Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1920-04-22

[ Anu W carmen my pcit1anruN AieaAA' =
Blu, I am growing old. How do
kn0w7 Didn't you ever read Leigh
Hunt:"
Just a Iittle." There was a trace
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 me!
He had spoken the lines magnii-
Gently, with the precise hum0r and
patnos which go TO make them i'm
mortal. I'm glad she fits into the
meter" he said thoughtfully, because
1 can understand just how Leigh Hunt
felt about Jennie"
"And-hOw do you think that VASE?
| Every sensitive" said billiard, "and
| perhaps a 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 a child's
spontaneous affection" 1t was the
testing venture She looked at him
! sidewise
more than Tiff it weren't a
child?"
Il think So" His tone was fault
less "A woman can make a man feel
like Romeo, but it takes a very young
girl to make him feel like LauncelOt-
ut my age"
"She is adorable, isn't she?" His
heart jumped at her cordial accept
ance of his statement. "Only-she's
seventeen, Mr.. Hilliard'
Il know" he said gravely. "And
that's why I'm so conscious of my
own senility. Because all that beau
tiful innocence and ignorance is
doomed, Miss Durant-who knows |
that I'm not the very last person to |
see it? Today, I'm only much older !
man, some one she likes; tomorrow, |
| may be a man without the only !
and the more she liked me, the less
she'd show it. 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 it, and I'm
not ashamed of il. either"
mo" she said, you couldn't be.
You're too human" She smiled at
him, and he was transported at the
proof of her sympathy. IF l were 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.
"NIr. Armstrong seems to be very
he said. Not that can
blame him for wanting to be in my
place. On the contrary, I'm sorry for
him."
"That shows a very good DISPOSE
ion" she said demurely. .
s''Perlaps 1t dCes,s and perhaps il
DOESN'T. / believe every man owes 1t
o himself to get what he wants. If
le does, he's success; if he doesn't
is his own fault"
AS he said this they came abreast
f the others. and Armstrong, who
ad heard the final sentence, whirled
oward billiard.
Regardless of methodist" he de-
handed.
"Why-to some extent" laughed
Iilliard. "Why not?"
Armstrong delayed, so that the two
len were a few PAGES behind the rest
f the group. SIS that your regular :
reed, Mr.. Hilliard?"
my creed isn't composed of words,
IT. Armstrong, but of actions
They had spoken so quietly that no
ne percelving them would have re-
otely suspected that challenge had
cen offered and accepted.
ACTIONS do speak louder, of course"
Mine" said billiard, will give you
} offense. Butt generally get what
want"
$50 do Shall we shake hands on
p Armstrong was very aHable, but
in earnest.
"With pleasure. l can count on
,ur generosity. / see"
"And | on your courtesy"
THANK you" He went compacent-
forward; but inwardly he was
eeped in perturbation. The man
as so deadly sure of himself. Could
be that he was tacitly engaged to
lrol, in spite of what Angela had
rmised, or so nearly on the road to
understanding with her that Hill
I'D was only making fool OF him
If?
laughed gently. 1t was
e dagger thrust in billiards
art