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t'l’l1"1""ll,l
CHAPTER XXVI
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1 llUEh- for or dreaded it, (Tlillcoie was con»
lr‘lhlli.
80f”!- As Lodcr entorml ho was sitting by
m. ('hferlg'fls grate. the :13th of yes)»
beshlcln-rduy's fire ~h0wl'12: 1‘linr'rml and
t inter jammy where the sun touchml them.
pWIe-a- l lllg hark wgl to the light, and about
under Lia shoulders was an old plaid rug.
1 mar Behind him on the table stood a cup.
, were u teapot. and 1111- ('7ll'l of miik; far-
rnnk s {her on :1 kmtle was set to boil upon
turned a tiny spiripstuve.
In all strong situations we are
at men more or less cornmon-plnr'e. Loder‘s
'd un- firgt remark as he glanced round the
." He disordered room seemed strangely in-
ess be efficient.
1 inine “Where's Roblns?”.he asked. in a
lPlieal- hrusque voice. His mind teemed
1 ledg- with big considerations. yet this was
his first involuntary question.
i. the Ohilcote had started at the en-
tering trance of his visdwm now he sat star-
w. the .ng at him. his hands holding the
- to
srmsefhlsdnlr.
with
cessful is the deception that the
the strong political ally of
for a political appointment with
LAKELY, publisher of St. George's.
is not Chilcote.
ment policy.
JOHN LODER, who is his exact counterpart in appearance.
lcaving that none will believe her story.
against British trading interests in Persia occupy his attentio. and he
is dolegated by his party to make a great speech attacking the govern-
News of the killing of a British consul-general in Persia.
comes at the psychological moment and fires Loder in the making of a
rpo'tcll urging immediate government action that is epochal.
11.11 hero of the hour and there are tears of joy in the syn of the unau
poeting Eve Chilcote as she leaves the gallery with Loder.
THE CHARACTERS IN THE STORY
JOHN CHILCOTE. member of the House of Commons, a party to a
loveless marriage and a confirmed drug addict, changes places in life
So sue-
masterful Lode: becomes not only
FRAIDE, the great party leader. but he is not suspected. by the servants
nor by Chilcote' a beautiful and unhappy wife,
EV E, who, however. is mystified by her husband’s change in manor.
At a social function. Loder is inveigled into a darkened tent, where
LADY ASTRUPP, intimate of Chilcote, indulging her hobby of embl-
gazing. makes him remove his rings, exposing the give-away scar on
his finger. Loder. recognising her as the woman who had jiltcd him in
an old love aflalr. eludes her without explanation.
by Chilcoto, who resumes his own life.
and makes an appointment to dine with her next day. He forgets the
appointment and again changes places with Loder, who, noting the date
and phrase “Talk with L” in Chilcote’s engagement book, mistakes it
Loder is recalled
Chllcote meets Lady Lillian
Loder is startled when he is ushered
into Lady Astrupp's home and presence instead. She becomes sua-
plcious. asks him to remove his rings and he refuses.
He neither denies nor affirms, but warns her before
She declares he
Russian acts of aggression
Hell
1’.
~10!
5“
“Chilcote,” he said, very
"Where's Robins?” Lode: asked
again.
"I don't know. She-— l-- We;
didn't hit it 1111‘. She's gone-went
11-ster1l.1y."lle shliered and drew
tho rug about him.
“Cliiicntc——" Loder hogan. sternly;
then he pauscd. Tin-re was some-
:lsinc in the other’s look and attitude
1i.;1t arrcsxcd him.
gun-«inn pusscd over his own f11ce;lle
.13.:111': than crossing deliberately to
miles from the grate.
\Vllliln 11 {ow minutos ho llfld 11 fire‘
kiuvo the kettle had boll1-d and the
vinlcling sound. Blowing out the
flame. Loder picked up the teapot.
and with hands that were evidently
accustomed to the till: let about
making the tea.
During the whole operation he nev-
nr spolw, though all the while he was
fully comrioua of Chllcote's puzzled
znze. The ten ready, be poured it
into the cup and carried it across the
l'Ollm.
