Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-01-17
The Fighting Chance. ss;5sEsy es;5sE ;;;;;;:, Y: Copyright 1906, by the Curtis Publishing
 
Copyright, 1906, by the Curtis Publishing Company. Copyright, 1906. by Robert W. Chambers

him. See here," he said, you are going as a friend of mine if yor care to look at it that way"
 Thank you," said Plank. T should be very glad to go in that way"
 The Siward house was old only In the comparative Manhattan meaning of the word, for in New York nothing is really very old except the faces of the young men.
 Decades ago it had been considered q big house, and it was still so spoken of-a solid, dingy, red brick structure, cubical in proportions. surmounted by heavy chimneys, the depth of It's sunk en windows limiting of the thickness of wall and foundation. Window cur tains of obsolete pattern, all alike and all drawn, masked the blank panes. Three massive wistaria vines, the | gnarled stems as thick as tree trunks, crawled upward to the roof, dividing the facade equally and furnishing some relief to its tlatness, otherwise unbroken except by the deep reveals of window and door, Two huge and unsymmetrical catalpa trees stood sen tinels before it, dividing curb from | asphalt, and from the centers of the | shriveled brown grass plots f1anking i the stoop under the basement windows ! two aged Rose of Sharon trees bristled baked to the height of the white mar 1 bic capitals of the flaking pillars SUD- porting the stained portico.
 Nice old family mausoleum," con- mented Fleetwood, descending from the hanson, followed by Plank.
 The door was opened by very old man wearing the black swallowtait clothes and choker of an old time but Ter, spotless, quite immaculate, but cut after a fashion no young man re- members.
 Good evening, Gumble," said Fleet wood entering. followed on tiptoe by Plank
 Good evening. sir 4 pause and in the unsteady voice of age: 'Mr. Fleet wood, sir. Mr. A bow and the dim eyes peering up at Plank, who oNVOa AOi HIS tuhuSocC.
 Fleetwood dropped both cards on the salver unsteadily extended. The but Ter ushered them into a dim room on the right.
 How is Mir SiwardT' asked Fleet wood, pauslng on the threshold and dropping his voice.
 The old man hesitated, looking down; then still looking away from Fleetwood: "Bravely, sir; bravely, MT. Fleetwood"
 "The Siwards were always that" said the young man gently.
 "Yes, sir. Thank you. Mir. Stephen Mir Siward," he corrected quaintly, 'is indisposed, sir. It was a-a great shock to us all, sir" He bowed and turned away, holding his salver stifiy, and they heard him muttering under his breath: "Bravely, sir; bravely. A q great shock, sir. Thank you"
 The butler returned presently, say ing that MT. Siward was at home and would receive them in the library above, as he was not yet able to pass up and down stairs.
 Siward was sitting in an armchair by the window. one leg extended. his left foot. stiffiy cased in bandages. resting on q footstool.
 Why, Stephen exclaimed Fleet wood. hastening forward, "I didn't know you were laid up like this.'
 Siward offered his hand inquiringly; then his eyes turned toward Plank. who stood behind Fleetwood, and, slowly disengaging his hand from Fleetwood's sympathetic grip. he of- tered it to Plank.
 Tt is very kind of you.'' he said. "Gumble. Mir. Fleetwood prefers rye himself 10 avoid hlm Cd, s,no,Uyer. He had merely been aware of him when Plank spoke to him.
 Perhaps Plank had chansed. perhaps SiwarI had. for he found nothing of- fensive in the bulky young man now nothing particularly attractive. either. except for a certain simplicity, a cer- tain direct eandor in the heavy blue eyes which met his squarely.
 Come In for q cigar when you have [ few moments idle" said Siward | slowly.
 'Tt will give me great pleasure" . said Plank. Lowing.
 And that was alL He followed Fleet . wood down the stairs. wands held . their coats and bowed them out Into { the falling shadows of the winter tvi. . light
 Siwarl. sitting beside his window. watched them enter their hanson and { drive away up the avenue. A dull flush had settled over his cheeks, the aroma of spirits hung in the air. and . he looked across the room at the de canter Presently be drank some O. his tea. but it wT lukeSarm. and be pushed the cup from him.
 ''Gumh.e. are you there.- he asked careissSly
 The butler entered from ;he hall way. Yes. sir"
 "yUu may leave that decan;er."
 But the old servant may have mls- Gnde-StOOl. for he only bowel and . ambled oI downstairs with the de cluter. either heeJl'ess or deaf 70 hsS masters sharp 1-sler t0 return.
 I-amplizht b-J8Eht out sharply ths 4 physical change la Slvari-the als1- !. lar shadows fat under the cheek bones. tic hard slightly swollen flesh h fhs b.gish shadows around the eveS The mark of the master viee was there