The Ordway new era., 1920-07-16
By HOLWORTHY HALL

uiiHsells nor aTIHstTOHp Dut wait
noment Who was Armstrong?
Whence and whittier. Armstrong? A
newcomer TO Syracuse Chat Is, within
two years. and already proprietary
Hilliard frowned, and rubbed his eyes,
and wondered anew. He was trife
amused and trifie ashamed of him
self; was 1t credible that he could be
jealous of man who had merely ap-
propriated what Hilliard had no fur
ther interest in? How inconsistent g.. .
and yet how superbly Characteristic of
human naturel Hilliard chuckled to
himself in recognition of 1t and dis
missed the proposition as unworthy of
further attention. Dismissed 1t. yes
=. as child dismisses rubber ball
with an elastic cord attached to it.
From below stairs japanese gong
chlmed softly and Hilliard. without de-
laying another instant, leaped to the
floor. Half an hour later. bathed,
shaved and dressed, he descended
complacently; the second day of his
remarkable performance was begun.
The Cullens, father and daughter,
were waiting for him. They greeted
nm iiuiiS anu iie was ei;tu mat
grief hadn't clung to their eyelids; he
would have felt depressed, even al
though he would have sensed the hid
den compliment. Quick to grasp the
nearest handle of diplomacy, he saw
that cheerfulness on his own part
would help the situation. for now that
his duty us a courier was over. there
was no need for long protracted mel
ancholy.
1t was cheerful trio, then, that sat
down to breakfast; there was no ex-
hIlaration about it. but at least there
was no sOmber cloud of mourning.
Angela. behind the coffee urn. had oc-
casional moments of pensiveness. but
that was to be expected. and con-
doned; indeed. Hilliard held himself to
be greatly favored by even this.
She was imaginative, and billiards.
pose was calculated to appeal to live
ly imagination. He treated her not as
young girl, but with the respectful
Difference which belongs to a mature
woman, a mistress OF household. and
hostess in her own right. She was
charmed and captivated. and so was
htA dssuituly ht WIS
So charmed. in fact, that instead of
leaving for his office at half-past eight.
he fingered until half-past nine; so
captivated. that as his limousine slid
quietly down the long. steep hill of
james street. he found himself ascrib-
ing new degree of credit to Dicky
Morgan for the simple reason that
Dicky Morgan had gained the full es-
TEEN of such friend as Hillinrd.
A mighty nice young man, thought
Cullen. A man of soundest Judgment.
through and through. A man OF bril-
liant intellect and razor-edged analy-
sis. Had he not said. and furnished IL
lustrntlons from his broad experience.
exactly what Cullen himself had said,
in regard to labor. and materials. and
transportation. and production. these
half a dozen years? Cullen sat back
| and smiled triumphantly. 1t does a
man good to hear his pet convictions
| approved. expanded and laid down as
aNioms by another wise man.
| Back on the wide veranda Angela
had curled up comfortably In the ham,
mock and. beside her, Hilliard was en-
joying cigarette. He was enjoying,
| too, this rare interludc of respite: he
looked across at Angela, and thanked
his stars for the invitation which had
made this quiet hour possible.
She lifted her eyes. caught Hilliard
smiling at her and blushed furiously,
not for any shame accruing to her. but
because she had arrived at the age of
easy blushes.
II suppose you're going over
to Carols pretty soon" she said, con-
strained to say something and grasp
ing at the first available idea.
$50 anxious to get rid OF me?" he
asked. amused.
"Oh. nor Horror was in her tone
and modification. "Only 1 wanted
to talk to you before you saw Carol
Because Carol doesn't don't
think she'll exactly feel as do about
this know she won't. Maybe
it's because Dick and I were chums
and she and Dick were oh, you
know. It's different You ought tt
take that into conslderation-wher
you talk to her, l mean. l don't NEAR
| don't care. because l dO--terribly-
but | can see what it meant tc
Dick . .. and l know how he'd have
loved it. and picked this out of ever,
possible way, to end things, bu
Carol she's different
How Hilliard's voice was even
but very low.
Colder" she said. looking away
"And and they were going t,
marry each other some time"
"But wasn't that broken off?"
"Yes. hut she was waiting"
"Waiting?"
"why. of course"
billiards breath Guickened.
II should have guessed that this MI