The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-12-04

( lnen pduSeu again. uncertain OF Mn
self Finally, with the consciousness
, that inaction was unbearable, b
moved on once more. his eyes wild
open, one hand thrust out as a proteC
ton and guide.
The fog had closed in behind him a
heavily as in front. shutting of all pos
sibility of retreat All about him Il
the darkness was a confusion OF voice
cheerful. dubious, alarmed or angry
Now and then a sleeve brushed his o
hand touched him tentatively. l
was a strange moment. moment o
possibilities, to which the crunchinl
wheels the oaths and laughter from
the blockeG traffic of the roadway
made continuous accompaniment.
Keeping well to the left Chilcote still
beat on. There was a persistence IL
his movements that almost amounted
to fear-a fear born of solitude filled
: with innumerable sounds. For space
he CROPPED about him without result
then his fingers touched the cold sur.
face of suffered shop front and a
thrill of reinsurance passed through
him. With renewed haste and clinging
to his landmark as blind man might,
he started forward with fresh impetus.
For a dozen PAGES he moved rapidly
and unevenly, then the natural result
occurred He colIided with a man COM
ing in the opposite direction.
/ The shock was abrupt Both men
swore simultaneously, then both laugh
ed. The whole thing was casual, but
Chilcote was in that state of mind
when even the commonplace becomes
abnormal The other mans exclama-
ton, the other mans laugh, struck on
his nerves. Coming out of the dark
ness, they sounded like a repetition OF
his own.
Nine out of every ten men in London,
given the same social position and the
same education, might reasonably be
expected to express annoyance or
amusement in the same manner, posi-
bly, In the same tone of voice, and Chill
cote remembered this almost at the
moment of his nervous jar.
''Beastly fogY' he said aloud. I'm
trying to find Grosvenor square, but
the chances seem rather small"
The other laughed again, and again
the laugh upset Chilcote. He wonder
ed tincomfortably If he was becoming
prey to illusions. But the stranger
spoke before the question had solved
itself.
I'm afraid they are small" he said.
sit would be almost hard to find ones
way to the devil on night like this"
Chilcote made murmur of amuse-
ment and drew back against the shop.
Eyes. We can see now where the
blind man scores in the matter of sal
walton. This is almost repetition of
the fog Of six years ago. Were you
out In that?' 1t was a habit of his |
to jump from one sentence to another,
a habit that had grown of late.
mo" The stranger had also groped
his way to the shop front. "No, was
out Of England six years ago"
you were lucky" Chilcote turned |
up the collar of his coat. 1T was an |
atrocious fog, as black as this, but |
more universal. remember 1t we'll |
1t was the night Lexington made his
great sugar speech. Some of us were
found on Lambeth bridge at 3 in the
having left the house at 70"
Chilcote seldom INDUCED in reminis-
sences, but this conversation with an
unseen companion was more like
,oliloquy than dialogue He was
lnnCf oITrsnrfcah Inf 81. |
when the other caught up his words.
All! The sugar speech!' he said.
odd that | should have been looking
t up only yesterday. What a mag
liicent dressing up of dry subject it
vas! What career Lexington prom
sed In those daysr'
Chilcote changed his position.
You are interested in the middle
Iown at Westminster he asked sar-
asticaily.
"IT' 1t was the turn of the stranger
o draw back a step. oh read my
ewspaper with the other 100000,
hat Is all. / am an outsider" His
dice sounded curt The warmth that
dmlratIon had brought into it a mo-
lent before had frozen abruptly. 1
IAN outsider Chilcote repeated. d
What an enviable wordr'
Possibly, to those who are well in d
Ide the ring But let us go back to
lexington. What pinnacle the man
sached, and what a drop he hadl II n
as always seemed to me an extraor-
mary instance OF the human leaven L
inning through us all. What was the r
Val cause Of his collapser he asked 8
WAS II drugs or drink?
ave often wished to get at the truth" h
Again Chllcote changed his attitude I,
SIS truth ever worth getting atr' he q
'ked irrelevantly. N
"In the case OF a public man--yes.
e exchanges his privacy for the inter e
t Of the masses IF he gives the q
asses the details of his success, why n
II the details OF his failure2 But was
drink that sucked him underT .,
"No." Chilcote's response came after b