Gloucester County Democrat., 1907-01-17

cote and for their scheme, he was liable
to strenuous second thoughts those
wise and necessary curbs that go fur
ther to the steadying Of the universe
than the universe guesses. Sitting in
the quiet of the house on the same day
that he had spoken with Eve on the
terrace he had weighed possibilities
slowly and cautiously. Impressed to
the full by the atmosphere Of the place
that in his eyes could never lack char
acter, however dull its momentary busi-
ness, however prosy the voice that fill
ed it, he had sifted impulse from ex-
pedience as only a man who has lived
within himself can sift and distinguish,
and at the close of that first day his
programme had been formed. There
must be no rush, no headlong plunge,
he had decided. Things must work
around. 1t was his first expedition
into the new country, and it lay with
fate to say whether it would be his
last.
He had been leaning back in his seat
his eyes on the ministers opposite, his
arms folded in imitation of Chilcote's
most natural attitude, when this final
speculation had come to him, and as it
came his lips had frightened for mo-
ment and his face become hard and
cold. 1t is an unpleasant thing when
man first unconsciously reckons on
the weakness of another, and the look
that expresses the idea is not good to
see. He had stirred uneasily, then his
lips had closed again. He was tena-
cious by nature, and by nature intol-
Grant of weakness. At the first sug-
gestion of reckoning upon Chilcotes
lapses his mind had drawn back in
disgust, but as the thought came again
the disgust had lessened.
In week-two weeks, perhaps Chill
cote would reclaim his place. Then
would begin the routine of the affair.
Chilcote fresh from Indulgence and
freedom, would find his obligations
thousand times more irksome than be-
fore; he would struggle for a time,
then
A shadowy smile had touched Lo-
der's lips as the idea formed itself.
Then would come the inevitable re-
call: then in earnest he might venture
to put his hand to the plow. He never
indulged in day dreams, but something
in the nature of a vision had flashed
over his mind in that instant. He had
seen himself standing in that same
building, seen the rows of faces first
bored, then hesitatingly transformed
under his personal domination, under
the one great power he knew himself
to possess-the power of eloquence.
The strength of the suggestion had
been almost painful. Men who have
attained self repression are occasion
ally open to perilous onrush of feel
ing. Believing that they know them
selves, they walk boldly forward to-
ward the highroad and pitfall alike.
These had been Loder's disconnected
ideas and speculations on the first day
of his new life. At 4 o'clock on the
ninth day he was pacing with quiet
confidence up and down Chi.eote's
study, his mind pleasantly busy and
his cigar comfortably alight, when he
paused in his walk and frowned, inter-
rupted by the entrance of a servant.
The man came softly into the room,
drew small table toward the fire and
proceeded to lay an extremely fine and
unserviceable looking cloth.
Loder watched him in silence. He
had grown to find silence very useful
commodity. To wait and let things
develop was the attitude he oftenest
assumed, but on this occasion he was
perplexed He had not rung for tea,
and in any case a cup on a salver sat
isfied his wants. He looked critically
at the fragile cloth.
Presently the servant departed and
solemnly re-entered carrying silver
tray, with cups, a teapot and cakes.
Having adjusted them to his satisfac-
ton, he turned to Loder.
sMrs. Ch;lcote will be with you in
five minutes, SIR he said.
He waited for some response, but
Loder gave none. Again he had found
the advantages of silence, but this time
it was silence Of a compulsory kind.
He had nothing to say.
The man. finding him irresponsive,
retired, and, left to himself, Loder
stared at the array of feminine trides;
then, turning abruptly, he moved to
the center Of the room.
Since the day they had talked on the
terrace he had seen Eve only thrice
and always in the presence of others.
Since the night of his first coming she
had not invaded his domain, and he
wondered what this new departure
might mean.
His thought Of her had been less
vivid in the last few days, for, though
still using steady discretion, he had
been drawn gradually nearer the fas-
cinating whirlpool of new interests
and new work. Shut his eyes as he
might, there was no denying that this
moment, SO personally vital to him.
was politically vital to the whole coun-
fey and frat hv cl1riOl1S coincidence