The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1907-01-10
Loder leaned forward interestedly.

IenIatlOuS figures strong In action, q
little narrow in outlook, perhaps, but
essential to country's staying power.
You have every reason to be proud of
your father
Chilcote laughed suddenly. "How
easily we sum up when a matter is i'm
personal! My father may have been a
fine figure, but he shouldn't have left
me to climb to his PEDESTAL"
Loder's eyes questioned. In his new
" awakened interest he had let his
pipe go out.
Don't you grasp my meaning?"
Chilcote went on. my father died and
I was elected for East Wark. You may
say that if I had no real inclination for
the position I could have kicked, but I
tell you couldn't. Every local inter-
est, political and commercial, hung up
on the candidate being a Chilcote. 1
did what eight men out of ten would
have done. I yielded to pressure."
ut was fine openingw The words
escaped Loder.
"Most prisons have wide gates!"
Chilcote laughed again unpleasantly.
'That was six years ago had started
on the morphia track four years earlier,
but up to my fathers death had it TN
der my thumb, or believed T had, and
in the realization of my new RESPONSE
bilities and the excitement of the po-
litical fight almost put it aside. For
several months after I entered parlia-
ment worked. I believe I made one
speech that marked me as a coming
man." He laughed derisively. II even
married.
''Married?"
eyes "a girl Of nineteen, the ward
Of a great politician. It was brilliant
marriage, politically as we'll as socially,
but it didn't work. I was born without
the capacity for love. First the social
life palled on me, then my work grew
irksome. There was only one factor to
make life ndurable-morphia. Before
six months were out had fully admit
ted that
But your wife?"
"Oh, my wife knew nothing-knows
nothing. 1t is the political business,
the beastly routine of the political life,
that is wearing me out" He stopped
nervously, then hurried on again. 81
tell you it's hard to see the same faces,
to sit in the same seat day in, day out,
knowing all the time that you must
hold yourself in hand, must keep your
grip on the reins'-
1T is always possible to apply for
the Chiltern Hundreds
ITO retire? Possible to retire?"
Ghilcote broke into a loud, sarcastic
laugh. "You don't know what the To-
cal pressure of place like Wark
stands for. Twenty times have been
within an ace Of chucking the whole
thing. Once last year I wrote private
~ to Vale, one Of our big men there,
and limited that my health was bad.
Two hours after he had read my letter
he was in my study. Had I been in
Greenland the result would have been
the same. No; resignation is a mean
ingless word to a man like me-
Loder looked down. II see," he said
slowly; II see."
"Then you see everything-the diff
dculty, the isolation Of the position.
Five years ago-three-even two years
ago-I was able to endure it, Now it
gets more unbearable with every
month. The day is bound to come
when - when'' u he paused, hesitating
nervously-"when it will be physically
impossible for me to be at my post"
Loder remained silent.
'SPhvcioo11v |th;1ooto M
peated excitedly. Until lately I was
able to calculate-to count upon my
self to some extent-but yesterday I
received shock-yesterday I discov-
cred that-that'-again he hesitated
painfully y that I have passed the
stage when one may calculate''
The situation was growing more en-
barrassing. TO hide its awkwardness,
Loder moved back to the CRATE and
rebuilt the fire, which had fallen low.
Chilcote, still excited by his unusua,
vehemence, followed him, taking up
position by the mantelpiece
'Well?" he said, looking down.
Very slowly Loder rose from his
task "Well?' he reiterated.
"Have you nothing to say?''
Nothing, except that your story is
unique and that I suppose am fiat
tered by your confidence" His voice
was Intentionally brusque.
Chilcote paid no attention to the
voice. Taking a step forward he laid
his fingers on the lapel Of Loder's coat.
II have passed the stage where can
count upon myself" he said, "and I
want to count upon somebody else. I
want to keep my place in the worlds
eyes and yet be free
Loder drew back involuntarily, con-
tempt struggling with bewilderment in
his expression.
Chilcote lifted his head. by an ex-
raordinary chance" he said, you can
do for me what no other man in Gre
alton could do. 1t was suggested to
me unconsciously by the story Of a
book-a book in which men changed