Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-18

I Watchtoi eyes tnat raced him. line upon
| hne, seemed to flash and brighten with
| critical interest: only Fraide made no
| change OF expression. He sat placid Sc
| rious. attentive. with the shadow of a smile
behind his eyes
/ Again Lodsr paused but this time the
pause was shorter. The ordeal he had
| dreaded and waited for was passed and he
saw his way clearly. With the old move
| ment or the shoulders he Strengthened him
| seii ana once more began to speak This
one ms voice rang quietly true and COM
niahding across the fioos Of the house.
| NO nrst step can be really great; II must
OF necessity possess more OF prophecy than
/ oi achievement: nevertheless Il Is by tho
nrst step that man marks the value not
mig broadly on the lines that tradition has
,aio down for the conservative orator
a-ooer disguised rather than displayed the
s ven OF strong persuasive eloquence that was
ms natural gift The occasion that might
possibly justify such a display OF lndIyid-
| aaity might lie with the future but II rad
no appncatlon to the present. For the mo-
80, nus s,, auty was to voice his party senti-,
| msnts with as much iucidity, as much logic
ana as much calm conviction as lay within
| his capacity ~
Standing quietly In chilcote's place. he
| was conscious with deep sense Of gravity
OF the popularity of his position; and uer-
maps IL was this unconscious and unstuded
seriousness that lent him the tone OF weight
ana Judgment so essential to the cause he
had IN hand II has always been difficult
10 arouse the interest OF the house on mat
ters OF British policy In Persia Oncs
aroused, II may. 1t is true, reach fever heat
with remarkable rapidly. but the introduce
tory stages offer that worst danger TO the
earnest speaker-the dread of an apathetI,,
audience But from this consideration Lo-
Ger. by MS sharp consciousness of personal
di!Ilculties. was given immunity
Pitching his voice in that quietly MASTER
lui tone that beyond all others compels at
.eniion. ne took up his subject and dealt
with 1t with dispassionate force With
great skill he touched on the steady south
ward advance of Russia into Persian terri
tory from the distant days when. by a Gu
rious irony OF fate. Russian and British en-
| terprfse combined to make entry into thu
country under the sanction of the Grand
DUKE OF MoscoFy. to this present hour. when
this great power of Russia-lonR since
alfenated by interests and desires from her
former co-operator-had taken Il step which
| III inc eyes or every thinking man must
possess deep Significance. With quiet
| persistence he pointed out the peculiar posi-
| ton OF Meshed in the distant province Of
hhorasan: Its vast distance from the Per-
sian gulf. round which British interests
and influence center, and the consequently
alarming position of hundreds OF traders
| who. In the security of British sovereignty,
are lighting their way upward from India,
| from Afghanistan. even from England her
self.
| Following up his point, he dlatei on these
| subjects of the British crown who cut off
| from adequate assistance, can only turn in
| personal or commercial peril to the protec-
tive power. of the nearest consulate. Then,
quietly demanding the attention of his
| hearers. he marshalled fact after fact to
demonstrate the isolation and inadequacy
| of q consulate situated. the all but arbi-
trary power OF Russia. who in her new
cupation OF Meshed had only two considera-
lions TO withhold her from open aggression
the knowledge of England as very cod
siderable but also a very distant power; the
knowledge of Persia imminent but
wholly fmpotent factor in the case.
Having stated his opinions. he reverted to
- n aagh III tn
forward a strong protest against the ad-
| journment of the house without an assur-
| ance from the government that Immediate
measures would be taken to safeguard Brit
| ish interests in Meshed and throughout the
| province of khorasan.
| The immediate outcome of Loder's speech
| was all that his party had desired. The
| effect on the house had been marked; and
| when, satisfactory response coming to
his demand he had in still more resolute
and insistent terms called for division
the motion for adjournment. the result had
been an appreciable fail in the government
majority.
To Loder himself. the realization that he
had at last indicated and justified himself
by individual action had peculiar effect.
His position had been altered In one re-
markable particular. Before this day ne
alone had known himself to be strong now
the knowledge shared by others ard
he was human enough to be susceptible to
the change.
The first appreciation of it came inl-
vision, when Fraide, singing him out, took
his arm and pressed it affectonately,
My dear Chilcote.' he said. 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 present-however bright 1t
seems.
AT the touch of his hand at the spon-
taneous approval OF his first words, Ioder's
pride thrilled, and In a vehement rush of
ambition his senses answered to the Lraise.
Then. as Fraide in all Inconsistencies add
ed his second sentence the hot glow or
feeling suddenly chilled. In a sweep of In
tuitive reaction the meaning and the dam
ger 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 forget
that there is-a future"
The old glanced up, surprised by
the tone
Quite so, Chilcote." ne said, kindly But
we only advise those in whom we believe
to look toward it. Shall we find my wife?
I know she will want to bear you nome
with us"
But Loders joy in himself and his
achievement had dropped from him He
shrank suddenly from Lady Sarah's con-
CALCULATIONS and Ewes warm. silent appco-
baton.
Thanks sir" he said. but I don't feet
fit for society A touch of my-nerves. L
suppose" He laughed shortly. But do
you mind saying to Eve that hope have
satisfied herr" he added this as il 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
Hailing a cab. he drove to Grosvenor
Square. All the exaltation of an hour ago
had turned to ashes. His excitement had
found its elimination in a sense of fu-
tility and premonition.
He met no one in the hall or on the stairs
of Chilcote's house. and entering the
study he found that also deserted. Green
ing had been among the most absorbed or
those who had listened to his speech. Pass
ing at once into the room. he crossed as II
by instinct to the desk, and there halted.
On the top of some unopened letters lay
the significant yellow envelope of teie-
gram-the telegram that in an uniformed
subconscious way had sprung to bis ex-
pectation on the moment of Fralde's con-
graduation.
Very quietly he picked IT up, opened and
read 1t, and with the automatic caution
that had become habitual, carried II across
the room and dropped 1t In the fire. This
done. he returned TO the desk, read the