Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-03-02

eyes.
Again he thought Of Chilcote. but his
/ face paled.
Il saw il all. lived with It all till
I grew hard and indirersnt-till | &C
quiesced in your nerves as readily as
the rest OF the world that hadn't sus-
pected and didn't know" Again she
/ laughed nervOusly. "And | thought the
Indifference would last forever. If one
lives In groove for years. one gets
frozen up. | never felt more frozen
than on the night Mr.. FraiGe spoke TO
me OF you-asked me to use my infu-
snce: then. on that night
Yes. ON that nightg' Loder's voice
was tense.
But her excitement had suddenly fall
en-. Whether his glance had Quelled Il
or whether the force OF her feelings
had worked itself out IL was impossi-
bic TO say. but her eyes had lost their
resolution. She stood hesltatlng for a
moment. then she turned and moved
TO the mantelplece
THAT night you found me changed2"
Loder was insistent.
"Changed-and yet not changed"
She spoke reluctantly, with averted
head
And what did you thinkT'
Again she was silent Then again s
faint excitement tinged her cheeks.
Il thought she began. 1T seem
ed once more she paused. hamper
ed by her own uncertainty. her own
sense OF pulling incongruity. Il don't
know why I speak like this" she went
on at last, as if In Justification of her
self, cor why / want To- speak. But a
fecl.ng-an extraordinary. incOmpre-
hensib.e feeling seems TO urge me on
The same feeling that came 10 me on
the day we had tea together-the feel
ing that made me-that almost made
me believe
believe whatT' The words escaped
him without volition.
At sound OF his voice she turned.
believe that miracle happened" she
said: "that you had found strength.
had freed yourself"
Prom morphiag"
"From morphia"
In the silence that followed Loder
lived through a century of suggestion
and INDIGESTION. His first feeling was
for himself. but his lrst clear thought
was for Ch.lcote and their compact
lie stood. metaphorically. on a stone
la the middle OF stream. balancing
on one foot. then on the other: looking
20 the right bank. then 10 the left At
last, as % always did. inspiration came
To him slowly. lie realized that by
one plunge be might save both Chill
cote and himself
He crossed quickly 90 the fireplace
and stood 10y Eve You were right
IN your belief" he said. "For all that
time. from the night you spoke 70 me
OF Fraide 20 the day you had tea In
this room. ! never touched drug"
She moved suddenly. and he saw her
face. John" she said uusteadily. "you
IL have known you TO lie to me
about other things"
With hasty movement he averted
his head. The doubt. the appeal In her
words. shocked him. The whole lsola-
ton OF her life seemed summed up In
tie one short sentence. For the instant
he forgot Chllcote. With reaction OF
feeling he turned TO her again.
Look at mer' he sale brusQuely.
She raised her eyes.
do you believe I'm speaking the
truthT'
She searched his eyes intently. the
doubt and hesitancy still struggling In
her face.
but the last three wecks?" she said
reluctantly. How can you ask me 20
believer
He had expected this and he met II
steadily enough. Nevertheless his
courage faltcred. To deceive this
woman. even TO Justify himself. had in
the last half hour become something
sacrilegious
The last three weeks must be
buried" ne said hurrledly. mo man
could free himself suddenly from-from
a vice" He broke or abruptly. He
hated Chlcote; he hated himself.
Then Ewes face. raised in distressed
appeal. overshadowed all scruples.
you have been silent and patient for
years" he said suddenly. Can you
be patient and silent a little longerT'
He spoke without consideration. He
was conscious Of no selnshness be-
meath his words. In the first exercise
OF conscious strength the primitive de-
sire TO reduce all elements 10 his own
sovereignty submerged every other
emotion. Il can't enter into the
thing" he said; like you. / give no
explanations. / can only tell you that
on the day we talked together in this
room I was mySelf-in the fun pos
session Of my reason. the full know-
edge Of my own capacities. The man
you have known in the last three
weeks, the man you have imagined IN
the last four years. is shadow. an
unreality-a weakness in human form
There is new Chilcote-if you will
only see him."
Eve was trembling as he ceased: her
face was flushed; there was a strange
brightness in her eyes. She was NOV
ell beyond herself
/ but the other you-the old your"
you must Ice patient" He looked
/ down into the fire. Times like the
I last three weeks will come again
must come again; they are Inevitable.
When they do come. you must shut