The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-10-25


IL bed. To him the big room,
with its severe magnifcence,
suggested nothing of the gloom and
solitude that it held in its owners
eyes. The ponderous furniture, the
high ceiling, the heavy curtains, I'M
changed since the days of Chilcote's
grandfather, all limited at far reach
ing ownership that stirred him. The
ownership was mythical In his regard
and the possessions a mirage, but they
filled the day and surely sufficient for
the day.
That was his frame of mind as he
opened his eyes on the following morn
ing and lay appreciative of his COM
fort of the surrounding space, even of
the light that filtered through the cur
tain chinks, suggestive of a world re-
created. With day all things seemed
possible TO healthy man. He stretch
ed his arms luxuriously, delighting in
the glossy smoothness of the sheets.
What was it Chilcote had said? Bet
ter live for a day than exist for life
time. That was true, and life had be-
gun. At thirty-six he was to know it
for the first time.
He smiled, but without irony. Man
is at his best at thirty-six, he unused.
He has retained his enthusiasms and
shed his exuberances; he has learned
what to pick up and what to pass by;
he no longer imagines that to drain a
cup one must taste the dregs. He
closed his eyes and stretched again
not his arms only, but his whole body.
The pleasure of his mental state in
sisted on a physical expression. Then,
sitting up in bed, he pressed the cleo
trio bell.
Chilcote's new valet responded.
pull those curtains, Renwick," he
said. whats the timer" He had
passed the ordeal of Renwick's eyes
the night before.
The man was slow, even little stu
pid. He drew back the curtains care
fully. then looked at the small clock on
the dressing table. Eight o'clock, sir.
1 didn't expect the bell so early, sir
Loder felt reproved, and a pause fol-
lowed.
MAY / bring your cup of tea, sir?'
mo, not just yet. I'll have a bath
first
Renwick showed ponderous uncer-
tainty Warm, STRIP he hazarded
mo. cold
Still perplexed, the man left the
room.
Loder smiled to himself. The chances
of discovery in that quarter were not
large He was inclined to think that
Chilcote had even overstepped necessi-
ty in the matter of his Wallets dullness.
He breakfasted alone, following Chill
to-c boy ri of hra L IN q found
his way to the study.
AS he entered Greening rose with
the same conciliatory haste that he had
shown the night before.
Loder nodded to him. EARLY at
work 2" he said pleasantly.
The little man showed instant, al
most ridiculous. relief. Good morn
ing. SIR he said. You, too, are early. /
i rather feared your nerves troubled |
you after 1 left last night, for 1 found /
your letters still unopened this morn |
ing. But / am glad to see you look SO /
we'll"
Loder promptly turned his back to
the light. ..Oh. last nights letters,'
he said. ITO tell you the truth, Green
ing. my wife"-his hesitation was very
slight-"my wife looked me up after
YOU left, and we gossiped- I clean for
got the post He smiled in an ex-
planatory way as he moved TO the
desk and picked up the letters.
With Greetings eyes upon him there
was no time for seruples. With very
creditabIe GOODNESS he began opening
me envelopes one by one. Me letters
were unimportant. and he passed them
one after another TO the secretary ex-
periencing slight thrill of authority
as each left his hand. Again the fact
that power is visible in little things
came to his mind.
"Give me my engagement book,
Greening'' he said when the letters
had been disposed of.
The book that Greening handed him
was neat in shape and bound. like Chill
sote's cigarette case, in lizard skin.
As Loder took Ii the gold monogram
y. c." winked at him in the bright
light The incident moved his
sense of humor. He and the book were |
in the fraud, it seemed.
He felt an inclination to wink back.
he opened it with proper
gravity and skinned the pages.
The page devoted to the day was al
most full. On every other line were
lettings in Chilcotes irregular hand
rnd twice among the entries appeared
I prominent cross in tlss peEcilinG-