I did not hear a door open behind me The respectful, mournful voice of Bates announced: ”There's a bite ready for you, sir”

I followed hih-wainscoted room where a table was simply set

”This is what Mr Glenar-room, on the other side of the house, is unfinished He took his ownwith him He never lived to finish the house, -- very handsome of it if he'd had a few years more But he hoped, sir, that you'd see it completed It was his wish, sir”

”Yes, to be sure,” I replied

He brought cold fowl and a salad, and produced a bit of Stilton of unmistakable authenticity

”I trust the ale is cooled to your liking It's your grandfather's favorite, if I may say it, sir”

I liked the fellow's hurave deference and an accustoht upon the table; the roos in a sned to punish me, with loneliness as his weapon, his shade, if it lurked near,been inured to my own society I had often eaten my bread alone, and I found a pleasure in the quiet of the strange unknown house There stole overa wish ofhe would have me do I was touched by the traces everywhere of his interest in as to hi quite fine in his devotion to it The little refectory had its air of distinction, though it ithout decoration There had been, ays said in the farandsire's devotion to architecture; but I felt that it had really appealed to sonified and noble in his own entler mood than I had known in years possessed my heart He had asked little of me, and I deterave me my coffee, put arette case and was holding it half-opened, when the glass in theback of me cracked sharply, a bullet whistled over my head, struck the opposite wall and fell, flattened and marred, on the table under my hand

CHAPTER IV

A VOICE FROM THE LAKE

I ran to theand peered out into the night The wood through which we had approached the house seereat tree brushed the panes I was tugging at the fastening of the hen I beca happen, sir?”

His unbroken calh aand I had narrowly escaped being shot I resented the unconcern hich this servant accepted the situation

”Nothing worthSomebody tried to assassinate me, that's all,” I said, in a voice that failed to be cal at the catch of the

”Allow me, sir,”--and he threw up the sash with an ease that increased my irritation

I leaned out and tried to find some clue to my assailant Bates opened anotherand surveyed the dark landscape with me

”It was a shot from without, was it, sir?”