Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-01-26
CHATTER I

Lon
don and also on that night came tn,
hrst announcement Of the border ris
ings against the Persian government
IN the province OF Khorassan-the an
nouncement that speculated upon
even smiled at az the time. assumed
such Significance In the light OF after
events
at O'Clock the news spread through
the house of commons. but az men In
the Inner lobbies were gossiplng. no
so much upon how far Russia. while
ostensibiy upholding the shah. bad
pulled the strings by which the lnsur-
gents danced. as upon the manner IN
which the St Georges Gazette the
Tory evening newspaper. had seized
upon the Incident and shaken IL in the
fscs. ~ the government
More than once before Lakely. the
owner and editor OF the St GEORGES.
had stepped outside the decorous circle
OF tradition and taken q plunge into
modern Journalism. but tonight ne es-
sayed deeper waters than before and
under an almost sensational heading
declared that iu this apparently limo
cent border rising we had less an out
come Of mere racial antagonlsm than
a first faint index OF long cherished
Russian scheme. growing % gradual
maturity under the drift policy OF
the present British government
The effect produced by this pro
nouncement IL strong. was varied
Members Of the opposition saw. OF
Thought they saw. a reflection OF IL ln
the smiling uncOncern on the minis
terial benches. and the government
had an uneasy sense that behind the
newly kinuled Interest on the other
side OF the house lay some mysterious
seeming OF battle from afar or But
though these Impressions ran like cleo.
uicity through the atmosphere. Moth
Ing tangible marked their passage. and
the ordinary business OF the house pro-
eeeded until half past II. when an ad-
Journment was moved.
The first man 10 hurry from his Mace
was John Chilcotc. member Tor East
Wark. He passed out Of the house
quickly. with the half furtive Quick.
ness that marks q self absorbed man.
and as he passed the policeman stand.
Ing stolidly under the arched doorway
OF the big courtyard he swerved a lit
tie. as II startled out OF his thoughts
He realized his swerve almost before
IL was accomplished and pulled him
self together with nervous lrritability.
"Foggy night. constable" he said.
With elaborate carelessness.
"Foggy night. sir. and thickenlng up
west" responded the man.
"Ah indeed" Chilcote's answer was
absent The constable's CHEEKY voice
Jared on him. and for the second time
he was conscious OF senseless irrlta-
ton. Without a further glance at the
man. he slipped out into the courtyard
and turned toward the main gate.
At the gateway two cab lamps show.
ed through the mist OF shifting fog
Ike the eyes or a great cat. and the
familiar Hanson. sirG" came TO him
indlstlnctly.
He paused by force Of custom and.
stepping forward had almost couched
the open door when new. impulse
caused him 10 draw back.
"No." be said hurriedly; 'no IN
walk"
The cabman muttered. dashed his
horse and. with a clatter OF hoors and
harness. wheeled away. while Chilcote.
still with uncertain hastlness. crossed
the road In the direction OF whitehall
About the abbey the fog had par.
tally lifted. and In the rallied garden
that faces the houses or parliament
the statues were visible IN a spectral
way. But Chilcote's glance was unsta-
bic and Indifferent He skirted the
ratings heedlessly and. crossing the
road with the speed OF long familiar
ity, gained Whitehall on the left hand
side.
There the fog had dropped. and. look
ing upward toward Trafalgar square.
II seemed that the chain OF lamps ex-
tended little farther than the Horse
guards and that beyond lay nothing.
Unconscious OF this capricious alter
nation between darkness and light,
Chilcote continued his course. To a
close observer the manner OF his going
had both interest and suggestion, for
though he walked on. apparently self
engrossed. yet AT every dozen steps be
at NOlAC SOuuu
like a man whose nervous system Is
painfully overstrang.
Maintaining his haste. he went de-
liberately forward. Obvious OF the
fact that at each step the curtain OF
darkness about him became closer,
damper. more tangible; that at each
second the passersby Jostled each
other with greater frequency Then.
abruptly. with sudden realization OF
what had happened. he stood quite
still. Without anticipation OF prepa-
ration he had walked full into the
thickness OF the fog-a thickness so
dense that, as by an enchanter's wand.
the figures OF a moment before melted.
the street lamps were sucked up into
the night
His first feeling was a sense OF panic
at the sudden isolation, his second a
thrill Of nervous apprehension at the
oblivion that had allowed him to De SO
entrapped. The second feeling out
weighed the first He moved forward,