The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1907-04-11
CHAPTER xxx.

| II
~ ing in the present-the force
full, exhilarating present, and the
knowledge braced him. Upon one
point his mind was satisfied. Lillian
Astrupp had found the telegram, and
it remained to him to render her find
valueless. How he proposed to do
this, how he proposed to come out tri-
umphant in face of such a situation.
was matter that as yet was shape
less in his mind; nevertheless the dan
ger, the sense of impending conflict,
had SAVIOR of life after the inaction
Of the day and night just passed. Chill
cote in his weakness and his entangle-
| ment had turned to him, and he in his
strength and capacity had responded
to the appeal.
His step was firm and his bearing as
| sured as he turned into Grosvenor
square and walked toward the familiar
| house.
The habit of self deceit is as insidi-
Gus and tenacious as any vice. For one
! moment on the night Of his great
speech as he leaned out of Chilcote's
l. LO00r
had seen himself and under the shock
| Of revelation had taken decisive action.
But in the hours subsequent to that
| action the plausible, inner voice had
| whispered increasingly, soothing his
wounded self esteem, rebuilding stone
| by stone the temple of his egotism, un-
! til at last when Chilcote, panic stricken
at his own action, had burst into his
rooms ready to plead or to coerce he
| had found no need for either coercion
or entreaty. By power more subtle
and effective than any at his command
Loder had been prepared for his COM
| ing-unconsciously ready with an ac-
quiescence before his appeal had been
made. It was the fruit Of this prepara-
| ton, the inevitable outcome of it, that
strengthened his step and steadied his
hand as he mounted the steps and
opened the hall door Of Chilcote's house
on that eventful afternoon.
The dignity, the air Of quiet solidity,
| impressed him as it never failed to do,
as he crossed the large hall and ascend
ed the stairs-the same stairs that he
had passed down almost as an outcast
not so many hours before. He was fill
| ed with the sense Of things regained.
! Belief in his own star lifted him, as it
had done q hundred times before in
these same surroundings.
He quickened his steps as the sensa-
ton came to him. Then, reaching the
head Of the stairs, he turned directly
toward Ewes sitting room and, gaining
the door, knocked. The strength of his
eagerness, the quick beating Of his
pulse as he waited for response, sur
prised him. He had told himself many
times that his passion, however strong,
would never again conquer as it had
done two nights ago, and the fact that
he had come thus candidly to Ewes
room was to his mind a proof that
temptation could be dared. Neverthe-
less there was something disconcerting
to strong man in this merely physical
perturbation, and when Ewes voice
came to him, giving permission to en-
ter, he paused for an instant to steady
himself. Then, with sudden decision,
he opened the door and walked into
| the ROOM
The blinds were partly drawn, there
was scent Of violets in the air, and a
fire glowed warmly in the CRATE. He
noted these things carefully, telling
himself that man should always be
alertly sensible Of his surroundings
! Then all at once the nice balancing Of
detail suddenly gave way. He forgot
everything but the one circumstance that
Eve was standing in the window, her
back to the light, her face toward him.
With his pulses beating faster and an
unsteady sensation in his brain, he mov-
ed forward, holding out his hand.
"Eve''- he said below his breath.
But Eve remained motionless. As he
came into the room she had glanced at
him-a glance Of quick, searching ques-
ton, then with equal suddenness she
had averted her eyes. AS he drew close
to her now she remained immovable
"Eve''- he said again. II wanted to
see you'll wanted to explain about yes
terday and about this morning." He
paused, suddenly disturbed. The full
remembrance Of the scene in the
brougham had surged up at sight Of
her-had risen a fierce, unquenchable
recollection. Eve he began again
in new, abrupt tone.
And then it was that Eve showed
herself in fresh light. From his en-
trance into the room she had stayed
motionless, save for her first glance Of
acute inquiry, but now her demeanor
changed. For almost the first time in
Loder's knowledge of her the vitality
and force that he had vaguely appre-
; he1ded below her quiet, serene exte-
rior sprang up like fame within
whose radius things are Illuminated.
With a quick gesture, she turned to-
ward him, her warm color deepening,
her eyes suddenly alight.
II understand" she said-"I under
| stand. Don't try to explain. Can't
! you see that it's enough toto see you
! as you are''-
Loder was surprised. Remembering
! p - IL ~