The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1920-07-23
CHAPTER x-cOntinued.

u III ooiIy. DuSlieSS WViAiSS'
Why-in way, yes"
jhe doctor achieved a perfect cir
cleo and beamed at it.
Something else?"
A good deal else" said billiard, alb
str4cted "But that's no reason for
me Ito bother you with it. l didn't know
1t Was so apparent"
Silence.
IDS not my habit" said the doctor
presently, ito offer any advice unless
I'm asked for it. Gratuitous advice
never did anybody any good. And no
bOCy Wakes it unless 1t costs some
thirg- -and not often then, And I'm
neither your regular physician nor
yorr C nfessor. But if l had made
dia!nosfs at this present minute I'd
say that you need preacher a great
deGl more than you do doctor"
a do" said billiard, look
ing up sharply. "Only it's out
of !he question. Just personal things,
dOftor-nothing can very well talk
abdllt."
your trouble" said Doctor Durant,
''isnt physical as much as it is spir-
ituaI It's nothing but taut nerves. It's
nothing but your struggle against the
restraints you put upon yourself. How
DO / know? You've told me so :.
svey4 time I've seen you. It's in your
RNcA. my boy. It's in your eyes. Con-
Naatly. And it looks as though the
eeNference is about over be-
sfuse if that isn't Carol coming up the
Steps, my ears aren't half as good as
ghey used to be-"
Both men were on their feet as she
rAme ill., swirling.
"Oh!" she cried to billiard. IL
didn't know you were coming up to-
hight! Suppose I'd missed your
He merely smiled and made no an
swer; nor did he speak to her until
after the doctor, protesting sudden
desire for solitude, had waved them
Hospitality out of the study into the
diving room. Carol was in the old ia
tniliar corner of the sofa billiard was
standing by the fireplace, peering
down into the empty CRATE. He coughed
harshly, and an expression of utter
hopelessness crept into his eyes. He
turned abruptly.
"Well," he said, "just how much
would you have cared if you had?''
i
There was stately old lamp stand
ing at height behind the sofa; it's
shadows were gracious and it's light,
as it crept through a shade Of painted
Vellum, touched Carol softly, in a
lelicacy of radiance which was infin-
!tely caressing. Her hands were lying
IDLE in her lap; she bent her head, and
viewed them studiously.
'Why, l should have cared a great
DEAL" she said. "I'm always disap-
pointed when l miss seeing a friend of
mine. What makes you so pessimistic,
al of a sudden?"
Hilliard REDEEMED, and his eyes grew
brighter.
Friendship" he said tardily.
what an accordionlike sort of thing
shat is!'
"Why, Mr.. Hilliardm Her tone was
ut the same time interrogatory and re-
proachful.
"Oh, I'm not speaking of you," he
said "Only Of the thing itself. .
It's big or little, close or distant .
and it hasn't anything to say about it
You'll have to excuse mel
was thinking out loud
please dol" she said "You were
on the way to be interesting. Think
out loud some more"
billiard glanced sharply at her.
"Don't laugh at mel" he said almost
roughly. For heavens sake, don't
you know that the one time you
shouldn't laugh at a man is when he
deserves it?"
Carols attitude was vaguely less
suggestive of ease.
II wasn't laughing at you" she said,
"truly. But what you said was so
so queer"
ooh, yes" billiards. accent was
very flat. Il suppose it was. It must
have been. F. I always seem to be
more or less up in the air when come
20 see you, don't 1? The last time we
talked about friendship"
"But that was at least month ago."
she said hastily, "and in the mean
vme, you've been just as nice and
cheerful as anybody. I thought you
were all over yoAr troubles"
"Cheerfulness wasn't what you
asked for" Hilliard swallowed hard.
II l came up here, Miss Du-
sant, to have really serious talk with
you -. really serious. It's been
delayed too long already. 1t took me
two solid days to get my courage up
to it. And and now I'm here,
| don't even know how to begin"
He scowled heavily into the vacant
fireplace. and held out his palms with
a mechanic gesture as though to warm
them at an imaginary blaze. you
know" he said absently, your father
- very extraordinary man-very."
The compliment to the doctor had
it's invariable effect upon her; she
glowed under it.
give always known that I'm