The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-04-12

II was a great ironie scheme or pun
lshment by which every man wa
chained 10 his own vice-by which tn
hing be had gone 70 pieces over in
stead of being denied him. was mad
compulsory lou can't imagine il. III
yhivered neryously and his voice rose
Fancy being satiated beyond the lin
t OF safety. being driven and dogge'
by the thing you had run after all you
lifer'
He paused excitedly and in tbs
pause I.oder found resolution. He shu
his ears 10 the panic in Ch.lcote's voice
ne closed his consciousness TO the sigh
Of his shaken face. With a surge Of de
Termination he rallied his theories Aft
er all. he had himself AID his own in
terests to claim his thought. At the mo
ment ChilcOte was a wreck, with no de
sire toward rehabilitation, but there
was no guarantee that in an hour OF
two he might not have regained con
troll over himself and with 1t the incl
nation that had prompted his letter OF
the day before No; he had himself to
look to. The survival Of the fittest was
he true, the only principle. Chilcote
! had had intellect, education, opportu-
nity. and Chilcote had deliberately cast
them aside. Fortifying himself in the
knowledge, he turned from the window
and moved slowly back 10 the bed.
"Look here" he begun, you wrote
for me last night" His voice was hard.
He had come to fight.
Chilcote glanced up quickly. His
mouth was drawn and there was new
anxiety in his eyes. "Loder" he ex-
claimed quickly. "Loder, come here!
Come nearerw
Reluctantly Loder obeyed. Stepping
closer to the side of the bed, he bent
down.
The other put up his hand and caught
his arm. His fingers trembled and jerk
ed. Il say, Loder," he said suddenly,
Dive had such a beastly night-my
nerves, you know
With Il quick. involuntary disgust
Loder drew back. Don't you thin;
we might shove that aside?" he asked
Dut Chilcotes gaze had wandered
from his face and strayed to the dress
Ing table; there it moved feverishiy
from one object to another.
"Loder" he exclaimed do you see
can you see if there's u tube of tab
loids on the mantelshelf or on the
dressing table, He lifted himself
nervously on his elbow, and his eyes
wandered uneasily about the room. II
4 had a beastly night; my nerves are
horribly Jared, and l thought Il
think" He stopped.
With his increasing consciousness his
nervous collapse became more marked.
At the first moment OF waking the re-
lief Of an unexpected presence had sur
mounted everything else, but now, as
one by one his faculties stirred, his
wretched condition became patent
With new sense OF perturbation
Loder made his next attack.
'Chilcote, he began Sternly.
. But again Chilcote caught bis arm,
plucking at the coat sleeve. Where ls |
ltY' he said Where is the tube of |
the sedstive? Pm--rm oblig- |
ed to take something when my nerves
90 wrong. In his weakness and nef
vous tremor he forgot that Loder was |
the Sharer Of his secret. Even In his |
his fear of detection chung
10 him limply-the lies that had be-
ZONE second nature slipped from him
without effort. Then suddenly fresh
,anic seized him, his fingers tightened
his eyes ceased to rove
lbout the room and settled On his
face. Can you see it,
ODER" he cried. 81 can't; the lights
n my eyes. Can you see it? Can you
ee the tubeY He lifted himself
higher. an agony Of apprehension in
liz face.
Loder pushed him back upon the
illow. He was striving hard to keep
is own mind cool, to steer his own
curse straight through the chaos that
him. "Chilcote," he began
nee more, you sent for me last night,
nd l came the first thing this morn
lg to tell you But there he stopped
hort.
With an excitement that lent him
rength, Chilcote pushed aside his
ands. God" he said suddenly, sup
ose twas lost-suppose twas gomez
he imaginary possibility gripped him.
-e sat up, his face livid, drops of
respiration showing on his forehead,
Is whole shattered system trembling
efore his thought.
At the sight Loder set his lips. The
he is on the mantelshelf," he said
cold, abrupt voice.
A groan Of relief fell from Chilcote,
Id the muscles Of his face relaxed.
Dr. moment he lay back with closed
es. then the desire that tortured him
Tired afresh. He lifted his eyelids
i'd looked at his companion. "Hand
to me-" he said quickly. Give 1t to
e. Give it to me, Loder, quick as
u can! There's a glass on the table :,
d some whisky and water. The -
bloids dissolve, you know In his :.
W excitement he held out his hand. 20
But Loder stayed motionless. He -
d come to fight, to demand, to plead, ~
need be, for the one hour for which