Here, therefore, are two men who are plunged into the deepest seethings
of mental action. The one has missed greatness by the distance of a
mere hand's grasp; the other is half crazed to find himself so fatally
conspicuous in society.

Let the rich, respectable, beloved, ambitious and eloquent Lockwin
hurry back to that problem: What to do when he shall arrive in Chicago?

Can the community be deceived? Let us see how it fared with Lockwin's
friend Orthwaite, who found life to be insupportable. The
respectability which so beclogs Lockwin had been secretly lost by
Orthwaite.

His shame would soon be exposed. Orthwaite returned to his home on the
last suburban train. He purposely appeared gay before his
train-acquaintances. He left the train in high spirits. He pursued a
lonely path toward home. He reached a stream. He set to work making
many marks of a desperate struggle. He placed a revolver at his heart
and fired. Then with unusual fortitude he threw the weapon in the
stream.

But the ruse was ineffectual. The keen eyes of the detectives and the
keener ear of scandal had the whole truth in a week's time. It was
suicide, said the press--bald, cowardly, pitiful.

How difficult! How difficult! Now let us set at that device of
mysterious disappearance. How far is that fair to a young wife? Why
should she wait and search and hope, although Esther would not disturb
herself much! She is too cold for that.