The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1920-05-06

OF warmth creeping into her voice.
billiard held his breath:
Say I'm weary. say I'm sad:
Say that health and wealth have missed
| me;
Say I'm growing old. but add
Angela kissed mel
He had spoken the lines magnifi-
Gently, with the precise humor and
pathos which go to make them i'm
| mortal. I'm glad she fits into the
meter" he said thoughtfully, because
| can understand just how Leigh Hunt
| felt about Jennie"
"And-how do you think that was2"
Every sensitive" said Hilliard, land
perhaps little repressed and-de-
| crepit." He smiled reminiscently. IL
suppose there are very few things In
| life that make a man feel more mind
full of his own crudlty and general
worthlessness than to have child's
spontaneous affection" 1t was the
| testing venture. She looked at him
sidewise.
more than if-if II weren't q
child?"
II think So" His tone was fault
less. "A woman can make man feel
like Romeo, but 1t takes a very young
girl to make him feel like Launcelot-
at my age"
"She Is adorable, isn't she?" His
heart jumped at her cordial accept
ance Of his statement. "Only--she's
seventeen, Mr.. billiard"
II know" he said gravely. And
that's why I'm so conscious of 10Y
own senillty. Because all that beau
tiful innocence and ignorance is
doomed, Miss Durant--who knows
that I'm not the very last person TO
see lit Today, I'm only a much older
man. some one she likes; tomorrow,
l may be a man without the only
and the more she liked me, the less
she'd show 1t. But there's been
mighty little of that sort Of thing for
me in the last few years from any
body. and l do appreciate - and I'm
not ashamed OF il. sithe.."
mo" she said. you coNdn't be.
q
him. and he was transported at the
proof of her sympathy. IF we're In
your place, I'd want TO feel the same
way about It,"
He thanked her in his heart. He
had saved both Angela and himself,
and held his pristine advantage.
But there was no disputing the fact
that he had made an active enemy Of
Waring, and. an alert rival out OF
Armstrong. He smiled grimly as he
looked at the man ahead.
mfr. Armstrong seems to be very
nervous" he said Not that | can
blame him for wanting to be in my
place. On the contrary, I'm sorry for
him."
"1hat shows very good disposi-
tlon," she said demurely.
Perhaps 1t does, and perhaps II
doesn't. | believe every man owes II
TO himself TO yet what he wants. II
he does. he's success; If he doesn't
it's his own fault"
AS he said this, they came. abreayt
OF the others, and Armstrong. who
had heard the final sentence, whirled
toward billiard.
Regardless of methodist" he de-
manded.
"Why-to some extent" laughed
Hnllard. "Why not?"
Armstrong delayed. so that the two
men were few PAGES behind the rest
of the group. us that your regular
creed, Mr.. Hilliard?"
"My creed isn't composed OF words
Mr.. Armstrong. but of actions"
They had spoken so quietly that no
one perceiving them would have re-
motely suspected that a challenge had
been offered and accepted.
ACTIONS do speak louder, OF course"
Mine" said billiard will give you
no offense. Butt generally get what
l want"
80 do / Shall we shake hands on
it?" Armstrong was very affable, bu,
tremendously in earnest.
with pleasure. l can count on
your generosity. l see"
"And on your courtesy"
"Thank you" He went complncent.
ly forward; but lnwardly he was
stepped in perturbation. The man
was so deadly sure OF himself. Could
ii be that he was tacitly engaged 10
Carol, in spite OF what Angela had
surmised, or so nearly on the road to
an understanding With her that Hill.
lard was only making a fool of him.
self2
Armstrong laughed gently. II was
like a dagger thrust In billiards
heart.