die abe eighth figh tills W chance C h a n c e B ROBERT W CHAMBERS copyright b the curtis publishing CM ami loi 1105 cop right ISM 1000 1 y R eiert va chambee iob PIN ih said iid anything tor for awhile Pres presently cutly sni ard s restless laud no ving lu in search eareld of something ell ci counte icil it pencil 11 ains III on the table betide him mil ind lie ed it up tip anil and be di alving lii JUJI lIik ds ind crolls carolls oa 01 the cargill of i newin pei and ami ill the scrolls filmed im ill ills al nil the initials nicie the IM tn twining filing ind and twisting into endless of tile lie letters b S L acs 1 ca 1 I must go to the office tomor low 1011 in 10 I 1 I 1 1111 bertei in bi fut I 1 am quite julio well except to foi this sill pi ili il 11 i 1 lie ile loo looch ed down dovin at his foot ilion hit his pencil mud mol moi CLI cd again coutin um the ena less i partitions arl irions on oil the two tano liters letters it raj plinn thi 11 it lip bo was bcd filed I 1 lc leemond etwood rose and made ills his idiens S klinot plank fury ird au ou tiptoe bulky and noiseless and lidd held out his hall lund saino something amiably aiu laly formal iou 1 ou like to hive have me come ain again asked plink red with chabar ras so that nt at elwald found no nords to answer hill then would you cale caie to come mr plank e lol od nt at him curiously nl III most cautiously ills first impressions of r the man ind had been summed up in clug one contemptuous nord besides bar ring that alt nas as there in common between him self elf and such a type as plank ile he lind not een troubled himself to an mold old aim t in nt at photon Suot or ile he hall had mercle been rainard an are of him when plank spoke to him plank had changed perhaps aln ard had for lie he found nothing offensive 1 in tile the bully bulky young man now nothing particularly attractive attract lie either except for a certain simplicity a train tain direct candor in the heavy blue ees ebes which met his squarely come in for a cigar when you have a fen bev moments idle said alward slowly it will give me great pleasure said eald plank boiling and that was all he followed fleetwood woo d down the stairs wands held their coats and bowed them out into the falling failing shadows sh adois of the winter twi light Sl elward ivard sitting beside his window vatcher vat chod them enter their hansom and drle away up the aenus A dull flush had settled his cli cheeks ceLs the aroma of spirits hung in the air and he looked across the room at the de canter presently he drink some of his tea tc but it was ns lukewarm and he pushed the cup from him gumble gullible are you there I 1 be aked aed a ked carelessly the bull butler entered from the hall NN wu IN 1 LS sli SI I 1 lou IOU maj lea leave ve that decanter nut but tile the old benant senant sen ant may haie haic mi understood tood for foi he be wiled boned ind ambled off downstairs with the de canter either cither heedless or deaf to his big master 9 sharp order to return lamplight brought blought out sharply the I 1 liv ical change in chiard ird the ang ta jar flat under the ho cheel cheek bones the hard slightly swollen flesh in the bluish shadows around the eyes eves the mirk mark of the waster master ilee was there its stamp st imp in the swollen vorn out liol hol lows loiis its imprint in the flue fine lines at the colliers of his mouth its sign manual in the faintest relaxation of the under lip which had not yet be come a looseness for the last of the alwarda bad at list stopped stepped into the hig highway halli which his hh doomed bloomed forebears had traveled be fote him gumble ho he called y A quavering voice an unsteady step and the old man entered again mr stephen art bring that decanter back you T ou hear bear me tell aou ou just now sir dian didn t you hear me le ie mr stephen sir there was a silence gumble curable sir are sou going to bring that decanter ifie old butler bowed and ambled from the room and for a long while sat bullene Bulle nl listening ing the edges of file iby paper with his trembling pencil then the lead broke shot sho t and he flung it fro i him and pulled the bell wands dime came this hla time a lank sandy eilent bulent man grown gray gny as i 1 rat in the service of the siv ards ile ho belld lel ld his 11 ste s g orders i and v harer and ngin ng in elward gilted lilting biting his III ci if ali and tear teak in ing bit bits front from the edges of the newspaper p with mith lingers never still but no boly came with the decanter and after abille his tense muscles relaxed related something la in his very varr soul seemed to snap amp and he sink back in ills hla chair the hot tears team blinding him ile iio had pot got as far is as that lie io ments mants of self pity were ivere becoming almost as frequent as scorching inter vats vals of self contempt so they all knew T v hat was the mit mat ter with him they all kneve knet tle do or 01 the ants ills his friends had ho he not surprised the quick suspicion lu III ric etwood s glince glance when ile he told him ill lie had slipped and ills hia inkle hat it if lie he had been drunk douall when ile he f tell ell fell on his bis own doorsteps carried into the old alward house by old sl ward mard ben beri ants drunk as his mers it was none of I 1 s business it w