The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1920-06-05


hall table 1t was generally creased
down the financial page; but tonight
| he brought two, and each of them had
wrinkles across the market reports
and We're folded so as to feature the
| departments devoted to local news.
| The Journal had beaten the Herald by
| two sticks and subhead but the Her
aid had honored Dicky Morgan with
kindly editorial and both papers had
| stated explicitly where billiard was
| making his headquarters Mr.. Cullen
would have been seriously offended if
he hadn't been mentioned at least once
in each paper; and this is no more
| reflection upon his vanity than the fact
that he cherished a lively anticipation
for what the Post-Standard was going
to say about the case tomorrow morn
ing.
Nevertheless, there was q fly in the
Ointment-not very much of fly, to
be sure, but still appreciate; and aft
er all, 1t isn't the size of the invader
that counts. Mr.. Cullen was generous;
Mr. Cullen was hospitable; but Mr..
Cullen was also the tiniest bit of
snob-not carping, contemptuous,
supercilious snob, but q healthy,
hearty, open-spirited snob, frank In
his liking for the things he liked-and
one Of them was to be somebody, and
have the neighbors know it. He liked
to fraternize with important men; he
liked to see his name in the paper
now and then; he liked to feel superior
Just one harmless little degree more
consequential-thah his next-dOor
neighbor. And the neighbor of course,
had to share this conviction, or there
wasn't any purpose in it.
And Mr.. Cullen. with all his ingenu-
Gus weakness for prominence, hadn't
known until the evening papers told
him so, hadn't even suspected (al-
though now he was trying busily to
persuade himself that he had suspect
ed 1t all along, from one thing and an
other) that his guest was mining en-
gineer of international reputation, and
independently wealthy to boot. 1t was
enough to discomf1t any hostl It was
enough to annoy any man, whether
average or not who prided himself
(and most of US do) that he had I'M
usual discernment, and was a Good
Judge of Human Nature. And so, when
he met Hilliard and Angela at the
head of the garden he began to fire
away pointblank at Hilliard; and this
was barely after the greetings, and a
question as to the state of billiards.
health, and before Angela had found
an opportunity to get a word in edge
wise.
Understand you're a mining man,
Mr.. Hilliard,' he said. pleasantly.
81 used to be-" said billiard. "Tve
retired. l thought l told you so the
first night 1 was here"
'Oh, yes-you did say something
about it, but" Mr.. Cullen laughed
with the fullness of .one who has I'M
earthed secrets. at took some Of our
bright young newspaper crowd to fer
ret out the facts. You're too modest
that's what's the matter with you ~
AS Hilliard smiled in depreca-
ton Angela, growing triumphantly.
snatched for the papers.
"Where is it?" she cried. "Where
ohw And relapsed into beatific
calm. devouring the none too cOnserva-
tive paragraphs with all her might.
The cold-typed repetition of the we'll
known story sobered her considerably;
still, 1t was for billiards. and her IA
theirs names that she gloated; and as
for the panegyric of Morgan, that was
only an added garland to the wreath
which was already his.
Russian and English syndicate
wasn't it?" asked Mr.. Cullen.
Eyes," said Hilliard. English and
Russian"
Mechanically, he began to rehearse
the technical subtleties which he
hadn't expected to find use for within
a brace of fortnights. 1t was well,
however, to be prepared; and the time
to plant the seed of desire is when the
prospect is willing.
mighty interesting game-mining,
said Cullen. Lets wander down by
the fountain; shall we? l don't
know why it is. but it sort of fas-
cinates me-guess it does everybody.
More romance In it than most lines"
Here Angela looked up sharply, and
gurgled with wicked satisfaction, and
sent lifted eyebrow signal across to
billiard.
eyes," said billiard, "but there's
more tragedy, too. suppose that's
the law of compensation getting to
work. Big profits call for big risks"
This was for sand in Cullen's eyes;
and it had its effect.
ooh, but the ratios the same in al
most any business, Mr.. billiard, isn't
it? It's about the same theory. Saw
ings banks pay three to four per cent
but they never made man rich yet
But copper hast"