tlQMT PAOIt
INDEPCNDf NCK fNTIAPA lf , INPgHNPENCt. OWIGON. MAY M, WO.
PACK THRCC
The Fighting'
Chance
ROBERT W.
CHAMBERS
Copyright, 1 101, by tbs Curtis Publishing Coapaay.
Copyright, lul, y Robert W. Chambers.
(A continued story)
"Go! evening, (Jumble, " eskd Fleet
wood. entering, followed on tlpto by
riauk.
God evening, sir." A (hum and In
the unsteady voles of age: "Mr. Fleet
wood, sir. Mr." A bow aod tha
dim sres peflng up at Plank, who
stood fumbling fur his esrdcsss.
Fleetwood dropped both tarda on tba
salver unsteadily eiteuded. Tb but
Jer ubered them luto a dim room on
the right.
"How la Mr. HlwardT saked Fleet
wood, pausing on tba threshold and
dropping bla voice,
Tba old man hesitated, looking
4on; then atlll looking away from
Fleetwood: "Bravely, air; braTaly, Mr,
Fleetwood."
"Th Flward wore always that,"
aal1 Die young man gently.
"Yes, air. Thank you. Mr. Stephen
Mr. 8iward." be corrected quaintly,
la Indisposed, lr. It waa a a great
shock to ua all, air." II bowed and
turned away, boldlng bla salver atimy,
and tbey beard blm muttering under
bla breatb: "Bravely, air; bravely. A
a great abork. air. Thank you."
The butler returned presently, Bay
ing that Mr. 81 ward waa at home and
would receive theni In the library
above, aa be waa not yet able to paaa
op and down atatra.
81 ward waa aittlng In an armchair
ty tha window, one leg extended, bla
left foot, atirtly caaed In bandages,
resting on a footitool.
"Why, Stephen," exclaimed Fleet
wood, baatenlng forward, "I didn't
kaow you were laid op Ilka thtat"
Blwrd offered, bis band Inquiringly;
then bla eyes turned toward Plank,
wbo stood behind Fleetwood, and,
alowly disengaging hla band from
Fleetwood'a aympathetlo grip, ha of
fered It to Plank.
- "It Ki very kind of you," h said.
"OumbU, Mr. Fleetwood prefers rye
for aome liiscnitsbl reason. Mr.
riankf nta amile waa a question.
"If you don't mind," aald Plank, "I
hoard Ilka to bave aome ten that la,
e' j , . - . .
Tea, Gumhle, for two. We'll tipple
in company, Mr. Plank," he added.
"And theclgara are at your elbow,
Billy," with another aralle at Fleet
wood. "Now," aald the latter after be had
lighted hla cigar, "what la the mat
ter, Stephen?"
Slward glanced at bla atlffly extend
ed foot. "Nothing much." IIo red
dened faintly. "I alipped. Ifa only
a twisted ankle."
For a moment or two the anawer sat
isfied Fleetwood; then a midden, curi
ous flush of suspicion came Into bla
eyes. lie glanced sharply at Slward,
who lowered his eyes, while the red
tint In bis hollow cheeks deepened.
Neither spoke for awhile. Plank sip
ped the tea which Wanda, the second
inan, brought. Slward brooded oyer
bis. cup, head bent Fleetwood made
more noise than necessary with his
Ice.
"Why did you drop the Saddle club,
Stephen?" asked Fleetwood.
"I'm not riding. I bave no use for
it," replied Slward.
"You've cut out the Frosceuluin club,
too, and the Owl's Head and the
Trophy. Ifa a shame, Stephen."
"I'm tired of clubs."
"Don't talk that way."
"Very well. I won't," said Slward,
amlllng. "Tell me what is happening
out there." He made a gesture toward
the window. "All the gossip the news
papers miss. I've tntlcod Dr. Grlsby to
death; I've talked Gumble to death;
I've read myself stupid. What's going
on, Billy?"
So' Fleetwood sketched for him a
gay cartoon of events, caricaturing va
rious episodes In the social kaleido
scope which might interest him. Pol
itics was touched upon, and they
spoke of the possibility of Ferrall go
ing to the assembly, the aport of" boss
baiting
become
having
fashion
ably among ama
teurs and provid
ing a new.amuse
ment for the idle
So
,5
rich,
state
city.
M 1
and neuron
al issues were
run throng
lightly, busocgg
condltlonsVjjtjc.
ed. tiiS. stock
market, speculat-
"Don't do that. MvC.
smiled Slward. Ptly conver
sation died out
with a yawn from Fleetwood as be
looked Into his empty class at the lent :
bit of Ice.
