Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-02-06
CHAPTER vi.
HOl WORTHY HALL

and when at last the morning
dawned, his greatest fear was that
ne might not live until dinner time.
On reaching Carols side, he was
both awkward and incOherent; and
he failed TO derive announcement
from the realization which gra dually
stole over him. that the Durants had
asked Il number OF other guests to
dinner. Armstrong was waiting pa
tiently in the aisle, and keeping
| closer to Carol than Hnliard liked,
and there was also a bright faced
boy OF 10 or 20 who had promptly at
tached himself to Angela-his nanl1
was Waring, and he was the grand
son Of the pStrIarchal clergyman.
with the head Of Moses and the
spirit of youth. who presently came
down TO join the little group. and
complete It, So that altogether there
were nineteen people who finally sat
down 10 table; and billiards dream
Of quiet progress and harbored con-
versation was shattered in a twink
ling.
Ii was all very homelike. and all
very friendly but To Hilliard. sitting
there between Carol and her mother.
the occasion was peculiarly acute.
He had long since discarded any res
iGue OF his active fears; he was con-
hdent in his disguise TO the point Of
recklessness. for he had covered the
winnings OF the trail ny an infinite
variety of methods: and yet with
out having any tangible facts TO
grasp, ne was subtly warned to re-
main or sentry duty over his poise.
He was gratiAed that the CONVEX
sation, after one natural enough
EDDY. was wh!rled away from the
vicissitudes Of Dicky Morgan, for he
had talked his fill on that particular
subject. For time. he amused him
self watching Angela and Waring
r1aying their world old game across
he table. after that, he paid a little
polite attention TO Mrs. Durant. and
. the clergyman. ana then snatch
ng an opportunity unlocked for, he
gave his kindesr snll" to Carol. and
FOR an instant took the monopoly
from Armstrong. And ne had hardly
poked down once into her October
hrown eyes before the mystery Of his
,as+s,,Irass was as clear AZ crystal,
md Willard was Thoroughly dunn
founded, and confused.
II had come upon him. a quarter
If an hoYr ago, as they exchanged
.seir first superficial sentences. that
he was lonelier than he had ever
imagined, hut he hadn't realized. I'M
I'll this immediate contingency. that
This sensation had rarried over UNI
til now. He was prevented. by the
very. limits gf the project which had
brought him here. from releasing
any Of his sincere thoughts. he
hadn', comprchendcG. until he had
learned the truth Just now by actual
experience. that lonliness ia nothing
but an aggravated state Of self-re-
preston. Never in all his life. not
even when he had lain for months
in the hospital in France had ne
cen as lonely as today. and at this
moment when he was surrounded oy
yeople he knew intimately. and when
j.. vas enjo;ued from sharing IN
,n-ir community Of mind.
Carol. looking up at him with VIVA;
wasn't exactly smile. but was at
least q cousin to it-that welI-re-
/ membered fash Of sympathetic in
! terest-carol spoke 10 him Under
| COZ er Of the general conversation.
A penny for your thoughts she
! prUffered.
l.
| lard Il VAS think!ng about my
self" He continued to regard her
stea Oily, and he was alarmed to dis
cover that he was losing one of the
abilities which had made him so sure
Of himself He continued 70 mold
that she had treated him shah
billy. mercllessly: buy notWithstand-
ing that. as he gaZed at her. and per-
celved the sweet naturalness which
was developing out Of last week :
shock. ne was secretly perturbed. In
spite OF himself, ne Logan 70 see, az
tho Dv camera 0bscura, dim visions
Of the past: he was righteOUsly an
| moved that they should rise to tor
nert him, and still the visions came
But after all that you've been
thru" she said. T should think your
thoughts about Yourself would be eX-
traneIy interesting,"
I'm afraid they're rather gloomy
MISC Dnrant. whenever they touct
on what rye been thru. And wher
ANYTHING like this gathering here to,
dav builds up a comparison. III
sorry but cant ALWAYS master it."
You mean the difference between
q family over here and a family Owe
there or
Exactly" ne said. Down TO tn,
LAST ds1aiI-what we eat. and wher,
we live and what we talk about. an,
what we think about-everythi