Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-10-26

the family tree. he went south to Wark and entered shipowning firm. In thirty years time he died, the owner of one of the biggest trades in England, having married the daughter of his chief. My father was twenty-four and still at Oxford when he inherited. AL most his first act was to reverse my grandfather's early move by going north and plecing together the family friendship. He married his first cousin. and then, with the Chilcote prestige re- vived and the shipping money to back it, he entered on his ambition, which was to represent East Wark in the Con- servative interest. It was big fight, but he won-as much by personal in fuence as by any other. He was an aristocrat, but he was keen business man as well. The combination carries weight with your lower classes. He never did much in the house, but he was power to his party in Wark. They still use his name there to con- jure with.'
 Loder leaned forward interestedly.
 Robert Chilcote?" he said. q have heard of him. One of those fine, unos- tentatious f1gures-strong in action, little narrow in outlook, perhaps, but essential to country's staying power. You have every reason to be proud of your father"
 Chilcote laughed suddenly. "How easily we sum up when matter is i'm personal! My father may have been fine figure, but he shouldn't have left me to climb to his pedestal" Loder's eyes questioned. In his new ly awakened interest he had let his pipe go out.
 Don't you grasp my meaning?" Chilcote went on. My father died and was elected for East Wark. You may say that if had no real inclination for the position I could have kicked, but tell you I couldn't Every local inter- est, political and commercial. hung up on the candidate being Chilcote. I did what eight men out of ten would have done. yielded to pressure.' Ut was fine opening" The words escaped Loder.
 Most prisons have wide gates" Chilcote laughed again unpleasantly. ''That was six years ago. had started on the morphia track four years earlier, but up to my fathers death I had 1t un- der my thumb, or believed had, and in the realization of my new responsi- bilities and the excitement of the po- litical fight almost put 1t aside. For several months after 1 entered parlla ment I worked. I believe I made one speech that marked me as coming man." He laughed derisively. T even married"-
 "Married"
 "Yes-a girl of nineteen, the ward of a great politician. It was brilliant marriage, politically as well as socially, but it didn't work. was born without the capacity for love. First the social irksome. There was only one factor to make life ndurable-morphia Before six months were out had fully admit ted that"
 But your wife?"
 "Oh. my wife knew nothing-knows nothing. It is the political business, the beastly routine of the political life, that is wearing me out" He stopped nervously. then hurried on again. T tell you it's hard to see the same faces, to sit in the same seat day in. day out. knowing all the time that you must hold yourself in hand, must keep your grip on the reins"-
 Tt is always possible to apply for the Chiltern Hundreds"
 "To retire? Possible to retiref" Chilcote broke into a loud, sarcastic laugh. You don't know what the To- cal pressure of a place like Wark stands for. Twenty times I have been within an ace of chucking the whole thing. once last year wrote private ly to Vale. one of our big men there. and hinted that my health was bad. Two hours after he had read my letter he was in my study. Had I been in Greenland the result would have been the same. No: resignation is a mean ingiess word to a man like me"
 Loder looked down. T sec" he said slowly; '1 see"
 Then you see everything-the diff fculty. the isolation of the position. Five years ago-three-even two years ago-I was able 10 endure fl. Now Il gets more unbearable with every month. The day Is bound to come when - when" he paused. hesitating nervously-"when it will be physically impossible for me to be at my post"
 Loder remained silent.
 Physically impossible" Chilcote re- peated excitedly. Until lately I was able to calculate-tO count upon my self to some extent-but yesterday received a shock-yesteriay I discoy. cred bst-that--again he hesitateSl painfully - that I have passed the stage when one may calculate"
 The situation was growing more em. bsrrsssing. To hide It's awkwardness, Loder moved back to the grate and rebuilt the fire. which had fallen low.
 ChIlcote. still ercited by his unusual vehemonce. followed him. taking uo q position by the rnantelpisce.
 -weIy" be said. looking down
 Very slowly Lodcr rose from his task. ~weiiY' De reiterated.