The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-10-22

mouse.
The place was low ceiied and dirty,
the air hot and steaming with the
| smell of food, but Chilcote passed
through the door and moved to one Of
the tables with no expression of dis
gust and with far less furtive watch
| fulness than he used in his own house.
| BY curious mental twist he felt
/ greater freedom. larger opportunities
| in drab surroundings such as these
than in the broad issues and weighty
responsibilities of his own life. Choos-
/ ing a corner seat he called for coffee;
and there, protected by shadow and
wrapped in cigarette smoke, he set
about ina ginning himself some vagrant
unit who had slipped his moorings and
was blissfully adrift.
TIE Imagination was pleasant while
/ it lasted, but with him nothing was
| permanent. OF late the greater part
of his sufferings had been comprised
| In the irritable fickleness of all his
| aims-the distaste for and impossible
| ty of sustained effort in any direction.
He had barely lighted a second cigar
| cite when the old restlessness fell
upon him. He stirred nervously in his
seat, and the cigarette was scarcely
| burned out when he rose, paid his
small bill and left the shop.
Outside on the pavement he halted,
pulled out his watch and saw that two
hours stretched IN front before any
appointment claimed his attention. He
wondered vaguely where he might go
to, what he might do, in those two
hours. In the last few minutes dis
taste for solitude had risen in his
mind, giving the close street a lOnefi-
ness that had escaped him before.
AS he stood wavering a cab passed
slowly down the street. The sight of
a well dressed man reused the cab
man. Flicking his whip, he passed
Chilcote close, feigning to pull up.
The cab suggested civilization. Chill
cote's mind veered suddenly, and he
raised his hand. The vehicle stopped,
and he climbed in.
where, sir?' The cabman peered
down through the roof door.
Chilcote raised his head. "Oh, any
where near Pail Mall" he said. Then,
as the horse started forward, he put
up his hand and shook the trapdoor
'.Waitr' he called. 1--WE changed my
mind. Drive to Cadogan gardens, No.
49,"
The distance to Cadogan Gardens
was covered quickly. Chilcote had
hardly realized that his destination
was reached when the cab pulled up.
Jumping out. he paid the fare and
walked quickly to the hall door of No.
49, i
rs Lady Astrupp at homer" he ask
ed sharply as the door swung back in
answer to his knock.
The servant drew back deferentially.
"Her ladyship has almost finished
lunch, SIR" he said.
For answer Chilcote stepped through
the doorway and walked halfway
across the hall.
''All right he said. But don't dis
turb her on my account. I'll wait in
the white room till she has finished"
And, without taking further notice of
the servant, he began to mount the
stairs.
In the room where he had chosen to
wait a pleasant wood fire frightened
the dull January afternoon and sof-
tened the thick white curtains, the gilt
furniture and the venetian vases filled
with white roses. Moving straight
forward, Chilcote paused by the CRATE
and stretched his hands to the blaze;
then, with his usual instability, he
turned and passed to a couch that
stood a yard or two away.
On the coach, tucked away between
a novel and a crystal gazing ball. was
a white Persian kitten, fast asleep.
>;,lya no hold 4
between his eyes and the fire, then he
laughed superciliously, tossed it back
into its place and caught the Kittens
tail. The little animal stirred, stretch
ed itself and began to pur. At the
same moment the door of the room
opened.
Chilcote turned around. 81 particu-
larly said you were not to be disturb
ed" he began. Have / rmerited dis
pleasure?" He spoke fast, with the
uneasy tone that SO often underran
his words.
Lady Astrupp took his hand with a
confiding gesture and smiled.
Never displeasure," she said linger-
ingly, and again she smiled. The smile
might have struck close observer as
family artificial. But what man in
Chilcote's frame of mind has time to
be observant where women are con-
cerned? The manner of the smile was
very sweet and almost caressing, and
that sufficed.
What have you been doing:" she |
asked after a moment. Il thought l |
was quite forgotten" She moved !
across to the couch, picked up the kit |
ten and kissed it. isn't this SWEET"
she added.
She looked very graceful as she turn |
ed. holding the little animal up. She |
was a woman of twenty seven, but she |
looked girl. The outline of her face |
was pure, the pale gold of her hair |
almost ethereal, and her tall, slight /
figure still suggested the suppleness, |
the possibility of future development, |
that belong to youth. Sheewore lace |
colored gown that harmoniZed with |
the room and with the delicacy of her |
skin.
Now sit down and rest or walk /