Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-05-02

treat. the thought OF yielding. did not
present itself.
Eve was standing by the mantel-
piece. She wore a beautiful gown, a
long string Of diamonds was twisted
about her neck, and her soft, black
hair was coiled high after a foreign
fashion and held in place by q large
diamond comb. AS he entered she turn
ed hastily, almost %nervously, and look
ed at him with the rapid, searching
glance he had learned to expect from
her. Then almost directly her express
sion changed to one of quick concern.
With a faint exclamation of alarm she
stepped forward.
What has happened?' she said.
You look like a ghost"
Loder made no answer. Moving into
the room, he paused by the oak table
that stood between the fireplace and
the door.
They made an unconscious tableau
as they stood there-he with his hard,
set face, she with her heightened col
or, her inexplicably bright eyes. They
stood completely silent for q space
a space that for Loder held no sugges-
ton of time. Then, finding the tension
%unbearable, Eve spoke again.
HAS anything happened?" she ask
ed. lis anything wrong"
Had he been less engrossed the in
foncifu nf hor onpnorn rntoht have
struck him, but in q mind so harassed
as his there vas only room for one
consideration the consideration Of
himself. The sense of her question
reached him, but its significance left
him untouched.
as anything wrong" she reiterated
for the second time.
By an effort he raised his eyes. No
man. he thought, since the beginning
81 the world was ever set a task so
cruel as bis. Painfully and slowly his
lips parted.
Everything in the world is wrong"
he said in a slow, hard voice.
Eve said nothing, but her color sud-
denly deepened.
Again Loder was ~unobservant, but
with the logged resolution that mark
ed him he forced himself to his task.
"You despise lies" he said at last.
"Tell me what you would think Of d
man whose whole lpifs Was one elab-
grated lie" The words were slightly
exaggerated bQt their utterance, their
painfully brusque sincerity, precluded
al suggestion of effect. Resolutely
holding her gaze, he repeated his CUES
ton.
"Tell me! Answer me! 1 val to
know"
Ewes attitude was difficult to read.
She stood twisting the string of dia-
monds between her fingers.
"TelI me" he said again.
She continued to look at him for a
moment; then, as If some fresh i'm
pulse moved her, she turned away
from him toward the fire.
81 cannot,' she said. "We-I-I
could o set myself to judge-any
one"
Loder held himself rigidly in hand.
Eve, uC Sdlu quietly, 1 was at
the Arcadian tonight. The play was
Other Mems Shoes 1 suppose you've
read the book Other Mems Shoes|"
She was leaning on the mantelpiece,
and her face was invisible to him.
Eyes, 1 have read it." she said without
looking round.
at is the story of an extraordinary
likeness between two men. Do you be-
lieve such a likeness possible? Do you
think such a thing could exist? He
spoke with difficulty. His brain and
tongue both felt numb.
Eve let the diamond chain slip from
her fingers. YES" she said n%ervously.
BEEN
Loder caught at the words. you're
quite right" he said quickly. You're
quite right. The thing is possible. I've
proved it. I know a man so like mi
that you, even you. could not tell us
apart"
Eve was silent, still averting he1
face.
In dire difficulty he labored on
Eve" he began once more, "such q
likeness is a serious thing-a terrible
danger, a terrible temptation. Those
who have no experience of it cannot
possibly gauge its pitfalls Again he
paused, but again the silent figure by
the fireplace gave him no help.
1--WE ne exclaimed suddenly, "l1
you only knew, If you only guessed
what I'm trying to say The perplex
ity, the whole harassed suffering of his
mind showed in the words. Loder, the
strong, the resourceful, the self con
tanned, was palpably, painfully at {
loss. There was almost a note Of ap
peal in the vibration Of his voice.
And Eve, standing by the fireplace
heard and understood. In that moment
of comprehension all that had held be-
silent, all the conflicting motives tina
had forbidden speech, melted away be
fore the unconscious demand for help
Quietly and yet quickly she turned, he
whole face TRANSPORTED by a light tina
seemed TO shine from within-SOme