The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-11-02


the sight
reaching the pavement outside, he went
straight forward until Grosvenor square
was left behind, then he ran. At the
risk of reputation, at the loss of dig
nifty, he ran until he saw a cab. Hail
ing it. he sprang inside, and as the
| cabman whipped up and the horse re-
sponded to the call he realized for the
first time the full significance of what
had occurred.
Realization, like the need for action,
came to him slowly, but when it came
it was with terrible lucidity. He did
! not swear as he leaned back in his
seat mechanically watching the stream
Of men on their way to business, the
belated cars of green produce blocking
the way between the Strand and Gov
| ent Garden. He had no use for oaths;
his feelings lay deeper than mere
words. But his mouth was sternly set
and his eyes looked cold.
| Outside the law Courts he dismissed
his cab and walked forward to Cliff
| ford's inn. As he passed through the
| familiar entrance a chill fell on him.
| In the clear, early light it seemed more
| than ever a place of dead hopes, dead
| enterprises, dead ambitions. In the
onward march of life it had been for
gotten. The very air had a breath of
unfulfillment.
He crossed the court rapidly, but his
mouth set itself afresh as he passed
through the doorway of his own house
and crossed the bare hall.
AS he mounted the we'll known stairs
I, ret ind Of
in the appearance of a cat from the
second floor rooms. At sight of him the
animal came forward, rubbed demon
stratiyely against his legs and with af-
fectionate persistence followed him up
stairs.
Outside his door he paused. On the
ground stood the usual morning can Of
milk-evidence that Chilcote was not
yet awake or that. like himself. he had
no appetite for breakfast He smiled
ironically as the idea struck him, but
it was a smile that stiffened rather
than relaxed his lips. Then he drew
out the duplicate key he always carried
and, inserting it quietly. opened the
door. A close. unpleasant smell greet
ed him as he entered the small passage
that divided the bed and sitting rooms
"a smell Of whisky mingling with the
odor of stale smoke. With a quick
gesture he pushed open the bedroom
door. Then on the threshold he paused,
a look Of contempt and repulsion pass
ing over his face.
In his first glance he scarcely grasp
ed the details of the scene. for the half
drawn curtains kept the light dim, but
as his eyes grew accustomed to the OBJ
security he gathered their significance.
The room had a sleepless. jaded air
the room that under his own occupation
had shown rigid, almost monastic Sc
verify. The plain dressing table was |
Uttered with cigarette ends and marked
with black and tawny patches where |
the tobacco had been left to burn itself |
out. On one corner of the table a |
carafe Of water and q whisky decanter /
rested one against the other. as IL for /
support and at the other end an over |
turned tumbler lay in a pool OF liquid.
The whole effect was sickly and nause-
ating. His glance turned involuntarily /
to the bed and there halted.
On the hard, narrow mattress, from
which the sheets and blankets had fall
en- In a disordered heap, lay Chilcote.
He was fully dressed in shabby
tweed suit Of Loder's: his collar was
open. his lip and chin unshaven: one
hand was Imply grasping the pillow.
while the other hung out over the side
Of the bed. His face, pale. almost
earthly in hue, might have been mask
save for the slight convulsive spasms
that crossed 1t from time to time and
corresponded with the faint, shivering
starts that passed at intervals over his
whole body. To complete his repellent
appearance, a lock of hair had fallen
loose and lay black and damp across
his forehead.
Loder stood for space shocked and
spellbound by the sight. Even in the
CHASTITY disarray the likeness-the ex-
traordinary. sinister likeness that had
become the pivot upon which he him.
self revolved-struck him like blow.
The man who lay there was himself,
bound to him by some subtle. inexplic-