The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-01-12

crdlue naQ convened and afterward
lunched with and accompanied his
leader to the house. They spoke very
little as they drove to Westminster,
Tor each was engrossed by his own
thoughts. Only once did Fraide allude
to the incident that was paramount In
both their minds. Then, turning to
Loder with q smile Of encouragement,
he laid his fingers for an instant on
his arm.
"Chilcote," he had said. when the
time comes, remember you have all
my confidence"
Looking back upon that day, Loder
often wondered at the calmness with
which he bore the uncertainty. To sit
apparently unmoved and wait without
emotion for news that might change
the whole tenor of ones action would
have tried the stoicism of the most
experienced; to the novice 1t was well
nigh uncomfortable. And 1t was under
these conditions and fighting against
these odds that he sat through the long
afternoon in Chilcotes place, obeying
the dictates Of his chief But If the
him it was fraught with dizziness and
disappointment for others, for the I'M
dercurrent Of interest that had stirred
at the Easter adjournment and risen
with added force on this first day of
the new session was gradually but
surely threatened with extinction as
hour after hour passed bringing no
suggestion of the battle that had on
every side been tacitly expected.
Slowly and Enthusiastically speculation
and dissatisfaction crept into the at
mosphere of the house as moment sue
ceeded moment and the opposition
made no sign Was Fraide Sinking
the attack or was he playing a waiting
game? Again and again the question
arose, filing the air with a passing
flicker of interest, but each time 1t
sprang up only to die down again as
the ordinary business of the day drag
ged itself out.
Gradually, as the afternoon wore on,
daylight began to fade. Loder, sitting
rigidly In Chilcote's place, watched
with suppressed inquiry the faces of
the men who entered through the con-
stantly swinging doors, but not one
face, SO eagerly scanned, carried the
message for which he waited. Monot-
onously and mechanically the time
passed. The government, adopting a
neutral attitude, carefully skirted all
dangerous subjects, while the opposi-
ton, acting under Fraide's suggestion,
assisted rather than hindered the pro-
gramme Of postponement. For the mo-
ment the eagerly anticipated reassem-
bling threatened dismal failure, and it
was with a universal movement Of
WEAKNESS and relief that at last the
house rose to dine
: But there are no possibilities so elias
, tic as those Of politics. At half past
the house rose in a spirit of boredom
, and disappointment, and at s o'clock
, the Hobbies, the dining room, the entire
!, space of the vast building, was stirred
: into activity by the arrival of a single
telegraphic message.
, The new development for which
Fraide had waited came indeed, but it
, came with a force he had little antici-
pated With a thrill of awe and con-
, sternation men heard and repeated the
astounding news that, while personal
, ~ exercising his authority on behalf of
British traders, Sir William Brice-
; Field, consul general at Meshed, had
!. been fired at by a Russian officer and
, instantly killed.
The interval Immediately following
, the receipt of this news was too con
IoI
: ideas made themselves slowly felt-a
! deep horror that such an event could
q obtrude itself upon our high civiliza-
: ton and strong personal dismay that
q so honored, distinguished and esteem
y ed a representative as Sir William
! Brice- Field could have been allowed tc
;. meet death in so terrible a manner
1t was IN the consciousness of this
! feeling, the consciousness that in his
. own person he might voice not only
the feelings of his party, but those Of
: the whole country, that Ic2der rose al
hour later to make his long delayed
attack.
O He stood silent for q moment, as ht
a had done on an earlier occasion, bu
this time his motive was different
Reused beyond any feeling of self con
5 seriousness, he waited as by right fo1
e the full attention Of the house; theI
: quietly, but with self possessed firm
y ness. he moved the motion for adjourn
8 ment.
i Like a match to a train Of powde
I the words set fame to the excitemen
. that had Smoldered for weeks and I,
i an atmosphere Of stirring activity,
y scene of such tense and vital concen
tration as the house has rarely wit
messed, he found inspiration for hi
great achievement.
l. To give Loder's speech in mere word
n would be little short of futile. Tn
!. gift of oT1tory is too Elusive, too mucl
: a matter Of eye and voice and individ
uality, to allow of cold reproduction
= N0 :, 49,