The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1906-12-10

at the sudden isolation, his second q
thrill of nervous apprehension at the
oblivion that had allowed him to be so
entrapped. The second feeling out
weighed the first He moved forward,
then paused again, uncertain Of him
self. Finally, with the consciousness
that inactlon was unbearable, he
moved on once more, his eyes wide
open, one hand thrust out as a protec-
ton and guide
The fog had closed IN behind him as
heavily as in front, shutting off all pos
sibility Of retreat All about him In
the darkness was a confusion of voices
cheerful, dubious, alarmed or angry
Now and then sleeve brushed his or
d hand touched him tentatively. 1t
was a strange moment, moment of
/ possibilities, to which the crunching
wheels, the oaths and laughter from
! the blocked traffic of the roadway,
made continuous accompaniment
/ Keeping well to the left Chilcote still
beat on. There was a persistence in
I his movements that almost amounted
/ to fear-a fear born Of solitude filed
with innumerable sounds. For a space
he CROPPED about him without result,
then his fingers touched the cold sur
/ face of O shattered shop front and
/ thrill Of reinsurance passed through
/ him. With renewed haste and clinging
/ to his landmark as a blind man might,
! he started forward with fresh impetus.
! For q dozen PAGES he moved rapidly
and unevenly, then the natural result
occurred. He collided with man COM
ing in the opposite direction.
! The shock was abrupt Both men
swore simultaneously, then both laugh
ed The whole thing was casual, but
Chilcote was in that state of mind
when even the commonplace becomes
abnormal The other mans exclama-
ton, the other mans laugh, struck on
/ his nerves. Coming out Of the dark
ness, they sounded like a repetition OF
/ his own.
Nine out of every ten men in London,
given the same social position and the
same education, might reasonably be
expected to express annoyance or
amusement in the same manner, posi-
bly, in the same tone of voice, and Chill
cote remembered this almost at the
moment of his nervous jar.
"Beastly fogr' he said aloud. I'm
trying to find Grosvenor square, but
the chances seem rather small"
The other laughed again, and again
the laugh upset Chilcote. He wonder
ed uncomfortably If he was becoming
a prey to illusions. But the stranger
spoke before the question had solved
itself
I'm afraid they are SMALL" he said
TT would be almost hard to find ones
way to the devil on a night like this"
Chilcote made a murmur of amuse-
ment and drew back against the shop.
Eyes. We can see now where the
blind man scores in the matter of sal
walton. This is almost a repetition Of
the fog Of six years ago. Were you
out in that?' 1t was q habit of his
to jump from one sentence to another,
habit that had grown Of late
No" The stranger had also CROPPED
his way to the shop front mo, was
out of England six years ago"
You were lucky" Chilcote turned
up the collar of his coat. 1T was an
atrocious fog, as black as this, but
more universal | remember it well.
1t was the night Lexington made his
great sugar speech. Some of us were
found on Lambeth bridge at 3 in the
morning. having left the house at u"
Chilcote seldom INDUCED in reminis-
cences, but this conversation with an
unseen companion was more like a
soliloquy than a dialogue. He was
almost surprised into an exclamation
when the other caught up his words.
"Ah. The sugar speechr' he said.
"Odd that l should have been looking
1t up only yesterday. What a mag
nificent dressing up Of a dry subject II
was! What d career Lexington prom
ised in those daysg'
Chilcote changed his position.
You are interested in the middle
down at Westminster he asked sar-
castically.
Up 1t was the turn of the stranger
to draw back a step. "Oh, I read my
newspaper with the other 5.000,0O
that Is all. l am an outsider" His
voice sounded curt. The warmth that
admiration had brought into it a mo-
ment before had frozen abruptly.
'An outsider Chilcote repeated.
What an enviable wordr
Possibly. to those who are we'll In
side the ring. But let us go back to
Lexington. What a pinnacle the man
reached, and what q drop he had! II
has always seemed to me an extraor.
binary instance of the human leaver
running through US all. What was the
real cause OF his collapse?' he asked
suddenly. Was 1t drugs or drink ]
have often wished to get at the truth"
Again Chilcote changed his attitude.
rs truth ever worth getting at?" be
asked irrelevantly.
"Ip the case Of a public man-yes
he exchanges his privacy for the inter
est of the masses If he gives the
-c.,o ky,o Ia&osir - IT.