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THE
.is wtiin.in of fashion . Corset winch is all that its
asqueraaei
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By KATHERINE CECIL THURSTON,
Author of The Circle," Etc.
"
Copyright, 1005. 1004, by Harper fy Ilrothers
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Tlu message wns Interesting na well
ns Imperative, iinil lie made mi Instant
response. The thought of Lakeley's
keen eyes and shrewd enthusiasms al
ways possessed strong attraetlons for
his own slower temperament, but even
had this impetus been larking, the
knowledge that at the St. (ioorge's of
fices, If anywhere, the true feelings of
tlie party were invariably voiced would
have drawn lilin without hesitation.
It was scarcely 1'J o'clock when he
turned the corner of the tall building,
but already the keen spirit that l.akeley
everywhere diffused was making Itself
felt. Loder smiled to himself as his
eyes fell on the day's placards with
their uncompromising headings and
passed onward from the string of gny-
ly painted carts drawn up to receive
their first consignment of the paper to
the troop of eager newsboys passing In
and out of the big swing doors with
their piled up bundles of the early edi
tion, and with a renewed thrill of
anticipation and energy he passed
through the doorway and ran upstairs.
Passing unchallenged through the long
oorridor that led to Lakeley's ofllco, ho
caught a fresh Impression of action
and vitality from the click of the tape
machines in the subeditor's olhce, and
a glimpse through the open door of the
subeditors themselves, eacii occupied
with his particular task; then without
time for further observation lie found
himself at Lakeley's door. Without
waiting to knock, as ho had felt com
pelled to do on the one or two previous
occasions tlint business had brought
him there, ho immediately turned the
handle and entered the room.
Editors' olllcers differ but little In
general effect. Lakeley's surroundings
were rather more elaborate than Is
usual, ns became the dignity of the
oldest Tory evening paper, but the at
mosphere was unmistakable. As Loder
entered he glanced up from the desk
at which he was sitting, but Instantly
returned to his task of looking through
and making a pile of early evening edi
tions Unit were spread around him.
Ills coat was off and hung on the chair
behind him. and he pulled vigorously
on a long cigar.
"Ilollo! That's right," he said lacon
ically. "Make yourself comfortable
half a second, while 1 skim the St.
Stephen's."
Ills salutation pleased Loder. With
a nod of acquiescence he crossed the
ofilce to the brisk fire tlint burned In
the grate.
For a minute or two Lakeley worked
steadlly.oceasionally breaking the quiet
by an unintelligible remark or a vigor
ous stroke of his pencil. At last ho
dropped the paper with a gesture of
satisfaction and leaned back In his
chair.
"Well." ho said, "what d'you think
of this? How's this for a complica
tion?" Loder turned round. "I think," he
said quietly, "that wo can't overesti
mate It."
Lakeley laughed and took a long pull
jit his cigar. "And we mustn't be
afraid to lot the Sefborough crow1
know It, eh?" He waved his hand to
the poster of the first edition that hung
lioforo his desk.
Loder. following his glance, smiled.
i'Aseloy laughed ngnln. "They might
have known It all along If they'd cared
to deduce," he said. "Did they really
believe that Russia was going to alt
calmly looking across the Ilorl-Rud
while the shah playc'd at mobilizing?
Hut what became of you last night?
We had a regular prophesying of the
-whole business at Hranifell's; the great
Fraide looked hi for live minutes). I
went on with him to the club after
ward and was there when the news
came in. 'Twas a great night!"
Loder's face lighted up. "I can Imag
ine it," he said, with an unusual touch
of warmth.
Lakeley watched him Intently for u
moment. Then with a quick action
ho leaned forward ami rested his el
bows on the desk.
, "It's going to be something more
than Imagination for you, Chllcote," he
said impressively. "It's going to be
solid earnest!" He spoke rapidly and
with rather more than his usual
shrewd decisiveness; then he paused to
hoe the effect of ills announcement.
Loder was still studying the flaring
poster. At the other's words he turn
ed sharply. Something in Lukeley's
voice, something hi his manner, arrest
ed him. A tinge of color crossed his
face.
"Reality?" ho said. "What do you
mean?"
For n further space his companion
watched him, .then with n rapid move
ment he tilted back his, chair.
"Yes," life said. , "Yes; old Fralde's
Instincts nro nover far out. He's quite
rifiht. You'ro the maul"
Still quietly, Inil Willi a strange tin
dergiow of excitement, Loder left the
lire and, coming forward, took a chair
at Lakeley's desk. ,
"Ho you mind telling me what you're
driving at?" he asked in his old, la
conic voice.
Lakeley still scrutinized him with an
air of brisk satisfaction; then with a
gesture of linallty lie tossed his cigar
away.
