OCR Text |
Show j F I 11 Ik T 1 iiiiiiiiiiiiilMiiiiniiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiii I I Lav I A - -J .M By Katherine Cecil Thurston hp VI 7 CXWPKTK uPr c""h' "- Br must both h getting under way. Good nlffht! .Shall we shake handato prove that we are genuinely material V Chllcote had been standing unusually unusual-ly still, following the stranger's wordi cuuxht by his self reliance and Impressed Im-pressed by his ternonality. Now, as he ceaar-d to sfiesk, he moved quickly forward. for-ward. Impend by a nervous curiosity. "Why should we Just hall each other and pass Ilk the proverbial shlpsT" he said. Impulsively. "If Nature was careless enough to let th reproduction meet th original, she must abide th consequences" Th other laughed, but his laugh was short. Oh. I don't know. Our roads 11 differently. Tou would get nothing out of me. and J " He atoppod and again laughed shortly. "No," h said, "I'd be content to pass. If I were you. The unsuccessful man Is seldom a profitable study. Shall w nay good night r 11 took Chilcote's hand for an In stant; then, crossing th footpath he paused Into th roadway toward th Strand. It was don In a mommt; but with his going a sens of loss fell upon t'hllcota. H stood for a spac, newly conscious of unfamiliar faces and unfamiliar un-familiar voices in the stream of pas-eersby; pas-eersby; then, suddenly me at red by an Impulse, he wheeled rapidly and darted after the tall, lean figure so ridiculously ridiculous-ly like his own.. Halfway across Trafalgar square he overtook the stranger. H hsd pauaed on one of the small stone Islands that break th current of traffic, and waa waiting for an opportunity to cross th strt. In th glare of tight from th (Continued from yesterday.) "I ? lie tried to echo the laugh, hut ths attempt fell flat. "Oh. I merely speak from from l Qulnooy. tfut I believe this fog In shifting I rettlly Relieve It is shifting- Can you oblige in with a light? 1 had almost forgotten that a man may still smok though h has brn deprived of sight." He spoke fast and disJolntdly. He waa overwhelmed by the idea that h had let himself go. and possessed by the wish to obliterate the consequences. As he talked he fumbled for his Cigar-et Cigar-et case. His head was bent as he searched for It nervously. Without Inking up, he was conscious that th cloud of fog that held him prisoner waa lifting, rulling away, closing back again, preparatory pre-paratory to final disappearance. Having Hav-ing found the case, he put a ctgart between be-tween his lips and raised his hand at th moment that tha stranger draw a match across his box. Kor a second each stared blankly at th other's far, suddenly mad visible by th lifting of th fng. Th match in the stranger's hand burned down till it scorched his ftng'Ts. and. feeling the pain, he laughed and let It drop. i "Of all odd ttnngsl" he said. Then I h broke off. Ths circumstance was I too novi-I fur ordinary remark. I Ky on of those rare occurrence,' thos chances that seem too wild fori real life and yet belong to no other sphere, the two faces so strangely hid-1 den and strangely revealed wer Iden- tlcal, feature for feature. It seemed to ach man that he looked not at the face I of another, hut at his own face reflected reflect-ed in a flawtesg looking-glass. Of ths two, the stranger was the first to regain selfpossesxion. HeeJng 1 1 quietly pulled back the curtains and i j half drew th blind- "Better night, ir. I hope?" he ven-i ven-i tu red. softly. , ehilcotc had drawn th bed clothes j over his fac to screen himself from : the daylight, murky though It was. ; "Yes." he responded. "Thos beastly! nightmares didn't trouble me, for one." He shivered a lltti as at some I recollection. "But don't talk don't I remind me of them. 1 hat a man who j has no originality." He spoke sharply. 'At times he showed an almost childish irritation over trivial thlnas. 1 Allsopp took tha remark In silence. Crossing th wid room, h began to lay out hla master's clothes. Th ac-j ac-j lion affected Lhllcot to fresh annoyance. annoy-ance. "Confound it!" he said. "I'm sick of thut routine! I can se you laying out my winding sheet th day of my burial. Leave thos things. Com back In half an hour. AUsopp allowed Iwmself on glance at his master's flgur huddled In th great bed; then, laying aside th coat he was holding.. h moved to th door. With his fingers on the handle he paused. "Will you breakfast In your own room, sir or downstairs?" Chllcote drew the clothes mor tightly tight-ly round his shoulders. "Oh. anywhere nowhere!" he said- "I don't car. AUsopp aoftly withdrew. Left to himself, Chilcot sat up In bed and lifted the salver to his knees. Th sudden movement Jarred him Phyically; he drew a handkerchief from under th pillow and wiped hi forehead; then h held his hand to th light and studied It. Th hand looked sallow and unsteady, with a nervous gesture he thrust the salver back upon tha table and slid out of bed. Continued tomorrow.) lamp above his head, Chllcote saw for the first time