Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-04-06

OF the play. nothing lut q sense Of
stupefaction had filled bis mind. In
that moment the great song was ST.
fenced. not 10y any portentOus episode
not by any Incident that could have
lent dignity 90 los end. but. with the
fun measure of nfe's irony. by trivial
social commonplace. Ia the FIRST sen
sation of blank loss his faculties had
been numbed In the quarter OF an
hour that followed the rise Of the cur.
tain he had sat staring at the stage
seeing nothing. hearing nothing. filled
with the enoruity &C the void that sud
denly surrounded him. Then from
habit from constitutional tendency. he
had begun slowly and perseveringly
TO draw Grst one thread and then an.
other from the tan-le Of his thoughts.
10 forge with Doubt and difficulty the
chain that was 90 draw him toward the
future
1t wss upon tms same incomplete
and yet tenacious chain that his mind
worked ss he ,ravcrsed the familiar
streets and at last gained the house he
had SO easily learned 20 cali home.
As he inserted the latchkev and felt
Il move smoothly n the loci, q momen.
tary revolt against his own judgment
his own CENSOR Ship. swung him sharply
| toward reaction. But 10 Is only the
! blind who can walk without q tremoi
on the edge Of gn abyss. and there was
no longer "a Daud1-e across his eyes.
| The reaction darcd mp like a strip OF
lighted paper. then like strip OF
| lighted paper. it dropped back 20 ashes.
! He pushed the door open and slowly
! crossed the hail.
The mounting Of % staircase Is often
! the index TO mau's state OF mind. As
| Lodcr asccuied The stairs OF Chilcote's
house his shoulders lacked their stiff
ness his head was mo- longer erect. He
moved as though mis- feet were weight
/ cd. he had ceased 20 Doe the man OF
achievement whose smallest opinion
compcls consideration Tn the privacy
| OF solitude he was The mere human hot-
| sam to which hc had once compared
himsclf-the H1tslm that. dreaming II
| has found O hlrhor wakes tO End itself
the prey OF OBJ, incoming tide.
He paused at thc head OF the stairs 70
rally his Resolutions Then. stiU walk
ing heavily hc passed down the CORR
dor 90 Ewes room n was suggestive
OF his character tlat having made his
decision. he ii not daily over its per
! formauce. Without waiting 10 knock.
he turned the handle and walked into
the room.
IL looked precisely as IL always look
ed. but 20 Lodcr the rich. subdued col
! oring OF books and fowers-the whole
air OF culture and rcpose that the place
convcyed-sccmcd 20 hold n deeper
| meaning than before. and IL was on the
instant that his eyes. crossing the In
animate objects. rested on their owner
that the true force OF his position. the
enormity OF The task before him. made
Itself plain. Realization came TO him
4 with vivid. overwhelming force. and Il
must he accounted 90 his credit In the
summing Of h.s qualities that then. IN
that momcnt of trial. the thought or re-
treat the thought of yielding. did not
present itself
Eve was standing by the mante-
| piece. She wore a beautiful gown.
long string OF diamonds was twisted
about her neck. and her soft. black
hair. was collcd high after a foreign
fashion and held in place by a large
diamond comb. AS he entered she turn
ed hastily. almost nervously. and look
ed at him with the rapid. searching
glance he had learned 20 expect from
her. Then almost directly her express
sion changed TO one or quick concern.
With "a faint exclamation OF alarm she
stepped forward
"What has happenedgr she said.
''YOu lool, like a ghost"
Loder made no answer. Moving into
the room he paused by the oak table
that stood between the fireplace and
the door.
They made an unconscious tabieau
rs they stood there-he with his hard.
set face. she with her heightened col
or, her inexplicably bright eyes. They
stood completely silent for a space
a space that FOR Loder held no sugges-
ton Of time. Then, finding the tension
unbearable, Eve spoke again.
"Has anything happened?" she ask.
ed. us anything wrongT"
Had he been less engrossed the In
tensity OF her concern might have
struck him. but in a mind so harassed
consideration 49, the consideration Of
himself The sense OF her question
reached him. but its significance left
him untouched.
as anything wrongY' she reiterated
for the second time.
BY an effort he raised his eyes. No
man. he thought, since the beginning
OF the world was ever set a task so
cruel as his. Painfully aud slowly his
lips parted.
Everything in the world is wrong"
he said in a slow. hard voice
Eve said nothing, but her color sud
denly deepened.
Again Loder was unObservant, but
with the logged resolution that mark
ed him he forced himself 10 his task
'You despise lies" he said at last
'Tell me what you would think or
man whose whole life was one eIab-
GRATED lie" The words were slightly
exaggerated. but their utterance. their
painfully brusque sincerity, precluded
all suggestion OF effect ResOlutely
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