Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1907-01-03

Ill outside in the still night three
clocks simultaneously chimed
III. and their announcement was taken
I'D and echoed by half dozen others,
loud ana faint, hoarse and resonant,
for all through the hours of darkness
the neighborhood of Fleet street is
alive with chimes.
Chilcote, startled by the jangle, rose
from his seat. Then, as If driven by
an uncomfortable impulse, he spoke
again.
you probably think am mad he
began.
Loder took his pipe out of his mouth.
81 am not SO presumptuous, he said
quietly.
For space the other eyed him 81
lently, as if trying to gauge his
thoughts. Then once more he broke
into speech.
Look here" he said. II came to-
night to make proposition. When I
have made it you'll first of all jeer at
me. as l jeered when made it to my
self. Then you'll see its possibilities,
as did. Them" he paused and glanc-
ed around the room nervously, sthen
you'll accept it, as did" In the I'M
easy haste of his speech his words
broke off almost unintelligibly.
Involuntarily Loder lifted his head
to retort, but Chilcote put up his hand.
His face was set with the obstinate
7<4-.,,,,;, =, 49,, 4Iof xr-ao1y mon soma
times exhibit.
Before l begin want to say that
am not drunk-that am neither mad
nor drunk. He looked fully at his
companion with his restless glance.
81 am quite sane-quite reasonable"
Again Loder essayed to speak, but
again he put up his hand
mo. Hear me. out You told me
something OF your story. I'll tell you
something Of niiae. You'll be the
first person. man or woman, that 1
have confided in for ten years. You
say you have been treated shabbily.
have treated myself shabbily, which
is harder to reconcile. | had every
chance, and / chucked every chance
away"
There was a strained pause, then
again Loder lifted his head.
'.Morphia?'' he said very quietly.
Chilcote wheeled around with
scared gesture. How did you know
that?" he asked sharply.
The other smiled. ut wasn't guess
ing. 1t wasn't even deduction. You
told me or as good as told me in the
fog when we talked of Lexington.
You were unstrung that night, and L
well, perhaps one gets overobservant
from living alone" He smiled again.
Chilcote collapsed into his former
seat and passed his handkerchief
across his forehead.
Loder watched him for space. Then
he spoke. why don't you pull upT"
he said. "You are young man still.
why don't you drop the thing before
It gets too late?" His face was I'M
sympathetic, and below the question in
his voice lay a note of hardness.
Chilcote returned his glance. The
suggestion of reproof had accumulated
his pallor Under his excitement he
looked ill and worn.
"You might talk till doomsday, but
every word would be wasted" he said
irritably. .'Im past praying for by
something like six years"
.Then why come here?'' Loder was
pulling hard on his pipe. I'm not a
dealer in sympathy"
II don't require sympathy" Chilcote
rose again He was still agitated, but
the agitation was quieter. II want a
much more expensive thing than sym
pathy, and am willing to pay for it,"
The other turned and looked at him.
II have no possession in the world that
would be worth flyer to you," he said
roldly. you're either under delusion
Or you're wasting my time"
Chilcote laughed nervously. Wait"
he said. s'Wait. I only ask you to
wait. First let me sketch you my posi-
tion 1t won't take many words"
my grandfather was a Chilcote of
Westmoreland He was one CT the
first of his day and his class to recog-
nize that there was future in trade,
so, breaking his own little twig from
the family tree, he went south to Wark
and entered a shipowning firm. In
thirty years time he died, the owner
of one of the biggest trades in England,
having married the daughter Of his
chief. MY father was twenty -four and
still at Oxford when he inherited. All
most his first act was to reverse my
grandfather's early move by going
north and piecing together the family
friendship. He married his first cousin,
and then, with the Chilcote prestige re-
vived and the shipping money to back
it, he entered on his ambition, which
was to represent East Wark in the Com