"Don't do that; Billy," smiled Slwar .
"Ton haven't. discoursed, upon art,
ratura and science fat. and you ran
go uutlt you'vs adjusted tb affairs of
tbe nation for the next twenty-rour
hours."
"How soon will you lis out?" Inquir
ed Fleetwood.
"Out? I don't know. I shall try to
drive to tba office tomorrow."
"Why the devil did you reelun from
all your clulis? How can I see you lr
I don't come here?" begun Fleetwood
Impatiently. "I know, of course, that
you're not going anywhere, but a man
alwaya goes to bla club. You don't
look well. Stephen. Tou are too much
alone."
Slward did not answer. Ills face and
body bad certnliily grown thinner
nine Fleetwood bad tnt seen blm.
Plunk, too. bud boon allocked at tbe
rhnngo In hlm-tbe dark, bard lines un
der the eyesj'the pa'lor, tbe curious
Immobility of the man, save for bis
fingers, which wers slwaya restlesa,
now moving In search of aome small
obleet to worry and turn over and
over, now nervously settling Into a
grasp on tbe arm of bla chair.
"How Is Amalgamated Electric?"
asked Fleetwood abruptly.
"I think ifa all right. Want to bny
some?" replied Slward, amlllng.
I'lank stirred In bis chair ponder
ously. "Somebody Is kicking it to
pieces," be said.
"SomelKJdy Is trying to." smiled Sl
ward. "Harrington," nodded Fleetwood. Sl
ward nodded bock. Plank was silent
"Of course." continued Fleetwood
tentatively, "you people need not wor
ry with Howard Quarrter back or
you."
N'olo.1v said anything for awhile.
Presently Slward's restless hands,
moriiir in search of something, en
countered a pencil lying on tbe table
beside him, and he picked it up ana
began drawing initials andjjcrojhj on,
tk maoln 8 tAr rrutr ftnrt all thm
scrolls framed Initials, and all tbe
Initials were the same, twining and
twisting Into endless variations of the
letters 8. L.
"Yes. I must eo to the office tomor
row," he repeated absently. "I am
better in fact. I am auite well except
for this sprain." He looked down at
bis bandaged foot; then his pencil mov
ed listlessly again, contlnning tbe end-
legs variations on the two letters. It
was plain that be was tired.
Fleetwood rose and made bla adleua
almost aftoctlonntelv. Plank moved
forward ou tiptoe, bulky and noiseless,
and Slward held out hla band, saying
something amiably formal.
"Would yon like to have me come
again?" asked Plank, red with embar
rassment Jt so naively that at first
Slward found no words to answer him;
then:
"Would you care to come, Mr.
Plank r
"Yes."
Slward looked at him curiously, al
most cautiously. His first Impressions
of tbe man had been summed up In
one contemptuous word. Besides, bar
ring that what was there In common
between himself and such a type aa
Flauk? He had not even troubled
himself to avoidhim at Shotover. He
had merely been aware of him when
Plank spoke to him.
Perhnps Plank hnd changed, perhaps
Slward had, for -he found nothing of
fensive In the bulky young man now
nothing particularly attractive, either,
except for a certain simplicity, a cer
tain direct candor in the heavy blue
eyes which met his squarely.
"Come in Tor a cigar when you nave
a few moments idle." said Slward
slowly.
"Jt will give me great pleasure,"
said Plank, bowing.
And thnt was all. He followed Fleet
wood down the stairs. Wands held
their coats and bowed them out into
the falling shadows of the winter twl-
iW.
Slward, sitting beside hls lujdw
watched them enter their -',,,.,.. J
drive away up the A iQtf
y$LM ee?XKv his cbs, the
fii'oma o? spldu. uaRg )Mt;e alPf an(1
h!i!3 ross the. rtou) at the de
Ofilte Presently, he drank some of
Mil 'ea, but li;.tras lukewarm, and he
pushed the tup from him.
"Gamble, are you there?" he asked
carelessly.
The butleiy entered from tbe hall
way, ""esj Sir."
"Yoymay K.ave that decanter."
Bp the old servant tuay have mla-un-'
rut he aly bowed and
' tbled oft downstairs with the de-
' ranter, either heedless or aeox , ....
t'. .h.m nnlpr to return.
Lamplight brought out sharply the
physical change In Siwrd-the angu
lar shadows flat "under the cheek bones.
the bard, slightly swollen fleb lu the
bluUb shadows around the eyes. Tbe
mark of tbe maater vk-e was there
in etaup In tbs swollen, worn out hol
lows; Ita Imprint In tbe fiue Urn- at
tbs comers of bis utoutb; Its dtfii
manual In tba falnteat rvlaiatlon of
tbs undr Hp, which bad not yt be
come a loneenaea.
