The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1907-01-24

up, but he recovered himself instantly.
"Ah. thanks. Greening," he said.
'Thanks. think your hope will be
fulfilled'
He watched the little secretary move
softly and alphabetically to the door,
then he walked to the fire and, rest
ing his elbows on the mantelpiece, he
took his face in his hands.
For a space he stood absolutely
quiet, then his hands dropped to his
sides, and he turned slowly round. In
that short space he had balanced
things and found his bearings. The
slight nervousness shown in his
Drusque sentences and overconident
manner faded out, and he faced facts
steadily.
With the return of his calmness he
took a long survey of the room. His
glance frightened appreciatively as it
Travelled from the walls lined with we'll
bound books to the lamps modulated to
the proper light; from the lamps to the
desk fitted with every requirement.
Nothing was lacking. All he had once
possessed, all he had since dreamed of,
was here, but on a greater scale. To
enjoy the luxuries of life a man must
go long without them. Loder had lived
seyerely-so severely that until three
weeks ago he had believed himself ex-
empt from the temptations of hui
mainly. Then the voice of the world
had spoken, and within him another
ho1
clamorous and insistent that it had
outcried his surprised and incredulous
wonder at it's existence and it's claims.
That had been the voice of suppressed
ambition, and now as he stood in the
new atmosphere a newer voice lifted
itself. The joy of material things rose
suddenly, overbalancing the last rem
nant of the philosophy he had reared.
He saw all things in a fresh light
the soft carpets, the soft lights, the
numberless pleasant, unnecessary
things that color the passing land
scape and oil the wheels of life. This
was power-power made manifest. The
choice bindings of ones books, the
quiet harmony of ones surroundings,
the gratifying Difference of ones de.
pendents-these were the visible, the
outward signs, the thing she had for
gotten.
Crossing the room slowly, he lifted
and looked at the different papers on
the desk. They had substantial feel
ing, an Importance, an air of value.
They were like the solemn keys to so
many vexed problems. Beside the pa
pers were a heap of letters neatly ar
ranged and as yet unopened. He turn
ed them over one by one. They were
all thick and interesting to look at
He smiled as he recalled his own
scanty mail-envelopes long and bulky
or narrow and thin, unwelcome manu-
scripts or very welcome checks. Hav-
ing sorted the letters, he hesitated 1t
was his life task to open them, but he
had never in his life opened an envel-
Ope addressed to another man.
He stood uncertain, weighing them
in his hand. Then all at once a look
of attention and surprise crossed his
face. and he raised his head Some
one had Enthusiastically paused outside
the door which Greening had left Affair."
There was a moment Of apparent
doubt. then Il stir of skirts. Il quick
uncertain knock, and the intruder en-
tered
For couple Of seconds she stood in
the doorway; then as Loder made no
effort to speak she moved into the
room. She had apparently but just re-
turned from some entertainment, for,
though she had drawn off her long
gloves, she was still wearing an even
ing cloak of lace and fur.
That she was Chilcote's wife Loder
instinctively realized the moment she
entered the room. But a dsconcerting
confusion Of ideas was all that fol-
lowed the knowledge. He stood by the
desk, silent and awkward, trying to fit
his expectations to his knowledge.
Then, faced by the hopelessness of the
task, he turned abruptly and looked at
her again.
She had taken off her cloak and was
standing by the fire. The compulsion
Of moving through life alone had set
its seal upon her in a certain self pos
session, Il certain confidence OF pose,
yet her figure as Loder then saw it.
backgrounded by the dark books and
gowned in pale blue, had suggestion
of youthfulness that seemed contra
dlction. The remembrance of Chill
cote's epithets "cold" and "unsympa-
thetic" came back to him with some
thing like establishment He felt no
uncertainty, no dread of discovery and
humiliation in her presence as he had
felt in the maids, yet there was some
thing in her face that made him inf
nitely more uncomfortable, look he
could find no name for, friendliness
that studiously covered another feel
ing, whether question, distrust or ac-
ual dislike he could not say. With
strange sensation Of awkwardness he
sorted Chilcotes letters, waiting for
her to speak.
AS If divining his thought she turn.
ed toward him. ''I'm afraid I rather
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