Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-02-14
CHAPTER y.

behaved with n dlScreton mat
spoke well for his qualities. /,
Many man placed in the same re-
sponsible and yet strangely irresponsi /,
Bile position might have been excused If. !
for tho time al least. he gave himself
n loose rein. But Loder kept free of
the temptation.
Like all other experiments. his show
cd unlocked for features when put to a
working test Its expected difficulties
smoothed themselves away. while others,
scarcely anticipated. came into promi-
nence. Most notable Of all. the physical
likeness between himself and Chilcote.
1he bedrock of the whole scheme, which
had been counted on to offer most dan
ger worked without hitch. He stood
literally amazed before the sweeping
credullty that met him on every hand
Men who bad known Chilcotc from his
youth servants who had been in his
employment for years. Joined issue In
the unquestionng acceptance At times
the ease Of deception bewildered him.
There were moments when he realized
that, should circumstances force him to
III
not be believed. Human nature pre-
fers its own eyesight to the testimony
Of any man.
But in face of this astonishing sue
cess he steered steady course. In the
first xhilaration OF Trades favor, in
the first egotstica. wish to break down
EYES skepticism, lie might possibly
10 ip{ 10 Of in1,
let It be ir what direction ii might;
but, fortunately for himself, for Chill
rote and for their scheme he was liable
10 Strenuous second thoughts-those
wise and necessary curbs that go fur
Their to the steadying of the universe
lhan the universe guesses. Sitting in
the quiet of the house on the same day
that he had spoken with Eve on the
terrace he had weighed possibilities
slowly and cautiously. Impressed to
the full by the atmosphere of the place
that in his eyes could never lack char
acter, however dull its momentary bust
ness. however prosy the voice that fill
ed 1t, he had sifted impulse from ex-
peiience as only a man who has lived
within himself can sift and distinguish.
and at the close Of that irst day his
programme had been formed. There
must be no rush, no headlong plunge,
ne had decided. Things must work
around. 1t was his first expedition
into the new country, and It lay with
fate to say whether it would be his
last.
Ia ho1 Ian nj h0r In,
his eyes on the ministers opposite, his
nrms folded in imitation OF Chllcote's
most natural attitude. when this final
speculation had come TO him, and as it
came his lips had frightened for mo-
ment and his face become hard and
cold Ii Is an unpleasant thing when
man first uncOnSciouSly reCkOnS on
the weakness of another, and the look
that expresses the idea is not good TO
see He had stirred uneasily, then his
lips had closed again. lie was tena-
cious by nature and by nature intOl-
Grant OF weakness. At the first sug
gestion of reckoning upon Chlicote's
iapses his mind had drawn back in
disgust, but as the thought came again
the disgust had lessened.
In q week--two weeks perhaps-Chil-
cote would reclaim his place. Then
would begin the routine of the affair.
Chllcote, fresh from indulgence and
freedom, would find his obligations a
thousand times more irksome than be-
fore; he would struggle for II time.
then
A shadowy smile had touched Lo-
der's lips as the idea formed itself.
Then would come the inevitable re-
call; then in earnest he might venture
to put his hand to the pillow. He never
INDUCED In day dreams, but something
In the nature Of a vision had flashed
over his mind in that instant. He had
seen himself standing in that same
building seen the rows of faces first
bored, then hesitatingly transformed
under his personal domination. under
the one great power he knew himself
TO possess-the power of eloquence
The strength OF the suggestion had
been almost painful. Men who have
attained self repression are occasion
ally open TO a perilous onrush Of feel
Ing. Believing that they know them
selves, they walk boldly forward to
ward the highroad and pitfall alike.
These had been Loder's disconnected
ideas and speculations on the first day
of his new life. At o'clock on tn,
ninth day he was pacing with que
confidence up and down Chilcote'
study, his mind pleasantly busy ant
his cigar comfortably alight, when h,
paused In his walk and frowned, inter
rupted Ly the entrance OF a servant.
The man came softly into the room
drew small table toward the fire ant
proceeded to lay an extremely fine an,
unserviceab!e looking cloth.
Loder watched him in silence. III
had grown to find silence very usefu
commodity. TO wait and let thing
develop was the attitude he Offences
assumed, but on this occasion he wa
pcrplexed. He had not rung for tct
and in any case a cup on salver sal
isfied his wants. He looked critical
at the fragile cloth.
Presently the servant departed an
solemnly re-entered carrying n sllve
tray, with cups. teapot and cakes
Having adjusted them to his satisfa'
ton, he turned to Loder.