The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-10-31

| only TWO considerations 10 -wirnnoid
! her from open aggression-the knowl-
| edge of England as very consider
| able. but also very distant power;
| the knowledge of Persia as an immi-
| nent. but wholly impotent, factor in
| the case.
Having stated his opinions. he re-
verted TO the motive Of his speech-flis
desire to put forward a strong protest
against the adjournment Of the house
without an assurance from the govern
ment that immediate measures would
| be taken to safeguard British interests
| in Meshed and throughout the province
/ OF khorassan.
The Immediate outcome Of Loder's
/ speech was all that his party had de-
/ sired. The effect on the house had been
marked. and when, no satisfactory re-
Spouse coming to his demand. he had
I in still more resoiute and insis1ent
terms called for a division on the mo-
i ton for adjournment, the result had
/ been an appreciate fall IN tue govern
ment majority.
/ To Loder himself the reaIization that
| he had at last indicated and justified
himself by individual action had pc
culiar effect. His position had been al
tered in one remarkable particular.
Before this day he alone had known
himself to be strong: now the knowi-
cage was shared by Others and he was
| human enough to be susceptible to the
change.
The first appreciation of it came i'm
mediately after the excitement Of the
division. when F'raide, singing him
out, took his arm and pressed it affec-
tionately.
"afy dear ChiIcote." he said, 1--WE are
all proud of your Then, looking up
into his face. he added, in a graver
tone. but keep your mind upon the
future; never be blinded by the pres
ent, however bright it seems
At the touch of his hand, at the spon-
taneous approval of his first words, Lo-
der's pride thrilled, and in a vehement
rush of ambition his senses answered
to the praise. Then, as Fraide in all
unconsciousness, added his second SEN
tence. the hot glow of feeling suddenly
chilled
In sweep OF intuitive reaction
the meaning and the danger of his
falsely real position extinguished his
excitement and turned his triumph
cold With an involuntary gesture he
withdrew his arm.
You're very good, sir" he said. And
you're very right. We never should for
get that there is-a future"
The old man glanced up, surprised by
the tone.
"Quite so, Chilcote," he said kindly.
"But we only advise those in whom we
believe to look toward it. Shall we find
my wife? 1 know she will want to
bear you home with u.s."
But Loder's joy in himself and his
achievement had dropped from him.
He shrank suddenly from Lady Sarah's
congratulations and Ewes warm, silent
appreciation.
Thanks, sir" he said, "but I don't
feel fit for society. A touch of my
nerves, I suppose" He laughed short
ly. But do you mind saying to Eve
that hope 1 have satisfied her?' He
added this as If in half reluctant after
thought.
Then. with a short pressure of
Fraide's hand, he turned, evading
the many groups that waited to claim
him, and passed out Of the house alone.
square. All the exaltation of an hour
ago had turned to ashes. His excite
ment had found its elimination in a
sense Of futility and premonition.
He met no one in the hall q on the
stairs of Chilcote's house, and on enter
ing the study he found that also de-
serted.
Greening had been among the most
absorbed OF those who listened to
his speech. Passing at once into the |
room. he crossed as il by instinct to
the desk, and there halted. On the top |
of some unopened letters lay the sig |
nificant yellow envelope of a telegram;
the telegram that in an Uniformed. sub
conscious way had sprung to his ex-
pectation on the moment of Fraide's |
congratulation.
Very quietly he picked it up, opened |
and read it. and, with the automatic |
caution that had become habitual, car
ried it across the room and dropped it /
in the fire. This done. he returned to /
the desk. read the letters that awaited
Chilcote, and, scribbling the necessary
notes upon the margins, left them in
readiness for Greening. Then, moving
passed from the room. down the stairs
and out into the street by the way he
had come.
CHAPTER Xxx.
TN the fifth day after the momen-
tous 1st OF April on which he
III III had recalled Loder and re-
sumed his own life Chilcote
left his house and walked toward Bond
street. Though the morning was clear
and the air almost warm for the time
Of year. he was buttoned into a long
overcoat and was wearing a muftier
and pair of doeskin gloves. As he
passed along the street he kept close
to the house fronts to avoid the sun
that was everywhere stirring the win
ter bound town like a suffusion of
young blood through old veins. = He
avoided the warmth because in this
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