The Red Cloud chief., 1907-04-05
[ceSTINUED.l


bling Of parliament, that Fraide's great
blow was to he struck. In the ten
days since the affair of the caravans
had been reported from Persia public
feeling had run high. and 1t was upon
the pivot of this incident that LOdcr's
attack was TO turn, for, as Lakcley was
fond of rcmarking, "ln the scales Of
public opinion one dead E~nglishman
has more weight than the whole east
ern question" 1t had been arranged
that. following the customary prOce-
durc. I.Odcr was to rise after questions
at the morning sitting and ask leave TO
move The adjournment of the house III
n definite matter of urgent public i'm
p%ortlncr. upon ~which-lcaye having
been granted by the rising of forty
memhcrs in his support-the way was
10 lie open for his definite attack nc
the evening sitting. And it was with
a mind attuncd to this plan of action
that lie retired to the study immc-
diatcly he had breakfaStcd and settled
to Il tiuai revision of his speech before
m early party conference should com
pet him to leave the house. But here
again circumstances were destined to
change his programme. Scarcely had
lc sorted his notes and drawn his chair
to Chilcotc's desk than Rcnwick enter
ed the room with the same air of i'm
portant haste that he had shown on a
previous occasion.
"a letter from Mr.. Fraide. sir. But
there's no answer" he said, with IN
usual brevity.
Loder waited till he had left the
room: then he tore the letter open. He
read:
Ny Dear Chilcote - Lakeley Is the re-
cipient Of special and very vital news
from Mcshcd-unoficial, but none the
less alarming. Acts of Russian agrees
sion toward British traders are reported
TO be RAPIDLY increasing, and 1t Is stated
that the authority of the consulate Is
treated with contempt. Pending a possi-
bic confirmation of this. I would suggest
that you keep an open mind on the sub
t"ct Of tonights speech. BY adopting m
anticipatory even an unprcparcd atti-
tudc you may find your hand materially
strengthened. ! shall put my opinions be-
fore YOU more explicitly when we meet.
Yours faithfully,
HERBERT FRAIDE.
The letter, wordcd with Fraide's usu-
al restraint, made a strong imp esSion
ou its recipient. D,.ght that his
speech might not oAi express opinions
algcady taCitly held, bat voice q situa-
ton Of intense and national impor-
lance. struck him with full force. For
many minutes after he had grasped
the meaning of Fraide's message he
sat ncgiectful of his notes, his elbows
resting on the desk, his face between
mis- hands. stirred by the suggestion
that here might lie IA greater opportu-
nifty than any lie had anticipated.
Still moved by this new suggestion,
ne attended the party conciave that
Wraide had convened and afterward
launched with and accompanied his
leader to the house. They spoke very
little as they drove to Westminster,
fer each was engrossed by his own
thoughts. Only C did Fraide allude
10 the incident that was paramount in
both their minds. Then, turning to
Ioder with Il smile of announcement,
ne laid his fingers for an instant on
mis- arm.
"Chilcote," he had said, "when the
snne comes, remember you have all
my confidence"
Looking back upon that day. Loder
often wondered at the calmness with
which he bore the uncertainty. To sit
apparently unmoved and wait without
emotion for news that might change
the whole tenor of ones action would
have tried the stoicism of the most
experienced; to the novice it was well
nigh uncomfortable. And 1t was under
these conditions and fighting against
these odds that he sat through the long
afternoon in Chilcote's place, obeying
the dictates of his chief. But IL the
day was fraught with difficulties for
him It was fraught with dullness and
disappointment for others, for the I'M
dercurrent of interest that had stirred
at the Easter adjournment and risen
with added force on this first day Of
rhe new session was gradually but
surely threatened with extinction as
hour after hour passed bringing no
suggestion of the battle that had on
every side been tacitly expected.
Slowly and Enthusiastically speculation
mad dissatisfaction crept into the at
nosphere of the house as moment sue
seeded moment and the opposition
made no sign. Was Fraide Sinking
Me attack or was he playing a waiting
game? Again and again the question
arose, filling the air with a passing
flicker of interest, but each time 1t
sprang up only to die down again as
Me ordinary business Of the day drag