"My dear chap," lie said, "there's go
ing to be a breach somewhere- and
Fraide says you're the man to step In
and 1111 it! You see, live years ago,
when things looked lively on the gulf
and the IJundar Abims business came
to light, you did some promising work,
and a reputation like that sthks to a
man even when he turns slacker! I
won't deny that you've slacked abomi
nably," lie added as Loder made an un
easy movement, "but slacking lias dif
ferent effects. Some men run to seed,
others mature. 1 had almost put you
down on the black list, but I've altered
my mind in the last two mouths."
Again Loder stirred in his seat. A
host of emotions were stirring in ills j
mind. Every word wrung from Lakeley
was another stimulus to pride, another
subtle tribute to the curious force of
personality.
"Well?" he said. "Well?"
Lakeley smiled. "We all know thut
Sel'borough's ministry Is well, top
heavy," he said. "Sefborough is build
ing his card house Just a story too high.
It's a toss up what'U upset the balance.
It might be the army, of course, or It
might be education, but It might quite
ns well be a matter of foreign policy!"
They looked at each other In compre
hensive silence.
"You know as well as I that It's not
the question of whether Russia conies
into Persia, but the question of wheth
er Russia goes out of Persia when these
Haznras are subdued! I'll lay you what
you like, Chilcote, that within one week
we hear that the risings are suppress
ed, but that Russia, Instead of retiring,
has advanced those tempting twenty
miles and comfortably ensconced her
self at Meshed as she ensconced her
self on the Island of Ashurada." Luke
ley's nervous, energetic llgure was brac
ed, his light blue eyes brightened by
the intensity of his interest.
"If this news comes before the Eas
ter recess," he went on, "the first nail
can be hammered In on the motion for
adjournment. And if the right man
does It in the right way I'll lay my life
'twill be a nail in Sefborough's cotlin."
Loder sat very still. Overwhelming
possibilities had suddenly opened be
fore him. In a moment thu unreality
of the past mouths had become real; n
tangible Justification or himself and
his Imposture was suddenly made pos
sible. In the stress of understanding
lie, too, leaned forward, and. resting
his elbows on the desk, tool; Ills face
between his bauds.
For a space Lakeley made no remark.
To him man and man's moods came
second in Interest to his paper and his
party politics. That Chllcote should be
conscious of the glories lie had opened
up seemed only natural; that ho should
show that consciousness lu a becoming
gravity seemed only right. For some
seconds he made no attempt to disturb
him, but at last his own Irrepressible
activity made silence unendurable. lie
caught up his pencil and tapped Im
patiently on the desk.
"Chllcote," lie said quickly and with
a gleam of sudden anxiety, "you're not
by any chance doubtful of yourself?"
At sound of his voice Loder lifted his
face. It was quite pale again, but the
energy and resolution that had come
into It when Lakeley first spoke were
still to bo seen.
"No, Lakeley," ho said very slowly,
"It's not the sort of moment In which
a man doubts himself."
CHAPTER XIX.
when Lakeley had expounded tho politi
cal programme in the ollices of tho St.
Ooorgtt's Gazette, to the afternoon of
April 1 lie found himself a central fig
ure in Hits whirlpool of activity that
formed itself in Conservative circles.
With the acumen for which he was
noted, Lakeley laid touched the keystone
of the situation on that morning, and
rucccedlng events, each fraught with
on that memorable 1st of April. I
was obvious In the crowded benches
on both sides of the house, lu the one
ness of purpose that insensibly made
Itself felt through tho ranks of the op
position and found definite expression
in Fralde's stiff figure and tightly' shut
lips, In the unmistakable uneasiness
that lay upon tho ministerial benches.
rTjN'D so it came to pass that Loder
I A I wns frppl from ono rcsI,0llsl
I r blllty to undertake another.
' I From tho morning of March 117,
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I. NEWHOUSE,
1
Rut notwithstanding these Indica
tions of battle the early portion of the
proceedings was unmarked by excite
cnent, being tinged with the purposeless
lack of vitality that had of late marked
ill affairs of the Sefborough ministry,
ind It was not until the adjournment
)f tho house for the Master recess had
it last been moved that the spirit of
activity hovering in the air descended
uid galvanized the assembly Into life.
It was then, amid a stir of Interest,
Hint Loder slowly rose.
