The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-25
Our Daily Short Story

, there is none other in all the world for you to lean on. And then you will slip back, back and with every back ward slip those who are helping you now will be there to give you a down. ward push. I will not be among them, for heaven knows my whole life has been spent in your upbuilding, but I l win not be there to help you. Good bye, goodbye
 go 'sInoI IS :5-s 'eIVdIeprIIud Grasping her wraps she was gone be- fore he could recover from the paraly sis of fear which her prophecy invoked. He sank, shivering. into his chair and F rave the Ire a poke which caused the dull coals to glow for a moment. His career passed rapidly through his mind. He saw himself a talented. er-
 ratio young man struggling for . place
 at the bar, successful at times. but
 oppressed by periods of gloom and self doubt which kept him from rapid ad- vancement. He remembered the first time he met Alice Chivington and felt again the electric thrill her gray eyes
 always had sent him. Her position
 was somewhat anomalous. She was not received in society and her friends were principally men. At the same time there was nothing against her on which anyone could place a finger. She had gift for politics and her apart ments were much freQuented by bright men. The atmosphere was thoroughly bohemian and surcharged with a lib- erty which at times approached license. How well he remembered the evening when after listening to his bitter de- nunciation of court and jury in refer ence to & case he was trying, she turned on him suddenly and said:
 Morris. you are wasting your time and talent. If l were you I would win that case. You cannot do 1t by com plaining and doubting. You have the talent to make that judge see the law and that jury see the facts as you see them. You cannot do 1t by doubting and criticising. Go at them with con- fidence and determination"
 It was not what she said, but the compelling current from her eyes-or some personal quality, that affected him. But the effect was prodigious. The clouds rolled from his spirit and he felt 1t in his bones he would win and he did. And she was not less pleased than he. This was the begin ming of his rise at the bar. Case after case came to him and he won and won and won. At first he would bring them all to her and talk them over. and she would send him away confident and dominant. She advised little or not at all regarding these cases: she listened with friendly receptiveness and when he became clear, convincing and domi- hating she would crystalize his mind and send him out to conquer. After time he attained a degree of self-re- liance that he would only talk to her occasionally when big cases were on. She urged him to interest himself in politics and waving aside his fears stimulated him to one step after an other, prosecuthing attorney, the Leg isiature. attorney general of the State, Congress and finally the Senate. And in all these positions she urged him on to relentless activity. and in every omce he had attained high distinction. His was the talent, hers the enersixing force.
 In all these years he had been very close to her. He had a strange fasci- nation for her. as well as she for him. Of course his intimates- had their own
 opinion as to how close his relations were to her. but of this nothing cer-
 tain was known and nobody dared sug-
 gest it to either. She had seemed sim gle-hearted in desiring his advance ment Even his marriage had not broken the relationship. although she had shown she was hurt.
 "Oh, we'll" she had said. Tt does not matter. Keep your doll-faced plaything for your doll house if you
 want to. You've got to have me-" And the relationship was uninter-
 rupted. Five years ago his wife had
 died One of his fiercest fights was on at the time and Alice Chivington kept him steadily at it. Other fights fol- lowed in which she spurred him on. Immediately after his wife's death he had realized his indebtedness to this marvellous woman and had told her his intention to make her his wife. And after every victory he reiterated the pledge. But between the fights he would lapse into self-confidence and forget And now the end was come. He started and shivered. He poked the fire, but the coals had turned to ashes.
 ris never won another victory. His courage and power deserted him at
 his time of need and he never made a winning fight. With each defeat he
 became more morose and fearful until he retired from public life a bitter cynic, while all the world wondered at the change. He searched the world for Alice Chivington, but never found her. Only once did he hear from her. After he was defeated for reelection to the Senate. which soundd his political death -knell, he received an envelope addressed In her well known hand. There was a note containing just four words and a crushed violet her favor ite flower. The note read:
 Poor Robert.
 ~r. =-.'.H. Alice Chivington."