Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-01-22
CHAPTER XXX
Chaos.

Chaos.
IL Is not difficult to understand Mr.
Challoner's feelings or even those OF
Doris at the moment OF Mr. Brother
sons departure. But why this change
In Brotherson himself? Why this
sense Of something new and terrible
rising between him and the suddenly
beClouded future? Let us follow him
TO his lonely hotel room and see II We
can solve the puzzle.
But first. does he understand his
own trouble? He does not seem to.
For when. his hat thrown aside, he
stops, erect and frowning under the
naring gas jet he had no recollection
OF lighting. his first act was TO lift his
hand 70 his head in a gesture OF sur
prising helplessness for him. while
snatches OF broken sentences fell from
his lips among which could be heard
What has come TO me? Undone in
an hour! Doubly undone. First by
face and then by this thought which
surely the devils have whispered 10
me. Mr.. Challoner and Oswald! What
IS the link between them? Great God!
what is the link? Not myself? Who
then or what"
Flinging himself into chair. he
buried his face In his hands. There
were two demons 10 fight-the first in
the guise OF an angel Doris! I'm
known yesterday, unknown an hour
ago: but now! Had there ever been
day-an hour-when she had not
been rs the very throb OF his heart.
"a oh rf 20 . he
all imaginable bNsses?
This was no passing admiration OF
youth for a captivating woman. This
was not even the love he had given
20 Edith Challoner. He did not know
himself. There was nothing in his
whole history to give him an under
standing Of such feelings as these
He. Orlando Brotherson. had never
thought much OF love. Science had
been his mistress; ambition his lode
star. Miss Challoner had reused
well. his pride. He could see that
now. The might of this new emotion
made plain many things he had passed
by as useless, puerile, unworthy OF a
man OF mental caliber and might. He
had never loved Edith Challoner at
any moment OF their acquaintance
ship. though he had been sincere in
thinking that he did. Doris beauty,
the hour he had just passed with her
had undeceivCd him.
Did he hail the experience? II was
not likely to bring him joy This
young girl whose image foated in
light before his eyes. would never love
him. She loved his brother. He had
heard their names mentioned together
before he had been in town an hour
Oswald, the cleverest man, Doris. the
most beautiful girl in western Penn
sylvania
He had accepted the gossip then:
he had not seen her and II all seemed
very natural-hardly worth a mo-
mcnt's thought But now
And here, the other demon sprang
erect and grappled with him before
the first one had let go his hold Os-
valid and Challoner! There is more
than Fate's caprice in Challoner's in
terest In a man he never saw. Had he
found the connecting link? Had II
been--could Il have been Edith? The
preposterous is sometimes true:
could IL be true in this case?
He recalled the letters read 10 him
as hers ln that room Of his in Brook
Ign. He had hardly noted them then,
he was so sure OF their being for.
geries gotten up by the police TO mis-
lead him Gould they have been real.
the illusions OF her mind. the breath
ings OF her heart. directed to an &C
tual o. b., and that o. b., his brother?
Oswald mad been east. Oswald had
even been in the Berkshires before
himself Oswald Why II was Os-
valid who had suggested that he
should go there-Eo where she still
was why this second coincidence. II
there were no tie-if the Challoners
and Oswald were as far apart as they
seemed ana as couventionalities would
naturally place them. Oswald was a
sentimentalist. but very reserved
about his sentimentAlities II these
suppositions were true, be had had a
sentimentalists motive for what he
did AS Orlando realized this. he rose
from his seat. aghast at the possibili
ties confronting MIN from this line OF
thought. Should he contemplate them?
Risk his reason by dwelling on sup
position which might have no founda-
ton In fact? No. His brain was too
'ull--his purposes too important for
any unnecessary strain 20 be put upon
bis faculties. No thinking! investigat-
ing first Mr.. Challoner should be
able 20 settle this question He would
see him. Even at this late hour he
ought 70 be able 10 find him in one OF