The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1906-12-27

entrapped. The second feeling out
weighed the first. He moved forward,
| then paused again, uncertain Of him.
| self. Finally, with the consciousness
| that inaction 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 confusion Of voices
cheerful, dubious, alarmed or angry.
Now and then sleeve brushed his or
a 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 a continuous accompaniment.
Keeping we'll to the left Chilcote still
beat on. There was a persistence in
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 suffered shop front and a
thrill of reinsurance passed through
| him. With renewed haste and clinging
to his landmark as blind man might,
he started forward with fresh impetus.
For dozen PAGES he moved rapidly
and unevenly, then the natural result
| occurred. He collided with man CON-
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 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 fogv' he said aloud. "I'm
trying to find Grosvenor square. but
the chances seem rather SMALL s1&
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.
1T would be almost hard to find ones
way to the devil on night like this
ChilcOte made 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?" It was a habit of his
to jump from one sentence to another,
habit that had grown of late.
mo" The stranger had also groped
his way to the shop front. mo, I was
out Of England six years ago."
"1ou were lucky" Chilcote turned
up the collar of his coat. 1T was an
atrocious fog, as black as this, but
more universal. I remember it we'll.
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 1872
Chllcote seldom INDUCED in reminis-
cences, but this conversation with an
unseen companion was more like q
soliloquy than dialogue. He was
almost surprised into an exclamation
| When the other caught up his words.
"Ah! The sugar speechw he said,
odd that 1 should have been looking
it up only Yesterday. What mag
nlhcent dressing up of dry subject it
was! What a career Lexington prom
fsed in those days!'
Chilcote changed his position.
You are interested in the middle
down at Westminster" he asked sar-
castically.
"1?' It was the turn of the stranger
to draw back step. ooh, read my
newspaper with the other 100000,
that is all. am an outsider" His
voice sounded curt. The warmth that
admiration had brought into it a mo-
ment before had frozen abruptly.
"An outsiderw Chilcote repeated
what an enviable wordv'
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 drop he had! II
has always seemed to me an extraor.
binary instance Of the human leaven
running through us all. What was the
real cause Of his collapse?" he asked
suddenly. ..Was it drugs or drink? !
have often wished to get at the truth"
Again Chilcote changed his attitude.
"1s truth ever worth getting at?' he
asked irrelevantly.
"1n the case Of a public man-yes
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
it drink that sucked him under?'