“Drink thisi" he said. laconlcsliy.
“The fire will be up presently.”
(‘hiicote extended a cold and shaky
hand. "You see-" he began.
nut Loder checked him almost sav-
agely. “I do—as well as though I
had followed you from Piccadilly last
night! You've been hanging about.
God knows where. till the small hours
of the morning: then you've come
hack—slunk back. starving for your
damned poison and shivering with
cold. Xou've settled the first part of
the business, but the cold has still to
be reckoned with. Drink the tea.
I've something to say to you.” He
mastered his vehemence. and, walk-
ing to the window. stood looking
into the court. His eyes were
snk. his face hard; his ears heard
nothing but the faint sound'of Obli-
cote' s swallowing. the click of the cup
against his teeth.
For a time that seemed We.
ble he stood motionless; an. m
be firm the tea finished. he turned
slowly. cancer. had drown closer to
the are. He was ohm braced by
1.1- flu-plum. he began to rake the'
Iwrrl 11nd repulsive in its sudden ex-
:.‘1~- task, he rose slowly from his:
knee-s, u'lpt'd his hands, and crossed
‘Is 'ht" lfllll“. ()n
the small splrit-;hlankl_v.
quietly, “I’ve come to tell you
that the thing must end. " [Guy Bates Post as John Chilcote
and John Loder us “The Masquerader.’ ’]
hung about him was to rattle extent
! dispr-l'od 91:11 moving slowly. Loder
went to“ unis him. and. relieving him
of ti.» 11n1;1y cup stood looking down
l at him
. "('11: lcnte." he said, very quietly.
l"l‘ ve come to tell you that the thing
,must 1- 1.111"
After he spoke there was a pro-
). clumxzc of ex- 1 lunged pause; then, as if shaken with
sudden consciousness, Obllcote rose.
rurumi about with an abrupt R“Sllll‘¢.iThe rug dropped from one shoulder
pulled off his coat nnrl throw it on a.
' caught the back of the chair for sup-
and hung down ludicrously; his hand
port; hls unshsven flee looked Ib-
premiun of ac: ired inquiry. Loder in-
.-;1r.1 1.11m: “he-re the fun] of dead pin. lv‘oluntarily turned away.
Ilc's l..11d llm'n, and. having finished}
"I mean it." he said. slowly. “It's
over; we‘ve come to tho end.”
“But why?" Chllcote articulated.
"Why? Why?" In his coa-
fusion he could think of no better
.~...~.-r was lifting and falling with llfbVol‘d.
“Because i throw it up. My side of
the bargain 3 off!"
Again Chllc‘otes lips puffed lum-
merlngly. The apathy caused by
physical exhaustion and his recently
administered drug was passing from
him; the hopelessly shattered condi-
tion of mind and body was showinx
through if like a skeleton through a
thin covering of fielh.
”But why?" he said aflln. “Why?"
Still Loder avoided via-frightened
surprise of his eyes. “Beeline leth-
draw." he nnsweredfildggedly.
Then suddenly Chilcote's tongue
was 10031-1111.]. ~ "Loan.” In cried. ex-
citedly, "you can't do it! God! man,
you can't do ltl" To reassure him-
self he laughed—1s ' 3‘ mm
echo of his old,- sarcastic laugh. “If
it's a matter of greater opportuni-
ty—" he began. “of more money—P
But Loder tur'ned upon him. '
"Be quiet l" he said. so menacingly
that the other stopped; Then by an
effort be conquered himself. “It’s not
a matter of money. Chilton.” he It“.
quietly; “it's a matter of necessitlo”
Hebrought the wordoutwlth sun-
culty. - -
Chileote glanced Ip.- “NW
be repeated. “Howl Why? .
The reiteration round Loam-.10-
esuse there was I geeateceuolnthe
House last night.“ he been. hurried-
ly; Wade when no go beckm’ll'
find that m WWW
ever the W of It: m
W at at“. you
thewarmtbzsadtbeapethathat
havemsdeyflsltflqll
l ; :
speech: and because—"“1 Lbruptly be
“09M The thing he had come to
ear-the thing he had meant to my—
would not be said. Either his tongue
or his resolution failed him, and for
the instant he stood as stint and al—
most as ill at ease as his cotnpenlon.
