Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-04-06

that determination wasE
She shook her head.
at was the desire 10 stamp out Chill
cote's footmarks with my own, TO
prove that personality is the great force
capable Of everything. I forgot to reck-
on that when we draw largely upon
Fate she generally EFFORTS a crushing
Interest.
"First came the wish for your re
spect. then the desire 10 stand well
with such men as Fraide-to feel the
stir Of emulation and competition-to
prove myself strong In tue one career
knew myself fitted for. For a time
the second ambition oyershadOwed the
first. but the first was bound TO reas-
sert Itself and in a moment Of egotism
1 conceived the notion Of winning sour
enthusiasm as well as your respect"
Ewes face. alert and questioning.
suddenly paled as a doubt crossed her
mind
Then it was Only-only to stand well
with meg"
Il believed it was only the desire to
stand well with you. | believed il I'M
I'll the night OF my speech-lf you can
credit anything so absurd. Then en- that
night. as I came up the stairs TO the
gallery and saw you standing there.
the blindness fell away. and I knew
that loved YOU" AS he said the last
words he released her hands and turn
ed aside. missing the quick wave Of
JOY and color that crossed her face.
II knew it. but IL made no difference.
I was only moved 90 a higher self glori-
fication. / touched supremacy that
night But rs we drove home 1 expert
enccd the strangest coincidence Of my
life. You remember the block in the
traffic at piccadiIly2"
Again Eve bent her head.
"Well. when I looked out Of the car
rage window 10 discover its cause the
first man saw was-Chilcote."
Eve started slightly This swift. I'M
expected linking OF Chilcote's name
with the most exalted moment OF her
life stirred her unplcasantly. some
giimmcring OF Lodcr's intention I'm so
linking it broke through the web of
disturbed and conflicting thoughts.
You saw him ON that nichtT"
"los. and the sight chilled me. Il
was q big drop from supremacy to the
remembrance of-evcrything."
Involuntarily she put out her hand.
But LOdcr shook his head. NO he
said; don't pity me, The sight Of him
came just in time. had a reaction In
that moment. and. such as 1t was.
acted on &c. I went 10 him next morn
ing and told him that the thing must
end. But thcn-even then-I shirked
being honest with myself. l had meant
TO tell him that it must end because I
had grown 10 love you. but my pride
rose up and tied my tongue. l could
not humiliate myself l put the case
before him in another light IL was a
tussle OF wills. and l won. but the vic
tory was not what IL should have been.
That was proved today when he re
turned TO tell me OF the loss OF this
telegram. 1t wasn't the fear that Lady
Astrupp had found H. II wasn't 10
save the position that jumped at the
chance or coming back. It wac e. feel
the joy OF living, the joy or seeing you,
II only Tor a dayr' For one second be
turned toward her; then as abruptly
he turned away again.
II was still thinking or myself" he
said. 81 was still utterly self centered
when I came 20 this room today and al
lowed you TO talk 70 me. when / askei
you TO see me tonight as we parted a,
the club. / shan't tell you the thoughts
that unconsciuosly were IN my mind
when I asked that favor. You must
understand without explanation.
Il went TO the theater with Lady As
trupp ostensibly 10 find how the land
lay In her dlrection-really 10 helghten
my self esteem. But there fate or the
power we call by that name was lying
In wait FOR me, ready to claim the first
interest in the portion OF life l had
dared TO borrow" He did not glance
toward Eve as he had done in his pre-
vlous pause. His whole manner seem
ed oppressed by the gravity Of what he
had still 10 say.
Il doubt II man has ever seen more
In half an hour than have tonight" he
said. I'm speaking of mental seeing.
Of course. In this play, other Mems
Shoes two men change identities-as
Chilcote and / have done-but in doing
50 they overlook one fact-the fact that
one Of them has wife! That's not my
way OF putting It, It's the way II was
put to me by one of Lady Astrupp's
party"
Again Eve looked up. The doubt and
question in her eyes had grown unmis-
takably. AS he ceased TO speak her
lips parted quickly.
John" she said, with sudden con-
viction, you're trying to say something
something that's terribly hard"
Without raising his head Loder an
swered her YES" he answered, 'the
hardest thing man ever said"-
His tone was short, almost brusque,
but TO ears sharpened by instinct II
was eloquent Without a word Eve
took step forward and, standing quite
close to him, laid both hands on his
shoulders.
For space they stood silent, she
with her face lifted. he with averted
eyes. Then very gently he raised bis
hands and tried TO unclasp her fingers,
There YVES scarcely any color visible In
his face. and by a curious effect Of
emotion Il seemed that lines, never be-
fore noticeable, had formed about his