Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-02-07


had spoken, and within him another
voice had answered with tone SO
clamorous and insistent that it had
outcried his surprised and incredulous
wonder at its existence and its claims.
That had been the voice of suppressed
ambition, and now as he stood in the
new atmosphere newer voice lifted
itself. The joy Of material things rose
suddenly, overwhelming the last rem
nant of the philosophy he had reared.
He saw all things in 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-
pcndents-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
They We're like the solemn keys to so
many vexcd problems. Beside the pa
pers were n 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 envelopes long and bulky
or narrow and thin, unwelcome manu-
scripts or very welcome checks. IIav-
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 n look
| of attention and surprise crossed his
face, and he raised his head. Some
one had Enthusiastically paused outside
I the door which Greening had left ajar.
There was II moment of apparent
doubt, then 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 n 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
It's seal upon her in a certain self pos
session, Il certain confidence of pose.
yet her figure as Lodor then saw it,
| backgrounded by the dark books and
gowned In pale blue, had q suggestion
of youthlulness that seemed contra
| diction. The remembrance of Chill
cotes epithets cold" and "unsympa-
| therc" 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, a look he
could 1nd no name for, n friendliness
/ that studiously covered another feel
! ing, whether question, dlstrust or ac-
tual dislike he could not say. With a
strange sensation of awkwardness he
sorted Chilcote's letters. waiting for
her TO speak
As II divlning his thought she turn
ed toward him. I'm afraid | rather
intrudc," she said. IF YOU are busy
His sense of courtesy was touched.
lie had begun life with n high opinion
of women, and the words shook up an
echo Of the old sentiment.
Don't think that" he said hastily.
81 was only looking through-mE let
ters You mustn't rate yourself below
letters Ike was conscious that his
tone was hurried. that his words We're
a little jagged, but Eve did not appear
to notice. Unlike Greening, she tool,
the new manner without surprise. She
had known Chilcoto for six years.
II dined with tho Fraidos tonight.
she said. "Mr. Fraldc sent You a mes
sage
Unconsciously Lodcr smiled. There
was humor in the thought Of a mes
sage to him from tho great Fraidc. To
hide his amusement he wheeled one of
the big lounge chairs forward.
# Indeed" be said. won't you sit
down."
They We're near together now and
he saw her face moro fully. Again he
was taken aback. Chilcote had spoken
of her rs successful and intelligent
but never as beautiful. Yet her beauty
was rare and uncommon fact. He
hair was back--not glossy black, bu
the dusky black that is softer than an!
brown-hHr eyes We're large and of {
peculiarly pGre blue and her cyelashe
were black, beautifully curved and o
remarkable thickness.
Wont you sit down." he said again
cutting short his thoughts with som,
confusion.
"Thank you" She grayely accepted
the proiicred chair. but he saw thu
without any o~entation she drew he
skirts aside as she passed him. Tit
action displeased him unaccountably.