The Red Cloud chief., 1906-12-07

voice sounded curt. The warmth that
admiration had brought into II a mo-
mcnt before had frozen abruptly.
AN outsider" Chilcote repeated.
what IN cnviable word!'
POSSIBLY. to those who are well in
side the ring. But let us go back to
Lexington. What n pinnacle tie man
reached. and what II drop he had! It
has always seemed to me an cXtraor-
binary instance Of the human lcaycn
running throsgh us all. What wls thc
real cause Of his collapsc?" he asked
suddenly. WAS IL drugs or drini !? I
have often wished to get at the truth"
Again Chilcotc changed Eis attitude.
SIS truth ever worth getting at?' he
asked ir~relevantly.
'ln the case OF n public man-ycs.
He exchanges his privacy for the inter
est Of the masses. If he gives the
masses the details of his success. why
not the details of his failure? But was
1t drink that sucked him undcr?"
mo" Chllcote's response came after
n pause.
"Drugs?"
Again Chilcote heSitatcd. And ut
&c moment of his INDIGESTION a woman
oeushed past him laughing boistcrous-
y. The sound Jared him.
Was II drugsI" the stranger went on
easily. IL have always had n theory
that 1t was"
Eyes. 1t was morphia." The answer
came before Chilcote had realized ii.
The woman's laugh ut the strangers
quiet persistence had contrivcd to
draw it from him. Instantly he had
spoken he looked about him quickly.
like one who has for a moment for
gotten n necessary vigilance.
There was silence while the stranger
thought over the information just given
him. Then he spoke again, with Il new
touch of ~veheincncc.
80 / imagined" he said, though, on
my soul, | never really credited it. To
have gained so much and to have
thrown it away for a common vice!"
He made an exclamation of disgust.
Chilcote gave an unsteady laugh.
"You judge hardly" he said.
The other repeated his sound of con
tempt. Justly SO. No man has the
right to squander what another would
| give his soul for. 1t lessons the gen
eral respect for power"
"You are a believer in powcrT' The
tone was sarcastic, but the sarcasm
sounded thin.
Eyes. All power Is the outcome of In
divlduality. either past or present. l
find no sentiment for the man who
plays with It,"
The quiet contempt Of the tone stung
Chilcote.
"Do you imagine that Lexington
made no fight?" he asked impulsively.
Cant you picture the mans struggle
while the vice that had been slave
gradually became master?" He stop
ped to take breath, and in the cold
pause that followed it seemed to him
that the other made n murmur Of In
credulity.
Perhaps you think Of morphia as q
D%lcasure?' he added. "Think of 1t, In
stead, as n tyrant that tortures the
mind If held to and the body If cast
off" Urged by the darkness and the
silence of his companion, the rein of
his speech had loosened. In that mo
ment he was not Chilcote, the member
for East Wark, whose moods and 81
lences were proverbial. but Chilcote
the man whose mind craved the relief
Of speech.
you talk as the world talks-out OF
ignorance and self righteousness" he
went on. Before you condemn Lex
ington you should put yourself In his
place.
AS you do?" the other laughed.
T~ususpccting and i~noffensivc as the
laugh was it startled Chilcote. With q
sudden alarm he pulled himself up.
az" He tried to echo the laugh
but the attempt fell fat. 'Oh, | mere
ly sneak from-from De Quincy. Blu
I believe this fog Is shiftns-l reall!
believe it is shifting. Can you oblis'
me with Il light? l had almost forgot
ten that Il man may still smoke though
he has been deprived Of sight" Ill
SpDht last anu dlSJoiht'hiS' NV W"
overwhelmed by the idea thai he hat
let himself go and possessed by tn
wish to obliterate the consequences
AS he talked he fumbled for his ciga
rctte case.
His head was bent as he searches
for 1t n~ervously. Without looking u
he was conscious that the cloud of TO
that held him prisoner was lifting
rolling away, closing back again, pre-
paratory to final disappearance. IiaN
ing found the case, he put n cigarett