Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-16

heve that a miracle had happened" she
sald.-"that you had found strength--had
freed yourself
From morphia?'
From morphia."
In the silence that followed Loder lived
through century OF suggestion and indie
cision His first feeling was for himself.
but his first clear thought was for Chilcote
and their compact. He stood metaphori-
caliy, on stone III the middle Of stream,
balancing on one foot, then the other;
looking to the right bank, then to the left.
AT last. as 1t always did, inspiration came
to him slowly He realized that by one
plunge he might save both Chilcote and
himself
STOOD by Eve You were right in your be-
lief, he said. For all that time-from the
night you spoke to me of Fraide to the
DAY you had tea In this room-I never
touched drug.
She moved suddenly, and he saw her
face. John" she said. unsteadlly. you
IL have known you to lie to me-about
other things
mead The doubt the appeal In her words
shocked him. Inc whore isolation OF her
life seemed summed up in the one short
sentence. For the instant he forgot Chill
cote. With reaction of feeling he turned
to her again.
Look at met he said, hrusauely.
She raised her eyes.
DO you believe I'm speaking the
truth?"
She searched his eyes fntently the doubt
and hesitancy still struggling in her face.
But the last three weeas?' she said
reluctantly. How can you ask me to be-
lieve?''
He had expected this, and he met 1t
steadily enough; nevertheless his courage
faltered To deceive this woman. even to
justify himself had in the last half hour
become something sacrilegious
THE last three weeks must be buried"
he said hurriedly. NO man could free
himself suddenly from-from a vice" He
broke off abruptly. He hated Chilcote: he
hated himself. Then Ewes face, raised in
distressed appeal, overshadowed all scru-
pies You have been silent and patient for
years he said, suddenly. Can you be
patient and silent a little longer?" He
spoke without consideration. He was
conscious of no selfshness beneath his
words. In the first exercise of conscious
strength the primitive desire to reduce all
elements to his own sovereignty submerged
every other emotion. Il can't enter into
the thing he said; like you, give no ex-
plantations. / can only tell you that on the
day we talked together In this room l was
mySelf-in the full possession of my reason
the full knowledge of my own capacities
The man you have known In the last-three
weeks, the man you have imagined in the
last four years, is a shadow, an unreality-
a wea kneSs In human form. There Is a
new Chilcote-if you will only see him.
Eve was trembling as he ceased; her face
was flushed; there was strange brightness
in her eyes She was moved beyond her
self.
but the other you-the old you?"
You must be patient" He looked down
into the fire. Times like the last three
weeks will come again-must come again.
they are inevitable. When they do come
you must shut your eyes-you must blind
yourself You must ignore them-and me-
Is it compact?' He still avoided her
eyes.
She turned to him quietly. "Yes--,t you
wish it, she said. below her breath.
He was conscious of her glance. but he
dared not meet it. He felt sick at the part
he was playing, yet he held to 1t tena-
couSly.
II wonder If you could do what few men
and fewer women are capable OFF, he
asked, at last. II wonder x you could learn
to live in the PRESENT. He lifted his head
slowly and met her eyes This is an-an
experiment" he went on. And, like all
experiments. it has good phases and bad.
When the bad phases come round Ii want
you to tell yourself that you are not alto-
gether alone in your unhappiness-that i
am suffering, too-in another way.
There was silence when he had spoken,
and for a space 1t seemed that Eve would
make no response. Then the last surprise
In day of surprises came to him: With
slight stir, a slight. quick rustic OF skirts.
she stepped forward and laid her hand In
his.
The gesture was simple and very sweet;
her eyes were soft and full of light as she
raised her face to his. her lips parted in
unconscious appeal.
There is no surrender so seductive as the
surrender OF a proud woman. Loder's
blood stirred. the undeniable suggestion OF
the moment thrilled and disconnected him In
a tumult of thought. Honor, duty. principle
rose in a triple barrier but honor, duty and
principle are but words to headstrong
man. The full significance of his position
came to him as it had never come before
His hand closed ON hers: he bent toward
her his pulses beating unevenly.
I, .as1 Thny ut ~
voice he suddenly hesitated 1t was the
voice of a man who has forgotten every
thing but his own existence.
For an instant he stayed motionlesS; then
very quietly he drew away from her. re-
leasing her hands.
No" he said. MOI haven't got the
right"
CTo be continued tomorrow)