The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-10-25

! greet ner-
Here comes my godchild." he said.
81 often wish, Chilcote, that / could
| do away with the prefix" He added
| the last words in an undertone as he
| reached them, then he responded
/ warmly to her smile.
"Whatw he said. Turning the ter
| race into the garden Of Eden in Jam
! uary. We cannot allow this
| Eve laughed. Blame Lady Sarah
| carried me off Needless to say
| hadn't to ask where"
They both laughed, and Loder Joined,
a little uncertainty. He had yet to
learn that the devotion of Fraide and
his wife was long standing jest in
their particular set.
At the sound of his tardy Laugh Eve
turned to him. Il hope / didn't rob you
of all sleep last night she said. Il
caught him in his den" she explained,
turning to Fraide, land invaded it most
coura geously. 1 believe we talked
till %
Again Loder noticed how quickly she
looked from him to Fraide. The knowl-
edge reused his self assertion.
Il had an excellent night he said
do look as if | hadn't slept:"
Somewhat slowly and reluctantly
Eve looked back. NO she said truth
fully and with faint surprise that to
Loder seemed the first genuine emotion
she had shown regarding him. mo, /
don't think l ever saw you look SO
Well" She was quite unconscious and
very charming as she made the admis-
sion. 1t struck Loder that her coloring
of hair and eyes gained by daylight
We're frightened and vivitied by their
setting of somber river and somber
stone.
Fraide smiled at her affectionately,
then looked at Loder. "Chilcote has
got a new lease of nerves, Eve" he
said quietly. And I-Delieve-I have
got a new henchman. But l see my
wife reckoning to me- / must have a
word with her before she fits away.
May be excused?" He made a cour-
teous gesture of apology, then smiled
at Eve.
She looked after him as he moved
away. II sometimes wonder what /
should do if anything were to happen
to the Fraides,' she said, little wist
fully Then almost at once she laugh
ed, as if regretting her impulsiveness.
You heard what he said," she went on
in a different voice. Am L really to
congratulate you?"
The change of tone stung Loder un-
accountably. Twill you always disbe
lieve in me-" he asked.
Without answering, she walked slow
ly across the deserted terrace and,
pausing by the parapet, laid her hand
on the stonework. Still in silence, she
looked out across the river.
Loder had followed closely. Again
her aloofness seemed a challenge.
Twill you always disbelieve in me-" he
repeated.
At last she looked up at him slowly.
Have you ever given me cause to
believer" she asked in quiet tone.
To this truth he found no answer,
though the subdued incredulity nettled |
him afresh.
Prompted to a further effort, he spoke |
again. Patience is necessary with |
every person and every circumstance" |
he said We've all got to wait and |
see''
She did not lower her gaze as he
spoke, and there seemed to him some
thing disconcerting in the clear, candid
blue of her eyes. With a sudden dread |
of her next words, he moved forward
and laid his hand beside hers on the
parapet.
Patience is needed for every one" he
repeated quickly. Sometimes a man
is like a bit of wreckage. He drifts
till some force stronger than himself
gets in his way and Stops him." He
looked again at her face. He scarcely
knew what he was saying. He only
felt that he was a man in an egregious-
ly false position, trying stupidity to JUS
tify himself. Don't you believe that
fotsam can sometimes be washed
ashore?" he asked.
High above them Big Ben chimed the
hour.
Eve raised her head 1t almost seem
ed to him that he could see her answer
trembling on her lips. Then the voice
of Lady Sarah Fraide came cheerfully
from behind them.
Ever she called. Eve! We must
fly. It's absolutely o'clock