that, under a remark abl j neatness of appearance, his clothes j were well worn almost shabby. The I discovery struck him with something (stronger than surprise. Th Idea or Kverty seemed incongruous In connection connec-tion with th reliance, the reserve, the personality of the man. With a certain embarrassed haste h stepped forward and touched his arm. "1,00k here." he said, as th other turned quietly. T have followed you to exchange card. It can't injur either eith-er of us.and I 1 hav a wish to know my other self." He laughed nervous-t nervous-t ly ss he drew out his card case. The sfmncer watched him lp silence. ' There wn tha same faint contempt, i but also there was a reluctant in-j in-j terest in his glance, as It passed from '(he fingers fumbling with the case to Hie pale face with the soAiare Jaw. straight mouth, and level eyebrows drawn low over th gray ayes. When at last the card was held out to him h" took It without remark and slipped it into his pocket. Chllcote looked at him eagerly. ,N the exchange?" he said. For a second th stranger did r. real Hind. Then, almost unexpected! he smiled. "After all. if It amuses you " he said; snd, searching In his waistcoat i pocket, he drew out th required card. -It will leave you quite unenlightened." unenlight-ened." h added. Th nam of a failure never plls anything." With another smile, partly amused, partly Ironical, he stepped from the little Island and disappeared Into th throng of traffic. Chilcot stood for an Instant casing at the point where h had vanished; then, turning to the lamp, he lifted the card and read the name it bore: "Mr-John "Mr-John Laoder, IS Clifford's Inn." II. On the morning following the night of fog Chllcote wok at . He woke at th moment that hla man AUsopp tiptoed across th room and laid the salver with hi early cup of tea on the tabl beside th bed. For several second h lay with his eyes shut; th effort of opening them' on a fresh day th Intitnat certainty of what h would see on opening them 1 seemed to weight hi lids. The heavy, half closed curtains; th blinds severely se-verely drawn; the great room with Its splendid furniture. Its sober coloring. Its scent pf damp iJondon winter; above all. AUsopp, silent, respectful, and respect re-spect a hie wer things to dread. A full minute p?d while he still feigned Jep. He heard AUsopp stir discreetly, then the inevitable Information Infor-mation brok th sllenc: "N'ln o'clock, air!" He opened his eyes, murmured ome-thinc. ome-thinc. and closed them aain. .Th nil moved to th window. Chlicote'a bewilderment, he cam to hla rescue with brusque tact fulness. "The position Is decidedly old." he said. "But, after alt, why should w be so surprised? Nature can't be eternally eter-nally original; she must dry up sometimes, some-times, and when she gets a good model why shouldn't she use It twice?" Ha drew back, surveying Chilcot whimsically. whim-sically. "Hut. pardon me, you ar stlU waiting for that lifrht!" Chilcot still held th clgaret between be-tween his Hps. The paper had become dry. and he moistened It as he leaned towards his companion. ' "Ikm't mind me," h snid. "I'm rather-- rat her unftrin; t-mitrht, snd this thins; gave me u J(.r. To b candid, can-did, my imagination took head In the fog, and 1 got to fancy I was talking to myself " "And pulled up to find th fsncy In some way real?" "Yes. Something Ilk that. Both were silent for a moment. Chllcote Chll-cote pulled hard at his cigaret, then, remembering his obligations he turned quickly to th other. "Won't you smitk? h asked. The stranger accepted a cigar ft from the rase held out to him; and aa he did so the extraordinary likeness to him-seif him-seif struck Chllcote with added force, involuntarily he put nut his hand and touched th other's arm. "It's my nerves, he said In explanation. explana-tion. "They make me want to fe thst you ar substantial. Nerves play such beastly tricks!" He laughed awkwardly, awk-wardly, j Th other glanced up. Ills expression expres-sion on the moment was slightly surprised, sur-prised, slightly contemptuous, but he changed It Instantly to conventions! In-j terest. "I'm afraid I am not an authority author-ity on nerves," he aaid. But Chilcot was preoccupied. His thoughts had turned Into another channel. chan-nel. "How old ar you?" he as wed, suddenly. sud-denly. The other did not answer Immediately. Immediate-ly. "My age?" be said at last, slowly. slow-ly. th. I beher I shall be thirty-six tomorrow to be quite accurate. Chilcot lifted hi head quickly. "Why do yon use that toner h asked. "I am six month older than you. and I only wish It was six year 8.x year narr oblivion Again a slight Incredulous contempt crossed the other's eye. "Oblivion r h said. "Where ar your ambitions?", They don't exist." I Don't exist? Yet you vole your country? 1 concluded that much In th fog." Chilcot laughed sarcastically. "W hen one has voiced one' country for six years one gets hoarse It's a .natural consequence.' I Th other smiled. -Ah. discontent!" n said. "Th modern canker. But w |