Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-11-19
CONTINUED hom yesterday
CHAPTER XVI.
Tho Fear OF Life.

''b'IlI'li FNu JNtCDUCu u 80 DhCh
as soon as les had put his mother Into
the car: bue she chung 50 tightly 10
hts arm. and there was something
50 appealing I'm her fragile depend
cnce. that. almost without realizing
IT, he found that he Was sitting In
front % her, ana that she was taxing
him down To his office.
We Will leave you and 60 back.
stephen" she said while a iool, OF
faintness spread over her FEATURES.
II feel ~ II one OF my hear, at
tacks might he coming on"
wouldn't YOU rather went home
with youT" he inquired solicitou-ly.
iIis mother shook her head and
reached fecbly for Margaret's hand.
"aiargarrt viii take care OF me" she
replied In the weak voice, before
which h"r husband and her children
had lcatnsd 10 tromblc
~ he sat there uncas!ly In tho
Stnry car. which smelt Of carnphur
and reminded him Of hearse. he
was threatened Is that familiar SEN
hatipn of oppression pf closing walls
would he ever again be free from
'hi9 !mpalpablc terror. from This
dread 81 boIng shut within "A space so
srnal! that he must smother II he
did not escape? And not only places
but persons, as he had fouUd long
ago, persons with closed souls. with
narrow miuds. produced In him this
feeling 81 physical sunocat!on. Mar
gdTct. with her serenity her change
less sweetness. affected him pre-
ciselv as no was affected by the
stained glass windows OF a church
lie felt that he should stitlc url"ss
Ne could break away into PLACE
where there w.r" Withstand blown
shadows and pure SUNSHINE. Ho ad-
Tir"d hcr. h" niSh have loved her:
but she smc thcr"d HIN li%" that rich
and heavy wave of the pas, from
which he VAS SIN ntrurglins TO
free himself. For he Knew now that
IL was no, tho past IL wanted. -
was the future Above all thiuCs
lie needed release. h" needed d"liv-
"ranc". and yet hc kncw. NOR. sure
- at this moment than ever before.
that h" was not free. that hc was
SIN ia chains. SIN the servant. not
III" master. OF troditIon. He lacked
~" courac" OF lfc. the will 10 i"cl
and 90 !ivc. Only through emotion,
only through some COURAGEOUS al
venture of the spirit. only through
daring - bc human. could I've reach
liS"rnttou. and yet hc could not dare.
ne could no, let h!m>sl: go. i.c could
not lose his NJ" IN order that he
might 'nd IL Corinnn was right. h"
felt. when Sh" Call-d him a urig
she VAS rirh' though ~ hated priE
glshucSs. though lac l"rp"i To he
uaturs. and human, to let himself be
swept away ou Tn" It'd" Of some ire
sistihle impulse. He lorgcd :" dare.
and yet he had never dared lie
lnprcd To take RISKS. and vet he
studied every Ftcp % IN" road. lie
lougcd to be Unconventional. and yet
he would have died rather than wear
red flower In his huttonholc. The
thought "f Patty rushed over HIM
Ike the Wind at dawn or The Light
II the sunrise. There was deliver.
r.. 4. =
h" VAS the impuls, N" dared not
follow. the risk he dared not take.
ia" rod flower hc dared not wear.
What lovely eyes Miss Nrtch has q"
Margar.; was Btying Don't you
mink 50. Cousin Harriet"
Mrs. Culpencr smiled At her bot
tic al smelling salts. she seemed
to me- very ordinary" She answered
siin'y. How could Gideon Vctch's
daughter be anything clSc?"
Yes. us "a pity about her father"
admitted Margaret placidly. ~ VIVA,
Mr.. Renham thinks ~ true. SUP
pose the Governor has agreed not To
interfere in this dreadful strike"
Again Mrs. Culpeper shifted. Every
ono knows he is merely tool in
tho hands OF those people" she said.
In the weeks that followed Ste
phen heard his mothers opinion re-
pcntcd wherever he went. Every
whore the strike was discussed. and
everywhere. in the Culpcper's circle.
Gideon Vctch and his policies were
rcpudiatcd. II was generally be-
li"ved that the strike would bc called.
and that the Governor had been, a.
old General Plummcr neatly put IL.
bought of by the rin-ran" There
were those. ana the genera! was
among them. who thought that
Vetch had been definitely threatened
by tho labor leaders There we're
omen charges of shady dealings" in
the newspapers; hints that he had
got tho office OF Governor by strik-
Ing bargain" with the faction
whose tool he had become Don't
tell me. sir that they didn't put
hin here because they knew they
could count on him." roared old
Powhatan. with tho accumulated
turbulence of eighty quarrelsomc
years or course. tho general was
Incorporate: but, as the Judge OH
served facetiously. sit was refresh
Ing. In these days when there was
nothing for decent people to drink
TO find that intemperance was still,
possible. With the general tuning
over corruption and Benham preach
ing morality. there is no need" he
'hded' for US to despair of vir-
tue"
For the people who condemned
Netch were quite as emphatic in
praise OF John Benham; and I'm these
weeks of unrest and anxiety, Co
rinna's face was glowing with pride
and pleasure. That Benham, in his
unselfish service. was leading the
way. no ono doubted. Tireiess. I'M
rewarded-for II was admitted by
those who esteemed him most that
no was never really In touch with
tho crowd. that his zeal awakened
no human responsible had sacrificed
MS private practice In order to de-
vote himself day and night to avert
ing the strike. Stephen, inspired to
nero worship asked himself again
what difference was, beyond simple
personal rcctitudc. between Vetch
ana Benham? Vetch. lacking so far
us tho young man knew. every pub
he virtue except the human touch
which enkindles either the souls or
the imaginations OF men. could over
turn Remnants argument with a
dramatic gesture. an emotional
phrase Why was IL that Eenhom
possessing both the character OF the
patriot and the graccs OF the orator
should fall short in the one jndc.
unable attribute which makes n man
the natural leader of men?
People admire him, but they won.,
follow him. Stephen thouEh; I'm n.r.
plcNity. "Vctch has s,m.,ht,. a.,