The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-01-12

fAI any direction, it was not in
I'LL Loder's nature to wish 1t re-
traced. His face was set, but
set with determination, when he closed
the outer door Of his own rooms and
passed quietly down the stairs and out
into the silent court. The thought Of
Chilcote, his pitiable condition, his sor
did environments, were things that re-
quired a firm will to drive into the
background of the imagination, but
whole inferno of such visions would
not have daunted Loder on that morn
ing as, unobserved by any eyes, he left
the little courtyard with its grass, its
trees, its pavement-all so distastefully
familiar-and passed down the Strand
toward life and action.
As he walked his steps increased in
speed and vigor Now, for the first
time, he fully appreciated the great
mental strain that he had undergone In
the past ten days-the unnatural ten
sion the suppressed but perpetual
sense Of impending recall; the conse-
quently high pressure at which work
and even existence had been carried on.
And as he hurried forward the natural
reaction to this state of things came
upon him in a food Of security and con-
fidence-a strong realization Of the tenn
porary respite and freedom for which
no price would have seemed too high.
The moment for which he had uncon-
scously lived ever since Chilcote's first
memorable proposition was within
reach at last, safeguarded by his own
! action
The walk from Clifford's inn to
| Grosvenor square was long enough to
dispeI any excitement that his inter
view had aroused, and long before the
well known house came into view he
felt sufficiently braced mentally and
physically to seek Eve in the morning
room, where he instinctively felt she
would still be waiting for him.
Thus he encountered and oyerpassed
the obstacle that had so nearly threat
ened ruin, and, with the singleness Of
purpose that always distinguished him,
he was able, once having passed it, to
dismiss 1t altogether from his mind.
From the moment of his return to Chill,
action, no shadow of doubt, rose to
| trouble his mind. His feelings on the
matter were quite simple. He had in
! ordinately desired q certain opportuni-
| ty. One factor had arisen to debar that
! opportunity, and he, claiming the right
! of strength, had set the barrier aside.
In the simplicity Of the reasoning lay
its power to convince, and were tonic
needed to brace him for his task he
was provided with one in the master
full sense of a difficulty set at naught.
For the man who has fought and con-
quered one obstacle feels strong to
vanquiSh score.
1t was on this day, at the reassem-
bling OF parliament, that Fraide's great
blow was to be struck In the ten
days since the affair Of the caravans
had been reported from Persia public
feeling had run high, and it was upon
the pivot Of this incident that Loder's
| attack was to turn, for, as Lakeley was
fond of remarking, I'm the scales OF
| public opinion one dead Englishman
has more weight than the whole east
ern question" 1t had been arranged
that, following the customary proce-
dure, Loder was to rise after questions
at the morning sitting and ask leave tc
move the adjournment of the house OIL
definite matter of urgent public I'm
portance, upon which-leave having
been granted by the rising of forty
members in his support-the way was
to lie open for his definite attack al
the evening sitting. And it was witt
a mind attuned to this plan Of actor
that he retired to the study imme
diately he had breakfasted and settled
to final revision of his speech before
an early party conference should com
pei him to leave the house. But here
again circumstances were destined t
change his programme. Scarcely had
he sorted his notes and drawn his chair
to Chilcote's desk than Renwick enter
ed the room with the same air Of i'm
pOrtant haste that he had shown on s
previous occasion.
a letter from Mr.. Fraide, sir. Blu
there's no answer" he said, with I'm
usual brevity.
Loder waited till he had left tn,
room; then he tore the letter open. H,
read:
My Dear Chilcote - Lakeley is the re
cipient Of special and very vital news
from Meshed-unofflcial. but none thu
less alarming. Acts Of Russian aggres
sion toward British traders are reported
to be rapidly increasing, and it is STATED
that the authority OF the consulate Il
treated with contempt. Pending a posi-
Bile confirmation of this. I would sugges
that YOU keep an open mind on the sub
Ject Of tonight's speech. BY adopting 81
anticipatory - even an unprepared = atti
tUde you may find your hand MATERIAL.
strengthened. I shall put my opinions be
fore you more explicitly when we meet
Yours faithfully
HERBERT FRAIDE.
The letter, worded with Fraide's usu
nj restraint, made a strong impression
on its recipient. The thought that hi
speech might not only express opinion
already tacitly held, but voice a situa