Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-04-18

TIC AuIIIVe MOVEMENT OF Ills niger 10
his waistcoat pocket, the hasty drop
ping of the tabloids into the glass.
For an instant the sense of his tacit
connivance came to him sharply; the
next, he flung it from him. The hu-
man, inner voice was whispering its
old watchword. The strong man has
no time to waste over his weaker
brother!
When he heard Chilcote lay down his
tumbler he looked back again. "Well,
what is it" he said. "What have YOU
come for?" He strove resolutely to
keep his voice severe but, try as he
might, he could not quite subdue the
eager force that lay behind his words.
Once again, as on the night of their
second interchange. life had become a
phoenix, rising to fresh existence even
while he sifted it's ashes. "Well?" he
said once again.
Chilcote had set down his glass. He
was nervously passing his handker-
chief across his lips. There was some
thing in the gesture that attracted Lo-
der. Looking at him more attentively,
he saw what his own feelings and the
others conventional dress had blinded
him to-the almost piteous panic and
excitement in his visitors eyes.
Something's gone wrong" he said,
with abrupt intuition.
Chilcote started. "Yes-no-that is,
yes" he Stammered.
Loder moved around the table.
Something's gone wrong" he repeat
ed. "and you've come to tell me-"
The tone unnerved Chilcote. He sud-
denly dropped into a chair. "It-it
wasn't my fault!!" he began. d. have
had a horrible time!!"
Loder's lips frightened. eyes," he
said, Ives, l understand"
The other glanced up with a CLEAN
of his old suspicion. "'Twas all my
nerves, Loder'-
"Of course. Yes, of course" Lo-
der's interruption vas curt.
Chilcote eyed him doubtfully. Then
recollection took the place of doubt.
and a change passed ove his express
sion. ut wasn't my fault" he began
hastily. "On my soul, 1t wasn't! 1t
was Crapham's beastly fault for show
Ing her into the morning ROOM
Loder kept silent. His curiosity had
fared into sudden life at the others
words, but he feared to break the shat
tered train Of thought ever by a word.
In the silence Chilcote moved un-
ooc;1- SGVo,, eoo (, 1o 1ro,+ ~, ~ 1oc+
when l was here with you IL felt
strong. I-1"- He stopped.
Eyes, yes. When you were here with
me you felt strong"
Eyes, that's it. While l was here l
felt I could do the thing. But when l
went home-when l went up to my
rooms Again he paused, passing his
handkerchief across his forehead.
"When you went up to your rooms?"
Loder strove hard to keep his control.
ITO my room?- Oh. IL forget
about that. I forget about the night
He hesitated confusedly. CAN 1 re-
member is the coming down to break
fast next morning-this morning at
IL o'clock
Loder turned to the table and poured
himself out some whisky. "Yes," he
acquiesced in a very quiet voice.
At the word Chilcote rose from his
seat. His disquietude was very evil
dent. ooh, there was breakfast on the
table when l came downstairs-break-
fast, with flowers and a horrible, daz-
zling glare of sun. 1t was then, Loder,
as 1 stood and looked into the room,
that the impossibility of it all came to
me-that l knew / couldn't stand it
couldn't go on"
Loder swallowed his whisky slowly.
His sense of o~verpowering curiosity
held him very still, but he made no
effort to prompt his companion.
Again Chilcote shifted his position
agitatedly. ut had to be done," he
said disjointedly. II had to do it-then
and there. The things were on the bu.
reau-the pens and ink and telegraph
forms. They tempted me-"
Loder laid down his glass suddenly
An exclamation rose to his lips, but he
checked it.
At the slight sound Of the tumblel
touching the table Chilcote turned, but
there was no expression on the Others
face to alright him.
"They tempted me-" he repeated has
tily. "They seemed like magnets; they
seemed to draw me toward them.
sat at the bureau staring at them for
long time. Then a terrible compulsio1
seized me-something you could never
Understandable 1 caught up the near
est pen and wrote just what was in my
mind. 1t wasn't a telegram, properly
speaking. 1t was more a letter.
wanted you back, and l had to make
myself plain. The writing of the mes
sage seemed to steady me; the mer'
forming of the words quoted my mind
I was almost cool when l got up from
the bureau and pressed the bell'-
1.-The bell?'
"Yes. 1 rang for a servant. l hat
to send the wire myself, so I had t.
get a cab" His voice rose to irrita
billty. 9" pressed the bell severa
times, but the thing had gone wrong
'twouldn't work. At last I gave it VI
and went into the corridor to call som