Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-01-30

together with proof to the world that
he hadn't been hero--that he had
failed In this, ~ IN every othss nm
dertaking Of his life, And al the
dates In accurcyl And II anyone
cared to trace back the story where
was the fawi Where was there .
loophole3 And who would recognize
Dick Morgan IN his cloak and mask Of
utter miraclsf NN
Lightninglfke, his brain Included all
the salient items Of the picture IN q
single flash. There was Dicky Nor.
gan. sailing away 10 France--which
could be proved. There was nun.
Der, and a name attached to It, and
since billiards sturdy defense Of
Dicky Morgan had had grain Of
truth IN II, and one Of the steps Of
his many-sided progress carefully
omitted-a name had really been a..
sumed. and had endured from the date
Of enlistment to the date OF discharge.
1t was the individuals recorded name
in the army and at Neuiliy-end II
wasn't Morgan and II wasn't Hiiilard
and Il wasn't Dutout. No one here
knew II, or ever would know II; even
Harmon didn't know It; II was the
first sobriQuet Of a shell-torn individ.
ual who had been taken TO Neuilly,
and had been made whole again. No
one at Neuilly had ever set eyes on
Dicky Morgan's real face! But q Ger.
tain man named Dutout had been dec
GRATED and died, and that could be
proved--was proved! billiard had
borrowed Dutout's name In perfect
safety; and the trail was cold. And
here was a fourth man. Hilliard--to
take his word for it--and the world Is
larger than the curiosity Of sincere
people to encompass.
No-if Neuilly surgeon ever told
as one Of the mysterious chapters OF
the war what had happened to GER
tain gloomy Individual that summer.
the name would suggest nothing. And
as far as checking up the visits OF
q mythical billiard to a very real Du-
tout was concerned, who would pro-
fess to remember? The testimony Of
any single witness would be inmate
rial.
The voice Of Carol Durant was echo
Ing in billiards ears. and Hilliard,
yielding to a tidal wave of reckless.
ness, and Of swelling anger at imagi-
nary wrongs. looked sQuarely into
Carols eyes. and spoke with winning
urgency.
YES" he said. II have news OF
Morgan. In fact. I'm here In Syracuse
solely because l have It. I've Just
been telling Mr. Cuilen-and Miss Gull
len-that ! was with him when he
died"
She didn't speak. at first: she mere
" looked at billiard and grew very
white, and her lips quivered. Pres
emily she swayed a little. and reached
out with her hand toward the back
of convenient chair. Armstrong
stepped toward her, and Angela Cul-
len slipped an arm around her waist.
Hes ,deady she repeated,
and her tone was not yet free from
certain incredulity, a. though the fact
were Of asslt impossible. and the
statement Of 1t subject to discussion.
Eyes. Miss Durant"
She moistened her lips: her eyes
were very bright, unnaturaliy bright
so that Hilliard was fascinated, and
appalled,.
"You You know that's" she
asked again with that queer inhexion
of amazed doubt
Eyes. know It"
The others were standing a. stat
ues; Mr.. Cullen, suatching at the hrst
idea Of consolation to present Itself,
fumbled for his daughters other hand,
which still retained the trophy bet
ter man had won. I
Here's what they gave him, Carol !
Look! The Croix de 0uerre! Don't
let's think Of anything but what hs
let's DO proud Of himl l."
"oh, yes" she said insrtly. and took
the cross In her palm. She dropped
her eyes for . moment then raised
them to the level of Hiliiard'G "Didn't
he send some word to met"
NO" billiards nod was very min.
tsterial. mo, I'm sorry, but"
Her eyebrows lifted, and her nos
trils dilated the mersst trihe. Her
breath was coming more rapidly now;
she was nearing the breaking point
Of her resistance, and all of them
knew 1t. The moment was agonizedly
prolonged. Hilliard, gazing without
Quayer at the girl he had thought he
loved beyond all else IN this world or
the next, was singuiarly relaxed as
he observed her symptoms. She had
really cared, then so much
the greater pity that she hadn't kept
him caring as she might
"Can that be possible7" she said.
hardly above whisper.
I'm sorry-but-"
II wouldn't have believed II could
be true" She gave long. tremuious
breath. and looked about her, half
dazed and half-perceptive. Her eyes
strayed back to billiard. "Tell me
about It," she said, almost inaudIbly.
Carol, dear!" Angela was stilnulat-
ed to active sympathy. "sit down
please! On. Mr.. Hilliardl"
(To Be Continued)