Then all at once inspiration came to
him. in thenggestionofawellnlgh
forgotten argument by whid: he
might influence Ohilcote and save his
own self-respect. "it's all over. (nu-
cote." he said. more quietly: “it has
run itself out.” And in a doaen sen-
tences he sketched the story of w-
llan Astrnpp—her past relations with
himself. her present suspicions. It
was not what be bad meant to say: it
was not what he had come to say;
but it eerved the purpose—it saved
him humiliation.
Chilcote listened to the last word;
then. as the other finished. he drop-
ped nervously back into his chair.
'Good heavens! men.” he said. “why
didn‘t you tell me—whydldn't you
warn me, instead of filling my mind
with your political position? Your
political position i" He laughed un-
steadlly. The long spells of indulo
gonce that had weakened his already
maimed faculties showed in the
laugh, in the sudden breaking of his
voice. “You must do something. Lo-
der!" he added. nervously. 'checklng
his amusement; “you must do some-
thing!"
Loder looked down at him. “No."
he said. decisively. “It's your turn
now. It's you who’s got to do some-
thing."
Chiloote’s face turned ashsde gray-
er. "I can't.” he said, below his
breath.
“Can't? Oh. yes, you can. We can
all do—anythlng. It's not too late;
there's Just sufficient time. Chil-
cote," he added. suddenly, “don‘t you
see that the thing has been madness
all along—has been like playing with
the most infernal explosives? You
may think whatever you have faith
in that nobody has been smashed up!
You are going back. Do you under-
stand me? You are going bacb—now.
to-day. before it's too late." There
was a great change in Loder; his
strong, lmpertul‘bahle face was
stirred; he was moved in both voice
and manner. Time after time he re.
posted his injunction—reasoning. ex-
postulsting. insisting. It almost
seemed that he fought some strenu~
ous invisible force rather than the
shattered man before him.
Chllcote moved nervously in his
seat. It .was the first real clash of
personalities. He felt lt—recognized
it by instinct. The sense of domina-
tion had fallen on him; he knew him-
self lmpotent in the other’s hands.
Whatever he might attempt in m0»
ments of solitude. he possessed no
voice in presence of this invincible
second self. For a while he strug-
gled—he did not fight, he struggled to
resist—then, lifting his eyes. he met
Loder‘s. "And what will you do?"
he said, weakly.
Loder returned his questioning
gaze: but almost immediately be
turned aside. “I?" he said. “Oh, I?“
shall leave London!
CHAPTER XXVI!
BUT Loder did not leave London.
And the hour of two on the
day following his dismissal of Obli-
cote found him again in his sitting-
room. ,
He set at the center-table sub
rounded by a cloud of smoke; a
pipe was between his lips and the
morning's newspapers lay in a beep
beside his elbow. To the student of
humanity his attitude was intensely
interesting. It was the attitude of e
man trsmmelled by the knowledge of
his strength. Before him. as he sat
smoking. stretched a future of abso-
lute nothlngness: and towards this'
blank future one portion of his con-
sciousness—a struggling and as yet
scarcely sentient portion—pushed
hlm inevitably; while another—- vig-
orous, persistent. human portion-—
cried to him to pause. 80 actual. so
clamorous was this silent mental
combat that had raged uneeeungly
since the moment of his renunciation
that at last in physical response to
it he pushed back his chair.
“It's too late 1" he said, aloud.
‘Tm a fool. It's too late l"
Then abruptly, astonishingly, as
though in direct response to his
spoken thought. the door opened and
Chilcote walked into the room. .
Slowly Loder rose and stared at
him. The fading be acknowledged
to himself was anger: but below the
anger a very different sensation ran'
riotously strong. And it was in tints
to this second feeling. this sudden.
lawless joy. that his pulses beat as
hemmedaooldhoeontheib-
trader.
