Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-02-02

'f~re.'N VIVA gOul AOWcI (iINSec- liz
never did much in the house. but hs
was a power to his party I'm wark
They still use his name there to con
jure with"
Loder leaned forward interestedly.
| Robert Chiicotes" he said 81 have
heard OF him. One Of those fine. unos-
tentatiOus figures-strong In action. a
little narrow in outlook. perhaps. but
essential to a country's staying power.
You have every reason to be proud of
your fnther."
Chilcote laughed suddenly. "How
easily we sum up when a matter is i'm
PERSONAL, My father may have been a
fine figure. but he shouldn't have left
me TO cliab 10 his pedestal"
LOder's eyes questioned. In his new
" awakened interest be had let his
pipe go out
Don't you grasp my meanIng?'
Chilcote went on. My father died and
l was elected for East WarlS. You may
say that II had no real inclination for
the position ] could have kicked. but I
tell you couldn't Every local Inter
est, political and commercial. hung up
on the candidate being a Chilcote. /
did what eight men out OF ten would
have done. yielded to pressure"
1T was a fine opening" The words
escaped Loder.
"Most prisons have wide gatesT'
Chilcote laughed again unpleasantly
THAT was six years ago. had started
on the morphia track four years earlier.
but mp 20 my fathers death had il I'M
/ dor M fIrrseN h,F Z n
in the realization OF my new response
bilities and the excitement OF the Do
litcal fight 7 almost put IL aside. For
several months after / entered parla-
ment 1 worked / believe I made one
speech that marked me as a coming
man." he laughed derisively. Il even
| married.
Married.
''Yes-a girl OF nineteen. the ward
OF great politician. 1t was brilliant
! marriage. politically as well as socially.
! but IL didn't work. I was born without
the capacity for love. First the social
/ life -palled on me. then nay work grew
/ irlSsomc. There was only one factor to
make life acknowledgements. Before
I six months were out I had fully admit
ted that"
"But your wifeT
"Oh. my wife knew nothing-knows
nothing. Ii Is the political business.
the bcastly routine OF the political life.
that Is wearing me out" He stopped
nervously. then hurried on again. II
tell you it's hard TO see the same faces.
to sit I'm the same seat day In. day out.
knowing all the time that you must
hold yourself In hand. must keep your
grip on the relns"-
1t is always possible 20 apply for
the Chiltern Hundreds"
ITO retire? Possible to retireT"
Chilcote broke into a loud. sarcastic
laugh. 'You don't know what the To-
cal pressure Of a place like Wark
/ stands for. Twenty times I have been
within an ace Of chuczlng the whole
thing. once last year / wrote private
ly TO Vale. one OF our big men there.
and limited that my health was bad.
Two hours after he had read my letter
he was in my study. Had 1 been in
Greenland the result would have been
the same. No; resignation is mean
ingless word 10 man like me-"
Loder looked down. Il see" he said
slowly; Il see"
"Then you see evcrything-the diff
fculty. the isolation OF the position.
Five years ago-three-even two years
Ogo-I was able TO endure IL. Now Il
gets more unbearable with every
month. The day Is bound 10 come
when when" - be paused. hesltatlng
nervously-"whcn il viii be physically
impossible FOR me 20 De ~ my post"
Loder remained silent.
Physically impossible" Chilcote re-
peated excitedly. Until lately / was
able 20 calculate-to count upon my
self 20 some extent-but yesterday
received shock-yesterday ! discov-
cred that-that'-a he hesltated
painfully that have passed the
stage when one may calculate"
The situation was growing more en-
barrassing. To hide its awkwardness,
Loder moved back TO the CRATE and
rebuilt The fire. which had fallen low
Chilcote. still excited by his unusual
vehcmence, followed him. taking uD
position by the nantelpiece
"Wellfr ne said. looking down.
Very slowly Loder rose from his
task. "WenY' he reiterated.
Have you nothing 10 sayT'
Nothing, except that your story Is
unique and that l suppose I am fat
tered by your confidence" His voice
was Intentionally brusque.
Chlcote paid no attention TO the
voice. Taking a step forward he laid
his fingers on the lapel Of Loder's coat /
Il have passed the stage where | can
count upon myself" he said, "and I |
want to count upon somebody else. 1 |
want 10 keep my place in the worlds
eyes and yet be free
Loder drew back involunterily. con-
tempt struggling with bewilderm mt In
his expression.
Chilcote lifted his head. "By an ex-
traordinary chance" be said, you can
do for me what no other man In ere
alton could do. 1t was suggested 10
me unconsciously by the story OF a
book-a book in which men changed
Identities. i saw nothing In II at the
time. but this morning. as l lay in bed.
sI.