Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-05-02
amcsatrFccadiilyy"
AGain Eve bent her head.

Again Eve bent her head.
"Well when l looked out Of the ear
riage window to discover it's cause the
first man I saw was-Chilcote."
Eve started slightly. This swift, In
expected linking Of Chilcote's name
with the most exalted moment Of her
life stirred her u%npleasantly. Some
glimmering of Loder's intention in so
linking it broke through the web Of
disturbed and conflicting thoughts.
you saw him on that night%
Eyes, and the sight chilled me-. 1t
was a big drop from supremacy to the
remembrance of-everything."
1nvoluntarily she put out her hand.
But Loder shook his head. "No," he
said; don't pity me! The sight of him
came just in time. 1 had a reaction in
that moment, and, such as it was, /
acted on it. l went to him next morn
Ing and told him that the thing must
end. But then-even them shirked
being honest with myself. 1 had meant
to tell him that it must end because I
had grown to love you, but my pride
rose up and tied my tongue. 1 could
NV 1uSSGll. i puL JuG case
before him in another light. 1t was a
tussle of wills, and I won, but the VIC
tory was not what it should have been.
That was proved today when he re-
turned to tell me Of the loss of this
telegram. 1t wasn't the fear that Lady
Astrupp had found it. 1t wasn't to
save the position that I jumped at the
chance of coming back. 1t was to feel
the joy of living, the joy of seeing you,
il only for a day." For one second he
turned toward her; then as abruptly
he turned away again.
Il was still thinking Of myself" he
said. II was still utterly self centered
when came to this room today and al
lowed you to talk to me, when l asked
you to see me tonight as we parted at
the club. l shan't tell you the thoughts
that unconsciuosly were IN my mind
when l asked that favor. You must
understand without explanation.
Il went to the theater with Lady AS
trupp %ostensibly to find how the land
lay in her direction-really to heighten
my self esteem. But there fate or the
power we call by that name was lying
IN wait for me, ready to claim the first
interest in the portion Of life I had
dared to borrow" He did not glance
toward Eve as he had done in his pre-
vious pause. His whole manner SEEM
ed oppressed by the gravity Of what he
had still to say.
Il doubt if q mar has ever seer more
in half an hour than I have tonight" he
said. I'm speaking of mental seeing,
of course. In this play, Other Mems
Shoes two men change identities-as
Chilcote and I have done-but in doing
so they overlook mi fact-the fact that
one of them has a wife! That's not my
way of putting it. It's the way it was
put to me by n of Lady Astrupp's
party"
Again Eve looked up. The doubt and
question in her eyes had grown unmis-
takably. AS he ceased to speak her
lips parted quickly.
John" b said, with sudden con-
viction, you're trying to say something
something that's terribly hard"
Without raising his head Loder an.
swered her. YES" he answered, "the
hardest thing a IA ever said'-
His tone was short, almost brusque,
but to ears sharpened by instinct it
was eloquent. Without a word Eve
took a step forward and, standing quite
close to him, laid both hands on his
shoulders.
Fol a space they stood silent, she
with her face lifted, he with averted
eyes. Then very gently he raised his
hands and tried to unclasp her fingers,
There was scarcely any color visible in
his face, and by a curious effect of
emotion it seemed that lines, never be.
fore noticeable, had formed about his
mouth.
What is itY Eve asked apprehen-
sively. what is it?'
By a swift involuntary movement
she had frightened the pressure Of her
fingers, and, without using force, il
was impossible for Loder to unloose
them. With his hands pressed irreso.
lutely over hers he looked down into
her face.
"As I sat in the theater tonight, Eve,'
he said slowly, "all, the pictures I had
, formed of life shifted. Without desir-
ing it, without knowing it, my whole
. point Of view was changed. l suddenly
+ saw things by the worlds searchligh1
instead Of by my own miserable can
die. l suddenly saw things for you, in
stead of for myself"
Ewes eyes widened and darkened
, but she said nothing.
II suddenly saw the unpardonable
/, wrong that l have done you, the i'm
, perative duty of cutting it short" He
spoke very slowly in a dull, mechanical
voice.
] Eve, her eyes still wide, her face
panied and alarmed, withdrew he,
hands from his shoulders. "Yo,
p mean," she said, with difficulty, "tha'
it is going to end? That you are going
away? That you are giving every
thing up? Oh, but you can't! 70,
can't" she exclaimed, with sudden ex
citement, her fears suddenly overmas
tering her incredulity. "You can't