“Well?" he said. My
and laid down his
white and the
his gloves.
“Therm Heaven. m bun"
said, shortly. "leh as pm
to think."
In silence Indes- bronght out the
whiskey am set it on thetanle; that
be mentally figured Chlleote's fun
tlve ghncq the furtlve mom of
NI flngeru to his Moorish
the hasty dropping'of the tabloids -
into the glass. For an Instant the
sense of his tselt eonnlvsnce mme
cohhn sharply: thenexthe nunglt
from him. The human. inner voice
was whlmerlng its old W
The stung man has no time to waste
over hlh weaker brother!
When he heard (lbncots lay down
his tumbler he looked back again.
“Well. what is it?" be said. 'tht
have you come fort” Be “1109. reso-
lutelytokowhinvolmmb‘t.
tryuhelalshthecosldnot qultb
subdue the eager force that lay be-
hind his words. Once again, as on
the night of their-second interchange.
e had become a.phoenlx. rising to
h existence even whilehe sifted
lts ashes. “went" be semitones
Chileetehad set downhlsglsss. He
was nervously passing"bls handker-
chief across his lips. There was
something in the gesture that at-
tracted Ioder. Looking at him more
attentively. he saw what his own
feelings and the others convention-
al dress had blinded 'hlm to—tbe
almost plteous panlc and excitement
in his visitor's eyes.
“Somme gone wrengl'hesaltk
with abrupt intuition.
Chilcote started. “Ice—no—tbat
is. yes." he stammered.
Loder moved round the table.
“Somethings gone wrong." he re-
peated. "And you've come to tell
me.”
in. tone unnerved Chile-oils: he
suddenly dropped into Lash. “It—
it wam‘t my fault." he began. “I—
I have had a horrble the!”
Indore lips tightened. “Yes," he
said. “yes—4 understand}
The other glanced up with a gloom
of his old suspicion. “Twas all my
nerves. Ioder—”
“Of course. Yes, of course.”- Lo-
der’s interruption was curt.
Chlloote eyed him ' doubtful”.
Then recollection took the blues of
doubt, and a change passed over his
expression. It wasn‘t my fault." he
began hastily. “On my soul. it
wasn't! It was Graphsm's beastly
fault for showing her into the morn-
lng:room—"
Loder kept silent. His curiosity
had flared lntlo sudden life It the
other's words. but he feared to break
the shattered train of thought even
by a word.
In the silence Ohllcoce moved un-
eally. “You see." he went on. at
last, “when I was here with you I
r—_I t strong. 1+" He stopped.
es, yes. When you were here
with me you felt strong.”
"Yes. that's it. While I was here.
lfeltlcoulddethethlng. Butwben
I went home—when I went up to my
room—" Again he peueed, passing
his handkerchief across his forehead.
“When you went up to your
rooms?" Loder strove he! to Deep
his control.
“To my room—r 0h. l—I fond
about that. I forget about the
night—" He hesitated confusedly.
“All I manner is the analog down
to breakfast next morningv—thls
morning—st twelve e'clocb—P
Leder turned . to the table and
poured himself out some whitey.
“Yes." be summoned. h a very quiet
voice.
At the word (mucote rose from his
seat. His disquietude was very evi-
dent “on. there was breakfast on the
table when I came down-stairs—
breakfast with flowers and a horrible,
dualing glare of sun. It was then.
“Qh..1wntoutoft‘heroom,but
there at the door. herons I could call
plain that I wam‘t in a state Mr
business; I tried to make him off.
Atlasbmbefldofthefleuow.l
weutwuhblmtethestudy-J'
JOY“
“I’m getting to the telegram!
wish you wouldn‘t Jar me with and-
den questions. I wasn't in the study
more than a minute—more than five
or six mlnutee—" His voice became
confused: the strain of the connected
recital was telling upon him. With
nervouahsstehemsdearushforthe
end of his story. “I wasn't amt-o
level or eight minutes in the
then, as I come down-stairs.
met me in to ball. He
told me that Lillian Astrupp had
called and wished to see me.
g-
morning-room—"
denly stamped back from the table.
