Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-07-07
CHAPTER vi

looked forward with some curiosity to
this opportunity Of studying his chief
under different auspices. Dartrey, not
withstanding the fact that he was a
! miracle of punctuality and devotion
to duty. both at the offices in Parlia :
ment street and at the House. seemed
!, 10 have the gift of fading absolutely
: out of sight from the ken Of even his
closest friends when the task of the day
was accomplished. He excused him
I self always, courteously but finally,
from accepting anything whatever in
the way Of social entertainment. He
belonged to no clubs. and. II pressed.
he frankly confessed prediction which
amounted almost to passion for solitude
during those hours not actually devoted
to official duties. The invitation to
dinner. therefore, was received by Tai
lente with some surprise. He had
grown into the habit of looking upon
7 Dartrey as n man who had no real
existence outside the routine of their
daily work He welcomed with avidity.
therefore, this opportunity of UNDER
!. standing little more thoroughly
Dartrey's pleasant but elusive per-
sonality.
The house itself. situated in Chel.
sea square Of some repute, was small
and unostentatious, but was painted
"A spotless white and possessed, even
from the outside. an air of quiet and
unassuming elegance. A trim maid.
servant opened the door and ushered
him into a drawing room OF gray and
silver, with a little faded blue in the
silks Of the French chairs. There were
few fine point etchings upon the
walls, a small grand piano in corner,
and very little furniture. although the
little there was was French OF the best
period. There were no flowers and the
atmosphere would have been chilly
! but for the brightly burning fire. Tai
lente was scarcely surprised when
Dartrey's entrance alone indicated the
fact that, as was generally supposed.
he was free from family ties.
II am little early l am afraid. y
Tallente remarked, as they shook hands.
Admirably punctual," the other
replied. II shall make no apologies
to you for my small party. have
asked only Miss Mall and Miller to
meet you-just the trio of us who came
to lure you out Of your Devonshire
paradise"
"Miller?" Tallente repeated, with
instan. comprehension.
Eyes! I was thinking, only the
other day, that you scarcely see enough
Of Miller"
IT see all that want to-" was
Tallente's candid comment.
Dartrey laid his hand upon his
guests shoulder. In his somber dinner
garb, with low, turned down collar
and flowing black tie. his gray black
beard cut to n point, his high fore
head, his straightly brushed back hair,
which still betrayed its tendency to
natural curls, he looked great deal
more like an artist of the dreamy and
esthetic type than man who had
elaborated a new system Of life and
government.
"It is because of the feeling behind
those words. Tnllent.,' he said, that
/ have asked you to meet him here to-
night. Miller has his Objectionable
points, but he possesses still great
hold upon certain types Of the work.
ingman. feel that YOU should appre-
ciate that little more thoroughly
The politician, as you should know
better than I, has no personal feelings
''The politician is left with very few
luxuries," Tallente replied, with a Ger :
tain grimness.
Nora was announced, brilliant and
gracious In a new dinner gown which
she frankly confessed had ruined her,
and close behind her Miller, little
ungainly in his overlong dress coat and
badly arranged white tie. 1t struck
Tallente that he was aware Of the OBJ
obviously intended to be ingratiating.
had still touch Of self conscious
turbulence.
They went into dinner, few min
utes later, and their hosts tact In in
cluding Nora in the party was ut once
apparent. She talked brightly OF the
small happenings Of their day day
political life and bridged over the mo
ments of awkwardness before genera
conversation assumed its normal swing
Dartrey encouraged Miller to talk ant
they all listened while he spoke Of the
mammoth trades unions Of the north
where his hold upon the people was
greatest. He spoke still bitterly of tn,
war, from the moral effect of which n,
argued, the working man had neve
little grimly.
"The fervor of self sacrifice and so
called patriotism which some of tn
proletariat undoubtedly felt at the out
break of the war;" Miller argued, IVA
only an incidental. purely pasTn
sensation compared to the idle an,
greedy inertia which followed it. Th
war lost he went on, might hav
acted as n lash upon the torpor of man
OF these men. Won, it created a wav
OF immortality and extravaganza fror
4 which they had never recovered.
'They spent more than they had an
they earned more than they were worth
That Is to say, they lived an unnatura
\ iife.'
''It is fortunate, then," Tallente re
marked, that the new generation
almost here"
"They. too, carry the taint," Mile
insisted.
Tallente looked thoughtfully acros
toward his host.
"It seems to me that this is littl
disheartening," he said. ut is exactl
what one might have expected frol
l 3IoElock or even Lethbridge. Miller
who 10 nearer to the proletariat tina
any Of US, would have us believe thl
v ths people who should be the bulwar
- the state are not tit for their pos
tion."
II fancy" Dartrey said soothingl,
that Miller was talking more as
philosopher than practical man."
N II speak according to my expert
y cnce," the latter insisted, little dog
4 gedly.
y "Among your own constituents?
4 Tallente asked, with faint smi
Sy reminiscent Of a recent unexpected d,
feat Of one Of Miller's partisans in
f large constituency,
"AmonE them and Others" W.
4. the somewhat ncid reply. Sands lo
NJ seat at Tenrhc-tsr through Il
X