The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-11-03

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IED1 following his dismissal OF
Chilcote found him again in his
sitting room.
He sat at the center table surrounded
by cloud OF smoke; a pipe was be-
tween his lips and the mornings
newspapers lay in a heap beside his
elbow To the student Of humanity
his attitude was intensely interesting.
1t was the attitude of a man tram
meled by the knowledge Of his
strength. Before him as he sat smok-
ing stretched a future Of absolute
nothingness, and toward this blank fu-
ture one portion Of his consciousness
a struggling and as yet scarcely SEN
tient portion-pushed him inevitably;
while another-a vigorous, persistent,
human portion-cried to him to pause.
So actual, so clamorous, was this silent
mental combat that had ragged unceas
ingly since the moment of his renun-
citation that at last in physical response
to it he pushed back his chair.
Its too late" he said aloud. I'm q
fool. It's too Late
Then abruptly, astonishingly, as
though in direct response to his spoken
thought, the door opened and Chilcote
walked into the room.
Slowly Loder rose and stared at him.
The feeling he acknowledged to him
self was anger, but below the anger a
very different sensation ran riotously
strong. And it was in time to this Sec
ond feeling, this sudden, lawless JOY.
that his pulses beat as he turned a cold
face on the intruder.
"Well?" he said sternly.
But Chilcote was impervious to stern
ness. He was mentally shaken and dis
tressed. though outwardly irreproacha-
bic, even to the violets in the lapel OF
his coat-the violets that for a week
past had been brought each morning
to the door Of Loder's rooms by Ewes
maid. For one second, as Loder's eyes
rested on the flowers, sting of ungov-
ernable Jealousy shot through him;
then as suddenly 1t died away, super
seeded by another feeling-a feeling Of
new, spontaneous joy. Worn by Chill
cote or by himself, the flowers were a
symbol.
.WellT' he said again In a gentler
voice
Chilcote had walked to the table and
laid down his hat. His face was white
and the muscles Of his lips twitched
nervously as he drew OF his gloves.
Thank heaven, you're here!" he said
shortly. GIVE me something to drink"
In silence Loder brought out the
whisky and set it on the table: then in
stinctively he turned aside. As plainly
as though he saw the action he men,
tally figured Chilcote's furtive glance.
the furtive movement of his fingers to
his waistcoat pocket, the hasty drop
ping of the tabloids into the glass
For an instant the sense of his tacit
connivance came to him sharply; the
next, he flung it from him. The hui
man, inner voice was whispering its
old watchword. The strong man has
no time to waste over his weaker
brother,
When he heard ChiIcote lay Aswn his
tumbler he looked back again "Well,
what is 1T" he said what have you
come for:' He strove reeolutely to
keep his voice severe but. try as he
might, he could not quite subdue the
eager force that lay behind his words
Once again. as on the night Of their
second interchange, life had become q
phoenix, rising to fresh existence even
while he sifted its ashes. 'Wellr' he
said once again.
Chilcote had set down his glass He
was nervously passing his handker-
chief across hia nna. ThAra waa AonA-