The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-04-19
(Continued.J

MY llan any ne ndO anticipated.
Still moved by this new suggestion
he attended the party conclave that
FraiGe had convened and afterws ~
lunched with and accompanied his
leader 10 the house They spoke very
little as they drove 10 Westminster
for each was engrossed by his own
thoughts. Only once did Fraide allude
TO the incident that was paramount in
both their minds. Then. turning to
Loder with n smile OF encouragement,
be laid his fingers for an instant OIL
his arm.
"Chilcote," be had said, when the
time comes. remember you have all
my confidence"
: Looking back upon that day, Loder
often wondered at the ealmness with
which he bore the uncertainty. To sit
apparently unmoved and wait without
/, emotion for news that might change
the whole tenor of ones action would
have tried the stoicism Of the most
experienced; TO the novice ii was well
nigh uncomfortable And 1t was under
these conditions and fighting against
these odds that he sat through the long
afternoon in Chilcote's place, obeying
the dictates of his chief. But IL the
day was fraught with difficulties for
him it was fraught with dullness and
disappointment for others. for the I'M
dercurrent of interest that had stirred
at the Easter adjournment and risen
with added force ON this first day of
the new session was gradually but
surely threa tened with extinction as
hour after hour passed bringing no
suggestion of the battle that had on
every side been tacitly expected.
Slowly and Enthusiastically speculation
and dissa tisfaction crept into the at
mosphere of the house as moment sue
ceeded moment and the opposition
made no sign. Was Fraide Sinking
the attack or was he playing a waiting
game? Again and again the question
arose. filing the air with a passing
flicker of interest, but each time il
sprang up only to die down again as
the ordinary business of the day drag
ged itself out
Gradually, rs the afternoon wore on,
daylight began to fade. Loder, sitting
ri@idly in Chilcote's place, watched
with suppressed inquiry the faces of
the men who entered through the con-
stantly swinging doors, but not one
for which he waited. Monot- !
onously and mechanically the time |
passed. The government, adopting
neutral attitude, carefully skirted all |
subjects; while the opposi- |
lion, acting under Fraide's suggestion.
gramme OF postponement. For the mo-
ment the eagerly anticipated reassem-
bling threatened dismal failure. and IL
was with universal movement Of
WEAKNESS and relief that at last the
house rose to dine.
But there are no possibilities so elias
lie as those of politics At half past
he house rose in a spirit Of boredom
Ind disappointment. and at o'clock
he Hobbies, the dining room, the entire
pace of the vast building. was stirred
nto activity by the arrival of single
message.
The new development for which
'raide had waited came indeed, but II
anne with a force he had little antici- 8
ated. With thrill of awe and con I
formation men heard and repeated the Y
news that, while personal r
? exercising his authority on behalf of /
British traders, Sir William Brice- q
ield, consul general at Meshed, had Z
cen fired at by Russian officer and a
lstantly killed. F
The interval Immediately following
ne receipt OF this news was too con- |;
Used for detailed remembrance Two t.
leas made themselves slowly felt-a s
eep horror that such an event could d
otrude itself upon our high civiliza- a
on and a strong personal dismay that Il
, honored, distinguished and esteem n
a representative as Sir William c
rice Field could have been allowed to It
eet death in so terrible a manner p
1t was in the consciousness of this II
eling, the consciousness that in his q
vn person he might voice not only b,
e feelings of his party, but those of u
e whole country, that Loder rose an
'ur later to make his long delayed h
tack.
He stood silent for a moment, as he al
I'd done on an earlier occasion, but
is time his motive was different. Il
oused beyond any feeling OF self con la
iousness, he waited as by right for Il
e full attention of the house; then 1t
deity. but with self possessed firm
IS, he moved the motion for adjourn Or
ent. re
Like a match to a train OF powder NJ
2 words set fame to the excitement
at had smoldered for weeks, and in OF
atmosphere OF stirring activity, a
enc of such tense and vital concen- su
ltion as the house has rarely wit ba
ssed. he found inspiration for his In
Fat achievement tn
10 give Loders speech in mere words ha
,uld be little short of futile. The en-
I nj oratory Ia too illugiya too much ev