Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1920-07-17

research he loYef; Cullen, whose blhnd.
bulldog faith d,d made him forever
independent, even Rufus Waring,
whose modest contribution. accepted
ont of spleenless commiseraton, Ind
sweled to the dignity of four figures.
and given him the means TO show he
world 10 Angela And IilHord hiulself
had made far tnore than an tie other
venturers combined ut in money,
perhaps hut In dividends payable in
the medium of his self-respect.
And yer, as the realities stood. now.
he was sensitive to the nothlngness Of
his triumph. until such time as he had
some one to divide it with him. For
there is little pleasure in monopoly
of happiness; not even joke is fully
established until some one appears to
share it; a secret is delectahe only
when it's repeated, conquest is
empty without the popular acclaim, or
the arrival Of the historian. He felt
this keenly; he reflected that of all the
syndicate, he alone was without "A
beneficiary. And today, when he had
steeled himself to speak to Carol =.
Like countless generations of men
before him, ne began vaguely TO
wonder what he should do if she re-
fused him.
What would be left? Only the she'll
of achievement. Would he 90 back to
France? or would he remain in Amer
lea, and struggle for success by en-
downing war charities out Of his glori-
Gus income-to-be? Also and
this was enervating what
should he say to her? It is given to
few men to propose twice, in different
characters, to the same girl.
The train plowed and painted through
the thickenng drifts; billiards. watch
was coming ont of his pocket at five
minute intervals; here was Rochester
at last three hours late d.
and there. shining dimIy through
banked clouds, was the sun! The
train seemed warmed To greater effort
by its mere appearance billiard who
had measured time by weeks. then by
days. and more recently by reluctant
hours. began to mark the minutes from
his mental calendar.
And then. after an interminable
century of impatience. the outlying vii
lagos, gray and smoky; the fiat wastes
of Solvay: the road slowly becoming
streets; the buildings adding height
Syracuse
His feet were on the platform; he
was hurrving forward. Ahead of him
and in his excitement he STUN
bled heavily there coming
toward him Carol and the
Doctor. befurred ard rosy no
question of the welcome they were
bringing him!
His own initial remarks were grossly
incoherent. There were no words to
fit the situation; perhaps he did it
greater justice by the disconnected
sounds he made And then he was
entering the Doctors closed car; they
were bouncing over the cohbles Of the
lower city; they were attacking the
grade of James street, and he was
peering ont In an ECSTASY Of memory
at the houses where he had played in
boyhOod.
Two O'Clock on time for
dinner to the second A house hang
ing with evergreen; Christmas
spirit pprmeatlng every nook and
Granny; Christmas odors-not all Of
evergreen-drifted In tantalizlng whiffS
TO meet him.
A Joyous iDterlude; a gay process
sion; a hush; a gravely spoken bless
ing-Oh, that Christmas!
There came a time early In the eve
ming when billiard found himself
alone with Carol He had q vague
recollection that they had been sent
to look for something a corn
pepper, 81 some other equally futile
article ard for an instant
he marveled Mt their expecting to find
# in the sun-parlor, where they had
wandered But the sun-parlor was hap
PLY unoccupied and there were com
Portable chairs in IT; and something
very green and red and seasonable in
all the windows; so that they both de-
! layed prodigiously, and exchanged a
number of highly inconsequential re-
marks about the decorations Pres
emily. without so much MS a transient
thought for the corn pepper, they sat
down with one accord. From dis
lance the murmur 81 cheerful voices
In the living room was an adequate
accompaniment TO their thoughts.
Huliard's head was dropped low; his
reverie was 50 profound thar not even
Carols voice could rouse him-not IN
Ill she spoke a second time.
AZ saba penny for them" she re-
peated, amused
oh" billiards awakening was ex-
plosive. "Why, that's queer
l was just thinking about that my
self! / mean the first Sunday I ever
came up here to dinner. You said
the same thing then. Remember it?'
Yes. indeed ana they were
a wonderful bargain at the price 80
He didn't seem to recall that she had
ever looked so mischievoIs.