The Ordway new era., 1920-08-06


slightest use In Armstrong; lettering
dlsconsoIa,ely in the nelghborhood; 1t
had maximum capacity of two. Fur
thermore. IL was removed by several
feet from the nearest listening post.
He was so close 10 her TINT their
sleeves touched; he looked into the
beautiful eyes which were so clear, so
unsuspecting; and his will swayed
perilously. Had he prepared SO long
and savagely for his requital. only to
lose his impetus at almost the first
glance of those brown eyes? He re-
fected tina, there was nothing to pre-
vent him from being a good salesman.
and from renewing his predilection for
Carol at the same time. The idea Of
courting her again. In his false char
ucter. was highly dramatic.
Il know you won't misunderstood
me-" he said. his heart shaking. land
. hope that you won't consider 1t as
too presumptuous-but- other day
you spoke of Dicky Morgan as a very
dear friend of yours. Miss Durant.
want to do everything in the world
can for you. and he was my dear
friend as well as yours. I'm not dis
loyal to him, or to you. or TO myself
but should like more than I can ever
tell you to feel that had done my ut
most to take his place. No one can do
that literaIly-I am not so valn-but
feel, and have felt from the time we
met each other. Dicky would have
wanted us TO be friends"
"Thafs-thats wonderfully thought
full of you." said Carol. softly. And
:. and think he would have wanted
that II he'd known. - Her
eyes were suspiciously dim and Hill
liard's loneliness dissolved Into
great spasm of longing which held
HIN and shook him and left him weak
with impotence
Then I'll stay in Syracuse" he said
abruptly. Provided-provided you
won't be offended if do have to want
to know you for yourself-Just little
selfishly. I'm afraid that isn't very
clear-it's difficult to separate it-but
you see"
Don't try to explain" she said. sub
dued. 81 know how hard all this must
be for you-and I think perhaps you
need my friendship as much as I need
yours"
Before he could reply there was n
hutter OF indescribable gracefulness
before them. Angela was courtesying
In mock obeIsance to the floor. Behind
her, WarIng was watching her pos
sessively.
"If your majesties will wake up half
second" she said, "everybody's going
to walk up around the Sedgwick farm
tract to get some fresh air. Coming?"
As they stood together. drenched
with regret for the condolences that
might forever remain unsaid, maid
appeared In the doorway.
please. ma'am." she said breath
lessly. Its the Western Union-for
Mr.. Hilliard"
fright in my study" called the doc
tor, hurrying. Just across the hall.
There you rel" and ushered him into
the sanctum and considerably closed
the door.
Despite the urgent summons which
the average person feels under such
circumstances Hilliard was astonish-
ingly tardy In sitting down to the re-
ceiver For one thing he was still
vibrating from his recent stress of
| passion; for another he knew pretty
certainly what the message was going
| to be, and for third. he was some
what emotionally under the spell of
the DOCTORS room. Hilliard had spent
a hundred hours In it-pleasant hours.
so that involuntarily yielding to Its
kindly atmosphere, and all that the at
mosphere implied, he took time to sur
| vey all four walls before he took up
| the receiver. And after he had lis
tened to the telegram, and ordered
copy mailed to him In care of Mr.. Cul-
len, he took time to survey those walls
again. more closely; and this was
partly for their intrinsic significance.
and partly because his feelings were
so fresh and tender that he dreaded to
return at once to the gathering which,
as whole, couldn't be expected to de-
fer to them. His eyes fell upon the
Doctors desk, wandered and suddenly
focused hard and plercingly He
went over to the desk and slowly put
out his hand and lifted up small pho
tograph in metal frame.
well. I'll be darnedI' said Hilliard.
Just above a whisper. The turning of
the doorknob reused him: he wheeled
with the photograph still in his hand.
"Helloi' said Doctor Durant, cheer
fully. Get your message all right?
What's that you've found? Oh. yes
Dicks picture"
Hilliard swallowed hard, and found
that his voice was queerly out of con-
troll.
"It's-its the same one"
"Yes-it's the same as the one you
brought back. I've had 1t there ever
since he gave 1t to me-"
He took 1t gently from Hilliard's
| hand. reDlnced IL on the desk. "How