The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-29
CHAPTER II
CYRIL HANDS REDUx.

i Z. ~ .
For tho first two weeks after Hnnds's
return he was utterly bewlldcrcd by the
rush OF events In which. he must take
part md had little or no tin1I for
thought.
3 Ills days were filled BY of1cial confer
encos with his chiefs at tho Exploring
Society, from which important but by no
means wealthy body he had suddenly at
tanned moro than financial security.
Meeting succeeded meeting. Hands
was In constant communication with tho
heads OF tho Church, Government and
Society. rntcrvicwers from all the Inn
portant papers endowed him every
where. Despite his protests. for he was
q quiet and retiring man. photographers
fought for him. and his long. somewhat
melancholy face and pointed fair beard
stared at him everywhere.
Flo had to read papers ut learned 80
cicties. and afterwards women came and
carried him OF to evening parties with
out possibility Of escape
The unltarians OF England started a
monster subscription for him. s,ibscrlp-
tlon which grew so fast that the less
sober papers began to estimate It day
by day and to point out that the fortu-
nate dIscoverer would be rich man for
life.
Everywhere he was flattcred, caress-
ed and made much Of. In fact, he under
went what to some natures s the grim
est torture OF humane age-he became
tho MAN OF THE HOUR. Even by
Churchmen and others most interested
In denying the truth OF the discovery,
Hands was treated with consideration
and Difference. His own bona fldcs In
the matter was indubitable. his long and
notable record. forbade suspicion
fIort Hands 1lp but little. Their
meeting had been cordial, but there was
some natural restraint, one fearing the
attitude OF the other. Gortre, no less
than Hands. wns much away from the
chambers, and the pair had few conf
dences. Hands felt, naturally enough
under the circumstances. that he would
have been more comfortable with Spence.
no was surprised to find him absent.
but all he was able to CLEAN was that
the Journalist had suddenly left for the
Continent upon special mission. Hands
supposed that Continental feeling was
to be thoroughly tested. and that the
work had fallen to Spence
Meanwhile the invitations flowed In.
The old staircase OF the inn was besieged
with callers In order to escape them.
Hands was forced to spend much time
in the chambers on the other side OF the
landing. which belonged to young bar
rister, Kennedy by name, WHO was t,ols
to put spare sitting-room st his dis
posal This gentleman. brieflcss and
happy, was somewhat OF the Dick swiv-
eller type, and It gave him intense pleas
ure to reconnotre the opposite oak
through the slit OF his letter-box, and to
report and speculate upon those who
stood knocking for admission.
How he lonthed It all!
The shock and surprise OF It was not
ono OF the least distressing features.
Far away in the ancient Eastern city
he had indeed realized the momentous
nature OF the strange and awful things
he had found. But OF the consequences
to himself he had thought nothing. and
OF the effects on the world he had not
had time to think.
Hands had never wished to be cee-
brated His temperament was poetic In
essence, retiring in action. He longed to
be back under the eye OF the sun. to
move among the memorials OF the past
with his Arab boys. to lie upon the beach
OF tho Dead Sea when no airs stirred,
and, suddenly, to hear vast mysterious
breaker, coming from nowhere, with no
visible cause. like some great beast
crashing through the jungle.
And he had exchanged all this for