Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-12-06
brushed past him. laughing boisterous-
~. The sounq Jared him.

brushed past him. laughing boisterous-
ly. The sound Jared him.
Was It ,3rugsw the stranger went on
easily. II have always had a theory
that it was"
'YeS. 1t waS morphia." The answer
came before Chilcote had realized it.
The womnn's laugh at the strangers
quiet persistence had contrived to
draw it from him. Instantly he had
spoken he looked about him quickly.
like one who has for Il moment for
gotten 4 necessary Vigilance.
There was silence while the stranger
thought over the information just given
him. Then he spoke again. With 4 new
touch of vehemencc.
$50 imagined" he said, though, on
my soul, l never really credited it. To
thrown it away for Il common vice.
He made an exclamation of disgust.
Chilcotc cave an unsteady laugh.
You judge hardly" he said.
The other repeated his sound of con
tempt. Justly so. No MAI has the
right. to ~squandcr what another would
give his soul for. 1t lessons the gen
eral respect for power ,
You are a believer in power:" The
tone was sarcastic. but the sarcasm
sounded thin.
"Yes. All power is the outcome of i'll
d%ividuality, either past or present. !
find no sentiment for the nal who
plays With it,"
The quiet contempt of the tone stun2
Chilcote.
40 you imagine that Lexington
made no tight:" he asked impulSively.
Cant YOU picture the mans struggle
while the vice that had been slave
gradually became master?' He stop
ped to take breath, and in the cold
pause that followed it seemed to him
that the other made q murmur of in
credulity.
Perhaps you think of morphia as a
pleasure?" he added. Think of it. in
stead, as Il tyrant that tortures the
mind if held to and the body if cast
off," Urged by the darkness and the
silence of his companion. the rein Of
his speech had loosened. In that mo-
ment he was not Chilcote, the member
for East Wark. whose moods and 81
lences were proverbial, but Chilcote
the man whose mind craved the relief
Of speech.
you talk as the world talks-out of
ignorance and self righteousness" he
went Oh. Before you condemn Lex
ington you should put yourself in his
place.
Gas you do:" the other laughed.
Unsuspecting and inoffensive as the
laugh was it startled Chilcote. With a
sudden alarm he pulled himself up.
"I?" He tried to echo the laugh,
but the attempt fell fat. "Oh, l mere
~ speak from-from De Quincy. But
I believe this fog is shifting-I really
believe it is shifting. Can you oblige
me with a light? l had almost forgot.
ten that a man may still smoke though
he has been deprived of sight" he
spoke fast and disjointedly. He was
overwhelmed by the idea that he haL
let himself go and possessed by the
wish to obliterate the consequences
AS he talked he fumbled for his ciga
rette case.
His head was bent as he searched
for it n~ervously. Without looking W
he was conscious that the cloud of fos
that held him prisoner vas lifting
rolling away, closing back again, pre-
paratory to final disappearance. Hav
ing found the case, he put a cigarette
between his lips and raised his hane
at the moment that the stranger drew
q match across his box.
For a second each stared blankly a
the others face. suddenly made visi