The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1920-05-06

since billiards sturdy defense Of
Dicky Morgan had bad grain OF
truth In II. and one Of the steps Of
his many-slded progress carefully
omitted-a name had really been as
sumed. and had endured from the date
OF enlistment 10 the date Of discharge.
II was the individuals recorded name
In the army and at Neuilly--and II
wasn't Morgan and II wasn't Hilliard
and II wasn't Dutout. No one here
knew II. or ever would know It: even
Harmon didn't know It; II was the
first sobriquet Of a shell-torn individ-
ual who had been taken 10 Nenllly.
and had been made whole again. No
one at Neuilly had ever set eyes on
Dlcky Morgan's real face But 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. Hilllard-to
take his word for it-and the world is
larger than the curiosity OF sincere
people TO encompass.
No-if a 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
a mythical Hilliard to a very real Du-
tout was concerned. who would pro-
fess 10 rememberf The testimony Of
any single witness would be inmate
rial
The voice OF Carol Durant was echo
it,: In billiards ears. and billiard.
yielding 90 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 I have II. I've just
been telling Mr.. Cullen-and Miss Gull
len-that | was with him when he
died"
ly 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 Gull
len slipped an arm around her waist.
Hes deadf' she repeated,
and her tone was not yet free from q
certain incredulity. as though the fact
were OF itself impossible. and the
statement OF II subject TO discussion.
"Yes. Miss Durant."
She moistened her lips; her eyes
were very bright, unnaturally bright
50 that billiard was fascinated. and
appalled,.
"You You know thati" she
asked. again with that queer infiexion
OF amazed doubt
"Yes, | know IT,"
The others were standing as stat
ues; Mr.. Cullen, snatching at the first
idea OF consolation to present itself.
fumbled for his daughters other hand.
which still retained the trophy a bet
ter man had won.
Here's what they gave him. Carol
Look The Croix de Guerrel Don't
let's think OF anything but what he
. let's be proud of himl l."
"Oh, yes" she said inertly. and took
the cross in her palm. She dropped
her eyes for a moment, then raised
them to the level OF billiards.. Didn't
he send some word to mef'
mo" billiards nod was very min
lsterial. mo. I'm sorry. but"
Her eyebrows lifted. and her nos
trils dllated the merest trife. Her
breath was coming more rapidly now
she was nearing the breaking point
of her resistance. and all OF them
knew II. The moment was agonlzedly
prolonged. billiard. gazing without q
quaver at the girl he had thought he
loved beyond all else In this world or
the next, was singularly relaxed as
he observed her symptoms She had
really cared, then so much
the greater pity that she hadn't kept
MIN caring ms she might.
'Can that be posslblef' she said.
hardly above whisper.
I'm sorry-but-"
II wouldn't have believed Il could |
be true" She gave long. tremulous
breath. and looked about her. half |
dazed and half-perceptivs. Her eyes
strayed back to billiard. Tell me
about H." she said. almost inaudibly. |
"Carol. dearl" Angela was stimulat-
ed 10 active sympathy. "sit down
please oh. Mr.. Hilllard I"
Moves, I'll sit down." |
Her eyes seemed magnetized to Hi. |
liard's. "only want u hear--I want
to heart"
Tell her from the beginning" said
Cullen. hopping his forehead. Get
a glass OF water anything
else. Carolf"
She shook her head. Tell me !" she
said. Il want to knowl"
So that Hilliard.. inspirited by the