Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-12-20

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"Most prisons have wide yatovw
Chilcotc laughed again unplcos,n,.
''That was six years ago. l had star,.,
on the morphia track four years cor,ios
but up to my fathers death I had i, ~
der my thumb, or believed had 49,,
in the realization of my new rcsnona,
bilities and the excitement of tho
litical fight l almost put it aside ~.
several months after l entered nor,;.
ment l worked. I believe | made w..
speech that marked me as a comin.
man." He laughed derisively. ~ ovas
married.
"MarriedY
"Yes-a girl of nineteen. tho wow,
af a great politician. 1t was a bririaa.
marriage, politically as we'll as sociaun
but 1t didn't work. l was born wi,hort
the capacity for love. First the soc;a,
life palled on me, then my work yronr
irksome. There was only one factor =.
make life acknowledgements, Bofor0
six months were out l had fully admit
ted that"
"But your wife?"
"Oh, my wife knew nothing-knouc
nothing. 1t is the political business
the beastly routine of the political )ife
that is wearing me out" lie stonnAd
nervously, then hurried on again. q
tell you it's hard to see the same faces
to sit in the same seat day in, day ont
knowing all the time that you mnst
hold yourself in hand, must keen yonr
grip on the reins"-
ut is always possible to apply ia,
the Chiftern Hundreds"
ITO retire? Possible to rctire~
Chilcote broke into a loud, sarcastic
laugh. You don't know what the 10.
cal pressure of a place like Wark
stands for. Twenty times l have been
within an ace of chucking the whole
thing. Once last year l wrote private.
" to Vale, n Of our big men there.
and limited that my health was bad.
Two hours after he had read my letter
he was In my study. Had | been in
Greenland the result would have been
the same. No; resignation is a mean
ingless word to a man like me-
Loder looked down. II see,'' he said
slowly; Il see."
"Then you see everything-the Diff
lculty, the isolation of the position.
Five years ago-three-even two years
ago-I was able to endure it. Now it
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 nv.
self to some extent-bW yesterday |
received a shock-yesterday I discoy-
cred that-that'-again he hesitatel
painfully that l have passed the
stage when n may calculate"
The situation was growing more EN-.
barrassing. TO hide its awkwardness,
Loder moved back to the CRATE and
rebuilt the fire, which had fallen low.
Chilcote, still excited by his unusual
vehemence, followed him, taking up a
position by the mantelpiece.
"Well?" he said. looking down.
Very slowly Loder rose from bis
task. "Well?' he reiterated.
"Have You nothing to sayT
Nothing, except that your story is
unique and that l suppose l am fat
tered by your confidence" His voice
was Intentionally brusque.
Chileote paid no attention to the
voice. Taking a step forward he laid
his fingers on the lapel of Loder's coat.
II have passed the stage where | can
count upon myself" he said, land
want to count upon somebody else.
want to keep my place in the worlds
eyes and yet be free
Loder drew back Involuntary. COZ
tempt struggling with bewildcrment IN
his expression.
Chilcote lifted his head. by an eS-
%traordinary chance" he said, you can
do for me what no other man in Gre
alton could do. 1t vas suggested 10
me unconsciously by the story OF a
book-a book in which men changed
Identities. l saw nothing in it ut 'Ne
time, but this morning, as l lay in beu'
sick with yesterdays fasco, il came
back to me. 1t rushed over my mlbu
In an inspiration. 1t will save me anu
make you. I'm not insulting YOU
though you'd like to think So"
Without remark Loder freed lhnf
self from the others touch and walker
back to his desk. His anger, his pFloe'
and, against his will. his eXrlte!lleA'
were all aroused.
ITO BE Continued
Palma's Right to Rule Cuba