The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1920-05-15

fancy to him. AS you undoubtedly
know, he spoke French like native,
and that made it easy for him. France
is land of papers, and Of records;
and papers and records can be Great
ed, shuffled-when there's a reason.
The reason was that republic need
ed men-and the lieutenant was will
dition to his being patriot. Bis con-
ceptia. Of patriotism was to enlist ev-
cry able-bOdied man IN the service Of
France. But at that time, the war
was still rather exclusive as far as
Americans were concerned. SO that
Dicky Morgan disappeared from earth
and there was a new soldier of the
sixty-ninth Territorials by, the name
of Pierre Dutout Peter No
body"
'What" said Mr.. Cullen.
billiard shrugged his shoulders.
II said he told me much about him
self. He sailed under his own name,
and l dare say you can verify that
in New York. But when he landed,
he took an alias. He had wanted to
start over again, unhampered. Moth
ing could have been more opportune
than this chance. See what it gave
him! He simply dropped out of the
world. 1t was the possibility
of losing himself utterly that first ap-
pealed to him. And there must have
been good cause"
YES" said Mr.. Cullen absently.
"There was. But always the
atrical, Dick was. That was so like
him-to do just that sort Of thing, and
to do it just that way"
''As nearly as l could gather" said
Hilliard, she bad been practically
that correct?" He noted that Angela
fiinched at the suggestion, and that
her head vas dropping very low.
"Y-e-e-s, but there was a good rea-
son for it,"
ooh! dad!' said Angela, pleadingly,
below her breath. "Please don't say
things like that can't stand any
more"
what his offense may have been,
1 don't know" said Hilliard, plung-
ing doggedly into his narrative. "But
he left town, so he told me, in a
tremendous revMsiOn of feeling. His
one ambition was to make something
Of himself, to wash out the past-to
justify his existence. And he went
overseas with the idea of genuine
service and sacrifice. And very soon.
terribly soon q. 4. during night
attack they got him." Hill
lard paused effectively. "There
wasn't a chance in a hundred for him
to recover, and he knew it. And then
it came to him, blindingly and desper-
ately, that the world-that is, the
world which had known him in his
failures-would never hear what he
had done. He had made his sacri-
fee, and it was useless. In hospital,
he was Pierre Dutout, you see :.
and between that character, and his
own, was the barrier Of the subter-
fuge he had grasped so eagerly-his
alias, and his false record. No one
would have any reason to doubt that
he wasn't what he purported to be.
He craved to tell someone; to send
back a message to his old friends;
and l happened to be there-and he
confided in me- And here / am, Mr..
Cullen. Bringing credentials. Now,
in the first place, have photograph
of him, taken from his original pass
port" He produced 1t from his peck
ct, and offered it to Mr.. Cullen. SIS
there any mistake, sir? Or is it the
Dick Morgan you know?"
Mr.. Cullen switched on a standing
lamp; Angela hid her face. and shrank
back from the white electric glare
"Yes-yes." He gave the tiny pic
ture to his daughter. There's no ques-
ton about it, Mr.. Hilliard."
That's Dick" said Angela agon-
izedly.
"With his signature, Of course-you
recognize it, do your"
"It's his handwriting fast enough"
conceded Mr.. Cullen. He looked up at
Hilliard, and his brows were furrow-
ed, as though he were struggling to
comprehend what all this had to do
with the Cullen family. Eyes. ORA
matte boy, he was-always. Shows
don't it?'
"Dramatic-yes. That is-imagina.
tive. Venturesome. And it's a quail
ity that sometimes makes heroes, Mr..
Cullen. Would you have call
ed him brave?"
I'm not sure of that, sir. Il"
II wOuld!" said Angela. II would !"
"Foolhardy, often. But brave :"
"Wait, then" said Hilliard, motion
ing. He was transfixed by the vision
of Angela Cullen, who had started up
in passionate defense of an old-time
playmate; her cheeks were flushed her
eyes were shining, she was ineffably
appealing In her fearless grief and in
her loyalty. For the first time, Hill
lard could see how the passing years
had brought out the woman in her;
he could see, under the dazzling light