“The uranium? With your tele-
gram lying on the bureau?"
His sudden speech and maven-n:
startled Galleon. The blood raised
to his face, then died out. leaving it
adieu. “Don't do that. Loderl" he
cried. “I—f can't bear it 1"
With an immense eflort Lode:- con-
trolled himself. “Sorry!" be said.
“Go on i” ‘
'Tm gel) on! I tell you I'm going
on. I got a horrid shock when Crap-
there was going to be a scene-"
"But the telegram? The telegram?"
Ohllcote paid no heed to the inter-
ruption. He was following his own
(min of ideas. “I knew she had
come to see you—J knew there was
going to be a scene. When I got to
ingsothstlcotndecatcelyturnthe
handle: that. as the door opened, I
could have cried out with relief. Eve
was there as well i"
”Eve!”
“Yes. I don't think I was ever so
glad to see her in my life." He
laughed alums: hymerloally. “I was
quite civil to her, and she was—quite
meet to me—-" Again he laughed.
Loder’s lips tightened.
"You see. it saved the situation.
Even if Lillian wanted to be nasty.
she couldn't, while Eve was there.
We talked for about ten minutes.
We were quite an amiable trio. Thea
wllu told me why she’d called. She
wanted me to make a fourth in a
Mm party ut the 'Arcadlan’ tv
nlghhendl—stssopleesedsnd
so relieved that I said yesl'
3““ end laughed agdn unstead-
y.
In his tense anxluyfihoder
his. heel into the floor.
said, fiercely. “Go on!"
“Don't!" Ohllcote exclaimed. “I‘m
ground
“Go onl" he
talked for ten minutes or so. and
then Lillian left. I went with her to
too—so I was still safe. She laughed
and chatted and seemed in high spar-i
ttssswecnosaedthehalLandehe
wasetmmnfllngushowavodtome
from her motor. But then, Leder—
themasletoodlnthehall,ltall
came to me suddenly. I remembered
that Lillian must have been alone in
the morning-room before Eve found
her! I remembered the telegram! I.
he had shown her into the‘
“The morningwoom?" Loder and.
going tan—I'm going on.” He passed.
his handkerchief across his lips. “We.
but he was worse than Blessingmnl,
“But the telegram?" Loder began.“
I
l
l .
l
the morning- room my hand was shak- .
1
Be.
g .
i
l
O
the hall door. but Orapham was the-rel
l
l
i!
Laden as I stood and looked lnte‘m back to the room. meaning to1
the room, that the impossibility of it
all came to Ibo—that I knew I
couldn't stand lt—couldn’t so ea. "
Loder swallowed his whitey now-
ly. His sense of overpowering curl-
oslty held him very still; but
made no effort to prompt his com-
sald, disjointedly.
thsnand there. naming-worsen
the bureau—the pens and ink and
tel h toms. They tweed me."
lode-hiddownhisglasssudden‘v
ly. Anesdsmatlonresetehlsllps.
buthecheckedlt.
Atthesllgbtsoundofthetlmfler
touching the table Ohllcotetarned:
but there wasno was
etbet'sfacetesm'lghthtm.
1155111
1%
.1;
1111;;
35
g.
111i
'1‘.
ageltgt
i
had beat alone. but me had left the
room. I ran to the bureau—but the
telegram wasn‘t there!”
“Yea, gone. That's why he come
be straight here."
3
later the opening and matting
doors,thehastypull1ngeutofdraw~
mmdmwmgofbmgcamenwm
them
Meets. linen and nervous;
moodfm-sminutewberehisoem-
psalenbsdlsfthhntatueglmpeued
by.e1u-loslty.hetoo crossed the nar-
nowpesmgeandenteredtheaeeond
3?;
i
l.
1
l
question he as to how long Lillian!
l
bum sold me. tour story came clat~ ‘1
terlng through my mind. I know 141- 1
llan bad come to see you—I know:
u.
r j) i.
1w.-
Norwalk Chronicler