The Red Cloud chief., 1907-04-26

1t looked precisely aS ii always look
ed. but To Lodcr the rich, subducd col.
| oring of books and howcrS-thc whole
air of culture ana rcposc that the place
convcyed-Sccmcd to hold Il deeper
meaning than before. and il was ON the
instant that his eyes, crossing the in
animate objects. rested on their owner
that .hc true force of his position, the
cuormity of the task before him. made
itself plain. Realization came to him
with vivid, overwhelming force. and il
must he accounted to his credit i'm the
summing Of his qualities that then. in
that moment of trial. the Thought of re
treat. the thought Of yielding, did not
present itself.
Eve was standin" ny the mantel-
piece. She wore II beautiful gown. Il
long string of diamonds was twisted
about her neck. and her soft. black
hair was coilcd high after Il foreign
fashion and held in place by Il large
diamond comb. As he entered she turn.
ed hastily. almost ncrvOuSly. aud look
cd 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 Il faint exclamation of alarm she
stopped forward.
What has happcncd?' she said.
you look like Il ghost
LOdrr 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 tablcau
rs they stood thcrc-hc with his hard.
set face. she with her heightened col.
or, her ineyplicably bright eyes. They
stood completely silent for II space
a space that for Lodcr held no sugges-
ton of time. Then. finding the tension
~unhcarablc, Eve spoke again.
Has anything ~happenedT" she ask.
ed. us anything wrong"
Had he been less cngrosSed the in.
ton>ity of her concern might have
struck him. but in Il mind so haraSsed
as his there was only room for one
consideration - the consideration of
himself. The sense of her question
reached him. but its Significance left
him untouched.
"IS anything wrong:" she reiterated
for the second time.
by an effort he raised his eyes. No
man, he thought. since the beginning
Of the world was ever set II task so
cruel as his. Painfully and slowly his
lips parted.
'I'NFntkthi1,r Il, t1,. ,NrApl1 - ~, -
he said in "A slow, hard voice.
Eve said nothing, but her color sud
denly decpened.
Again Iodcr vas unObservant, but
with the dO"ged 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 II
man whose whole life was one elab.
Grated lie." The words were slightly
exaggerated, but their uttcrance, their
painfully brusque sincerity, precluded
all suggestion of effect. Resolutely
holding her gaze, he repeated his ques-
ton.
Tell me! Answer me. | want to
know"
Ewes attitude was difficult to read.
She stood twisting the string Of dia-
monds between her fingers.
Tell 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.
II cannot" she said. "Wc III
could not set myself to judge-any
one"
L.oder held himself rigidly in hand.
Eve" he said quietly. ~ was at
the Arcadian tonight. The play was
Other Mems Shoes suppose you've
read the book Other Mems Shoes?'"
She was leaning IN the mantelpiece,
and her face was invisible to him.
Eyes, | have read It," she said without
looking round.
st 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. Eyes" she said %nervously.
"Yes, l do believe it. Such things have
BEEN
Loder caught at the words, You're
quite right" he said quickly, You're
quite right, The thing is possible, I've
proved 1t. | know a man so like me
that you, even you, could not tell us
apart"
Eve was silent, still averting her
face.
In dire difficulty he labored Oh.