was as none of the rory ants business it nas as nobody 4 bust na except lila own the dried in ill hla hot eves lie ile boiled tile tho old bet fjell i Ena goly na sul I 1 after a I 1 ling ang wh it to lo he be aicard ants ant whispering abi together in the pas s outside ills doo di gi lebn ell cam laj ljj into the roarn roam fro to al a the out outer r shadows bad of the hall ile he was ion i en sinal 1 very met inea ger I 1 bild bali bal I and chall bai t n en ell a lilt i fare face like ille I 1 nut cr ca ck er a and u d t the 11 e bi blown ON u wl h be via v us itro clou cious ind cull cuil oil eil 1 imi I or dr grist grasl y cama li it I 1 Is s color iss the he room alf L I 1 t II 11 V 0 C tali ila ninta a ni ill fl 1 I iss abodd into two tile lenses ind id lie he stood food on oil tiptoe to look 1001 out through tile lensch ou on the world laid and allis I 1 lent cut alost double tu to use ill he lowi r or re acl ill ing crises 1 ants lilt S ill this ticket said alil the lit ht til tic old doctor harsh 13 jot get colic got tile the 1 I in 11 shUI lOd of ion 1011 Stop beral look up tip tok itt it mo MOP out nit our nour tongue IN LII ell now T lilt bit the dc 10 11 b i the trouble I 1 ou know iJ sywai 1 iban ills his wilst to the little mail imn who himself beside him dr gehb alel noted the lie pune the delle delicate ate sule had become a strong caress know knola NN hat lie he gr grunted I 1 IT now ow do I 1 know what 3 tile the matter with ou now no now dout don t aly to explain sten e don t fly off the hall ban die ale all light grant that I 1 do know bot bothering heiing you I 1 lilt to see sec that bialle first here somebody light that gas why the mischief dout don t you hae bane the house wired aired for stephen its iti wholesome Gs gas isn L lamps irp arp worse morse sir do as 1 I tell you vil lud tie went on aloqua clouspy clou sly grumbling and muttering and ficici his talk while SIN blaird Piara wincing as the dressing was removed lay back and closed his eyes half an all houi bom liter later gumble gamble appear ed ea to announce dinner I 1 I 1 dont want any said alward eat said dr grisby harshly 1 I dont care to eat I 1 tell you youl do you think I 1 don t mean what I 1 eai so he ate ills his broth and toast the doctor curtly declining to join him he ate hurriedly closing big eyes la in aversion even the iced tea was flat and distasteful to him and at last he lay back white and unstrung the momentarily deadened desperation glimmering under his half closed eyes and for a long while dr grisby sat doubled almost in two cuddling his bony little knees and studying the patterns in the faded carpet I 1 I 1 guess i oud better go stephen he slid at length I 1 lp the to yes I 1 pat et a try it steve be on your feet in III two weeks then I 1 J 1 I dr ornsby better go up the rarer to nut mill queens 1 I ill go if you ou say so BO but I 1 cant go now 11 I 1 say sav go now I 1 said in taw weeks perhaps will ill you give mo me your word demanded the doctor sharply no doctor I 1 ali not I 1 because I 1 may have to be here on business there seems to bo be some sort of crisis coming which I 1 dout dont under stand It cheres aeres a crisli crisis rl right bt here ste stove e which I 1 understand snapped ur dr grisby race it like a maul face it ble a man youre sick stcl to lour bones wa bo alck sick right the light el I 1 ight angood n good fight there s a fighting chancel chance on my soul of honor there is a fighting chance for I 1 ou ell novi noa now boy bov buckle up tight tuck up our bord at peru cm oil oh my LO boa ni boy bor I 1 know I 1 the little mani olce glee broke but lie he steadied it instant in tant 17 ij a snap of ilk li nutcracker jas jaas on aej Ecola scowled led on his patient ind and shook ills his little withered flat at him ills patient I 1 13 acry still in the shadow 1 I want irant you to go said the doctor archly larsh ly bercic 1 self control goes do ion ou I 1 want you to go cotoio sour dec dealmo lioi i Is undermined before you begin ti ta do allons de IL long lons things my thing cheatie thin thans a anything aa ajl I 1 over thing to sl gat at t tile tiri t fhlug rag 3 ou oil era cral c ve pic given aou something to ight fi dijt with and iou ou woi I 1 talie take it faithfully ie ginell flee fice join in tobacco anil and tea all and coffee ive ve helped you as much a as s I 1 dare dar 1 I ti neither the nights now you toll help me do you von hear bear 1 acs e I 1 NI will I 1 I 1 I 1 you yon fly av so nov noll do it do some thin for iou yourself relf do anything if aou ouie to lck id of md ind 1 I doi 10 1 t liln lil arric niL tor not einsIder biz tile lie tuff TOU toll read sot I 1 ople doi doimi it ilea bicic c to see sec 1011 lt it or people telephone pena ani I 1 ion oil ve re a tel telephone ephom hat ell t I 1 loa oil 9 there it h by your elbow use alsa it call up people tall all the time lime rs 1 I mil good NOW iov we luo the hie physically doii doia t vc ile of 01 robie oil le I 1 ve e do now sow the then t the nattei I lIttel Mer mentally itally repeated sinard under tinder ills his no lie ith ill lies ca mentally lv NIP bit s the trouble stocks 1 bohlds Lala love rb rile slightest piuse pause and a I 1 ani loving inq of the gimlet nes lies behind tile the lenses crises loi 1001 ea lie he I 1 harshly