Many curious Incidents have marked
the speechniaklng annals of the house
nf commons, but It Is doubtful whether
It has ever been the lot of a member
to hear his own voice raised for the
first time on a subject of-Mtal interest
to ids .party, having been denied all
Initial "assistance of minor questions
osked or unimportant amendments
made. Of all those gathered together;
In the great building tin that day, only
sue man appreciated the dlllleulty of
Loder's position, and that man was
Loder himself,
He rose slowly and stood silent for
a couple of seconds, his body braced,
his lingers touching the sheaf of notes
that lay In front of him. To tho wait
ing house tiie silence was effective. It
might mean overassurance or It might
mean a failure of nerve at 11 critical
moment. Either possibility had 11 tinge
of phpuincy. Moved by tho same Im
pulse, fifty pairs of eyes turned upon
him with new Interest, but up In the
ladies' gallery live clasped her hands
In sudden apprehension, and Fraide,
sitting stiilly in his seat, turned and
bhot one swift glance- at the man on
whom, against prudence and precedent,
lie laid pinned ills faith. Tho glance
was swift, but very searching, and with
a characteristic movement of ids wiry
shoulders he resumed his position and
his usual grave, attentive attitude. At
the same moment Loder lifted Ills bend
nnd began to speak.
Hero at the outset his Inexperience
met him. His voice, pitched too low,
only reached thoso directly near him.
It was a moment of great strain. Eve,
listening Intently, drew a long breath
of suspense and lot her fingers drop
apart. The skeptical, wutchful eyes
that faced him, Hue upon line, seemed
to (lash and brighten with critical in
terest. Only Fraide mado 110 change of
expression, no sat placid, serious, at
tentive, with tho shudow of a suulo be
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Summer Netting, with hose supporters, at 50c
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Batiste shott front Corset, at 50c
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Batiste Corset, exiei ded hip, double hose supports. .$1.00
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hind his eyes.
Again Loder paused, but this time the
pause was shorter. The ordeal lie had
dreaded and waited for was passed,
and he saw his way clearly. With tho
old movement of the shoulders he
straightened himself and once more be
gan to speak. This time bis voice rang
tpiletly true and commanding across
the lloor of the house.
Xo lirst step can be really great. It
must tif necessity possess more of
prophecy than of achievement. Xever
theless It Is by the first step that a man
marks the value not only of his cause,
but of himself. Following broadly on
the Hues that tradition lias laid down
for the Conservative orator, Loder dis
guised rather than displayed the vein
of strong, persuasive eloquence that
was his natural gift. The occasion that
might possibly Justify such a display
or Individuality might He with the fu
ture, but it had no application to the
present. For this moment his duty
was to voice his party sentiments with
as 'much lucidity, as much logic and as
much calm conviction as lay within
his capacity.
Standing quietly In Chllcote's place,
ho was conscious with a deep sense of
i I I wskjsa.
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P.lnnri Mr
UJLUUU) llUWlt 1
J
gravity of the peculiarity of his posl
' tiou, anil perhaps it was this uncon
scious ami unstudied seriousness that
lent hlin the tone of weight and Judg
ment so essential to the cause he had
lu hand. It has always been dllllcult
to arouse the Interest of the house on
matters of lliitlsh policy lu Persia.
Once aroused It may, It Is true, reach
fever heat with remarkable rapidity,
1 but the Introductory stages offer that
' worst danger to the earnest speaker
,11)0 dread of an apathetic audience.
1 Rut from this consideration Loder, by
his sharp consciousness of personal
difficulties, was given Immunity.
j Pitching his voice In that quietly
masterful tone that beyond all others
compels attention, he took up his sub
ject and dealt with It with dlspasslon
nle force. With great skill lit) tnuei!
I its own iniportanco hid established tho
precision of his forecast.
Minutely watchful of Russia's atti
tude, Fraide quietly organized his
forces and strengthened his position
with a statesmanlike grasp of opportu
nity, and to Loder the attributes dis
played by his leader during those try
ing days formed tin endless and ab
sorbing study. Setting tho thought of
Chllcote aside, Ignoring his own posi
tion ami the risks he daily ran, he had
I fully yielded to the glamour of the mo
ment and in the lirst freedom of a
j loose rein he had given unreservedly
' all that he possessed of activity, capac
' Ity and determination to the cause thot
had claimed him.
Singularly privileged In a constant
! personal contact with Fraide, he learn
ed many valuable lessons of tact and
organization In thoso flvo vital days
during which tho tactics of a whole
party hung upon 0110 Item of nows from
a country thousands of miles away.
For should Russia subdue the hisur
' gent Hazaras and, laden with tho hon
I ors of the peacemaker, rotlro across
I the frontier, then the political arena
would remain undisturbed; but shouldr
tho all Important movement predicted
by Lakeley become nn accept etl fact be
fore parliament rose for tho Easter ro
cess, then the first blow In the fight
thi't would rago during tho succeeding
session must Inevitably bo struck. In
the meantime it was Fralde's dllllcult
(Continued on Pa Six.)
' '
Get one of those clocks wo are giv
ing away.
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