Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-11-10

blood flame quickly into her cheek.
 Meanwhile Loder worked persistent
 H. With each day that brought the
 crisis of Traide's scheme nearer his ac-
 tivity increased and with 1t an inten-
 sifying of the nervous strain. For if
 he had his hours of exaltation he also
 had his hours of black apprehension.
 It Is all very well to exercise a ghost
 by sheer strength of will. but one has
 also to eliminate the idea that gave 1t
 existence. Lillian Astrupp, with her
 unattested evidence and her ephemeral
 interest, gave him no real uneasiness,
 but Chilcote and Chilcote's possible
 summons were matters of graver con
 sideration, and there were times when
 they loomed very dark and sinister.
 What if at the very moment of fulfill.
 ment- But invariably he snapped the
 thread of the supposition and turned
 with fiercer ardor to his work of prep
 aration.
 And so the last morning of his pro-
 bation dawned, and for the first time
 he breathed freely.
 He rose early on the day that was to
 witness his great effort and dressed slowly. It was splendid morning. The spirit of the spring seemed em-
 bodied in the air. in the pale blue sky.
 in the shafts of cool sunshine that danced from the mirror to the dressing table, from the dressing table to the pictures on the walls of Chilcote's vast room. Inconsequently with its dancing rose memory of the distant pasta memory of long forgotten days when, as child. he had been bidden to watch the same sun perform the same fan tastic evolutions. The sight and the thought stirred him cautiously with an unlocked for sense of youth. He drew himself together with an added touch, of decision as he passed out into the corridor, and as he walked downstairs he whistled bar or two of an inspirit- ing tune.
 In the morning room Eve was al- ready waiting. She looked up, colored and smiled as he entered. Her face looked very fresh and young, and she wore gown of the same pale blue that she had worn on his first coming.
 She looked up from m open letter as he came into the room, and the sun that fell through the window caught her in q shaft of light, intensifying her blue eyes, her blue gown and the bunch of yiolets fastened in her belt. To Loder, still under the influence of early memories, she seemed the em- some youthful ideal-some- thing lost, sought for and found again. Realization of his feeling for her al most came to him as he stood there looking at her. It lowered about him, it tipped him. as it were, with it's wings; then it rose again and scared away. Men like him-men keen to grasp an opening where their careers are concerned and tenacious to hold it when once grasped-are frequently the last to look into their own hearts. He glanced at Eve. he acknowledged the stir of his feeling, but he made no attempt to define its cause. He could no more have given reason for his than he could have told the precise date upon which, coming at 8 o'clock. he had first found her waiting breakfast for him. The time when all such incidents were to stand out. each to a nicety in it's ap- pointed place. had not yet arrived. For ! he moment his youth had returned to lim; he possessed the knowledge of | work done, the sense of present com in world of agreeable l .hings; above all, the steady, quiet con riction of his own capacity. All these hings came to him in the moment of ,is entering the room, greeting Eve md passing to the breakfast table; hen. while his eyes still rested con entedly on the pleasant array of china md silver. while his senses were still live to the fresh, earthly scent of Eve's violets, the blow so long dreaded 50 slow in coming-fell with accumu- ated force.