NN holcli it it bo they re ill all rood good to let alope business sall sail sinnard dut but be III ins I 1 i emaid lie ho ms obliged to add aaa pal Dusl ness pai kaitly ia itly repeated the doe doc toi lot NN fl lilt hit s the matter with business pal pait ill lt I 1 1 I don lent t inow 1 now there are juniors ton Is poun pounding lIng me ippi rent 13 1 thit arond is acting too ril leres tin in doi liand lie ile beut bent his hold held land fell to plucking it at tue the faded brocade on the iran arm of his chill mut aeling to himself somewhere some lion hon something underhand I 1 dont know nhat blat I 1 reilly really don t VH light all light the doctor I 1 let et it so go at that business symptoms admitted what about the 3 1 stephen Stophen 9 what about it ell eh IN hat about it ft I 1 but alard fell silent again eli eh dill did you siy say something noa oh i ery atell N ell i el y well sir girl per pel feet ly correct stephen you hae bae not arnea the right to admit further symptoms no sir you hae bane not earned the right to admit them to anybody not even to yourself nor to her she has refused me elward said simply the little doctor after an incredulous stare began chattering with biath refused you rah pah pooh nothing that signI signifies fles absolutely gothing its meaningless its a detail you get well do you bear you go and get well then try it again then see and it if she Is an idiot in the event of her irrational persistence in an incredible and utter ly IY indefensible attitude tude he choked up then fairly balled at alward tale take her anyway sir run off with her dominate circumstances sir tale take charge of events but you cant do it till youve clapped yourself into prison for life and god help you if you let your yourself elf escape belward smiled again a worn pallid smile emile I 1 I can stand it while you ell are here doctor but when im alone its hard haid one of those thoe tho e crises Is s close non no ive a bad night ahead a bad outlook you W nio I 1 1 just enough to 0 no o stephen enough to lull dull it jut a little I 1 dou don t ask for enough to male me sleep riot not cical to make me 1071 lou oil have your needle you doctor I 1 dare not help you any more that WIT way ot this once not this once there was las a lead dead silence broken at last by bv the doctor with a ture tum toward the telephone talk to the girl A febi dont you tall talk to the girl it if ches the a worth a bill 0 beans she bhe 11 help 3 ou to ling hang on what s she tor for if she fim t for such moments tell her you need her voice tell hot hoi you need her faith in you good night SINN ird lay lav still for a long N nalle hile after the doctor bad gone more than an blur lind had pawed before he slowly sat at up and ami g groped aped for the telephone book opened it and searched Beir ched in a blind hesitating v ay iy until lie he found the alumba numbe he wis was loouis for ile he had telephoned to her lie ile had never written her except once in cieply to her letter lu in regard to his mo theil theis death that strange timid formal letter in which grief stunned as lie he was he aw an the ind and had bad ans answered vered it more formally still anc tint that was all that hat hall had come of if the davs and nights by eru eria aca 1 1 l letter and its anmer and lent v aill of these chec than tiling q he be chut the book wearily and lay lav back in the shadia of the faded curtain clos clog ing ng his sunken eyes CHAPTER NINE zal IS olad n 01 id and ills hall had a al I 1 most U ost ceased tu to third think of S sl fai ri j w wild aid but thle the th le ane c two people vilio hid bad nt n it forgotten ui lal Qu quarried arriel 11 d beech link and out one other I 1 third abo bu lot bot forget hldi him if she would ut 1 act t she lad riot not gilld ier eo di uis batel the day d iv that left ex ew lork ork il if it friend mr mill jien I 1 11 I 1 the co antii billel on oil 11 3 for foi the second time 11 I 1 I 1 ill hi life and us as nelv in tile the foitik fco iab rani MINI ig 13 loon locial loo n the library being acin ain 11 n el e 1 to an and ot 0 ter foi ml 11 plank fink SIN id iiii lame ind and eslit ach all tv 0 beav bh nv raela new canil iv ile it tl ti e stairs and stumped into the clug iglus holcli in spite of the i e c c uz ute e ing cal baltala tala wis was w is b loht I 1 IULI bulted li the winter euil acci foj tile ha bailou lu in tle itice lank wis as cucil sucil shocked kea it at the cringe 1 1 c in n him 1 I U at tl the I 1 p ghost best of a I 1 oice glee 1 1 al C V fornal it at tile the thin hind band h ind of ferl ferij feri J startled so tint that he be forgot his phiness ness aul the bony hand tightly lu in ills hs anil and laid ills bis other oilier groit great pay mei it holding it imprisoned livable to speak cloa in III the impulse or of the of the libera lie he himself ard it which aich lie ho bil no tr duilid C ol 01 I 1 ol fit taking with ilith such I 1 nj nun in is si w wi il a the file effect on was compo composite ito ills his tired fired olce ceased surprise all ability V tu tinned tinged with in displeasure succeeded by y humorous and iora cr sor ly it blennie alala to him that tatt this biear voi n imn aled him I 1 li about him felt filon dIr boliard him and was ivas showing it as spout pout its a chil I 1 I 1 thought