For tbs last of tbs Flwarda bad at
last stepped Into tbe highway s lilrh
bis doomed forelrs had travsled be
fore blm.
"tliimbler bs called Irritably.
A quavering voice, an unsteady atrp.
and tbe old man entered again. "Mr.
Stephen, air?"
-Ilrlng that decanter bark. Didn't
you hear me tell you Juat now?"
Birr
"Didn't you bear me?"
"Yea, Mr. Stephen, air."
There waa a alienee.
"Humble!"
"Blr."
"Are you going to bring that de
canter?" Tbs old butler bowed and ambled
from ths room, snd for a long while
Slward sat aullenly listening and scor
ing the edges of the paiwr with bla
trembling pencil. Then ths lead broke
abort and be flung It from blm and
pulled tbe bell. Wanda cams tbla
time, a lank, sandy, allent man, grown
gray as a rat In ths service of the 61-
warda. He received bis niastor'a or
ders and withdrew, and again Slward
wnitml. bttlnir his under 111) and tear
ing bits from the edges of the hewa-
paier with fingers never still, but no
body came with tbe decanter, and after
while bis tense muscles relaxed.
Kornethlnr In hla very soul seemed to
ansp, snd he sank back In bis chair,
the hot tears blinding blm.
ir had cot ss far aa that Mo
ments of aelf pity were becoming al
most as frequent as scorching inter
vals of self contempt ,
So they sll knew what was the mat
ter with blm. They all knew the doc
tnr h aorvanta. hla friends. Had be
not surprised ths quick suspicion In
Fleetwood's glance when be told blm
be had alipped and sprained hla ankle?
What if he had been drunk when na
fell fell on hla own doorsteps, carried
into the old Slward house by old Sl
ward servants, drunk as bis forefa
thers? It was none of Fleetwood'a
business. It was none of tbs serv
ants' business. It was nobody's busi
ness except bla own. -
f fie fears dried In his hot eves. He
Jerked the old fashioned bell savagely,
and after a Ions while he beard serv
ants whispering together In tha pas-
aageway outside his door
Dr.
came
Dr. Qrisby corns into
tbs room.
Grlsby
into ths
room from tbe
outer shadows of
tbe ball.
He was very
small, very mea
ger, very bald
and clean shav
en, with a face
like a nut crack
er, and tbs
brown wig be
wore was atro
cious and curl
ed forward over
hla colorless
ears. Ha wore
Steel rimmed Spectacle, each (lass
divided Into two lenses and bs stood
on tlptos to look out tbroiisb tbs uper
lenses on tbs world snd slways bent
almost don Me to use ths lower or read
log lenses.
"What's all this racket?" aald the lit
tle old doctor bamhly. "Got colic?
Got tbe toothache? I'm aabamed of
you, Stephen! Look up! , Look at me!
Out with your tongue! Well, now.
what ths devil's the trouhls?"
"You know," muttered Klward, aban
doning trla wrlat to ths little moo.
wbo seated himself betide blm. Dr.
Grtkby scarcely noted tbs pulse. Tbe
dullest preaeur bad becoiu a strung
r arena.
"Know what?" be grunted. "How
do I know what's the matter with
you? Iley? Now, now, don't try to
explain. Steve. Don't fly off tbe han
dle. All rlcbt; grant that I do know
wbat'a bothering you. I want to see
that ankle first. Her, somebody!
Light tbst gus. Why tbe uilscblef
don't you have tbe bous wired for
electricity, Stephen? Ifs wholesoms.
Ou Isn't Lsmps are wore sir. Do
as I tell yon." And be went on loqus
clously, grumbling and muttering and
never cea.ilng bis talk, while Slward.
wincing aa the dresslug waa removed,
lay back and cloned his eyes.
Half an hour later Gumble appear
ed to announce dinner.
"I dou't want any." aakt KIwarL
Katr aald Dr. Grlsby barsbly.
I -don't car to,"
"Fat I tll ymi! Do you think I
don't mean what I eayT"
So be ate bis broth and toast, tbs
doctor curtly declining to Join blin.
He at hurriedly, rloelng bla eyes I
svern!n. Even tbe Iced tea was flat
and distasteful to blin.
And at lat be lay back, wblts snd
unntritng. t'se momentarily deadened'
deypernMon g;lmiuertng under bis half
Cifjeed eyes. And for a long wbils I.
Grlxby aat. doubled almost In two.
cuddling bla bony little knees ao
at inlying tbs pattern In tbs faded car-
KL
(To bs continued.)
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