The Raymer enterprise. (New Raymer, Weld County, Colo.) 1910-19??, 1920-08-19

uneven beats; Tor the moment, his
throat was dusty dry.
Az he gained the level Of the yer.
anda, there was q stir Of activity Of
to tho right and an erect. middle
aged man clambered out Of a ham
mock, and came briskly forward.
Back In the shadows Hilllard couId
detect the soft outlines Of q white
dress.
"YesT The middis-sged man was
politely brusQue.
rs this Mr. Cullen, Mr..
James Cullenr'
YES sir" The middle-aged man
was very convincing about It "Yes,
sir. What can I do for your
Hilllard bowed stifiy from the hips
"A touch Of foreign courtesy which
had it, effect.
III you're at leisure. Mr. Cullen. I
should like very much to have a word
with you. OIL think l may call It
so-nrgent private matters. Ny name
Is HIlliard. In brief, I've come up
from New York today to bring you a
letter from q young man named Rich.
ard Morgan"
Morgan" said the older man
sharply, 'Dlck Morgan" Back In the
shadows there was q sudden rustic.
"Where's hep
Hes dead" said billiard. He died
In France" Mr.. Cullen stood perfect.
ly still. and Hilliard. watching him
lntently. was overcome by resentment
at the knowledge that two years ago
this man had held billiards fate In
his thick fingers.
mol" said Mr.. Cullen. "of all
things! We'll. what d'you know about
that! Dick Morgan dead" There
was surprise, but little polgnancy in
his tone. isn't that terrible! And
over In France! Angela. did
you hear thatr
More rustling from the shadows. and
a slim figure stepping out Of them into
the foreground; It was Angela Cullen.
just over the brink Of seventeen. ex-
Quisltely small and blonde, and pro-
foundry agltated by the news. HIl-
liurd bowed mechanically; he had re-
nembered her rs a vivid little hoyden.
Queer. that his heart should skip q
beat or two at beholding her now.
But she had brought the first remem-
brance Of untroubled days back to
him. and the contrast hurt--aboml-
nably.
"Oh, dad" she said with a quick
intake Of her breath. "Oh {.
dad" And chung to him for refuge.
staring the while with wide and fear
fil eyes at the tall stranger who had
delivered the laconIc message.
Cullen held her close. and cleared
his throat. He was In the common
enough situation Of a man who feels
that he ought to be deeply moved, and
isn't, and wonders why; and his trans
parent effort to be funereal was slight
ly overdone.
'It's a great shock to us-of course"
he said. speaking slowly. "A great
shock. Oh! Mr.. Hilliard-my
daughter. Well, must say l. :.
Suppose We sit down und talk this
over"
Hllliard bowed again; Mr.. Cullen,
his arm encIrcling Angela, led the way
to the hammock and Its reinforcement
Of wicker chairs. The trio was
seated: Hilliard coughed delicately.
and after that, there was q brief
silence. Gradually, the air was
charged with constraint. Here he
was, and there was Angela and
Mr.. Cullen-all OF them little
older. al! Of them great deal moe
but even so, here they were,
these three, just as they had sat In
the same place, on the same sort of
summer evenings. when Dicky Morgan
wasn't yet anathema, and when
This this thing happened
some time ago. did III You were
abroad YOURSELF"
ayes. I was"
II want to hear about Dick" said
Angela In q dry little voice. "Pleasel
And =. and who are you. Mr..
HilliardT'
angela I" said her father. reproach-
fully, but Hilliard. coughing with
great vehemence. felt a sudden In
rush Of triumph which gave him con.
Hdence. It was the triumph Of dra.
matte success: the consciousness that
whatever might come next, he had &C.
tually appeared before people who
knew him best, and that they saw
stranger. He smiled, q q church.
man smiles.
"All I pretend to b. Il 4 friend of
Dicks. -
"Oh! A frisndl" Cullen's intoua-
tion was curiously warped.
"Perhaps you'll understand better II
I 30 back to the beginning. Shall r.
DO" Cullea motioned him carts
blanche. and Hflliard took q long
k~>~AA "a 49,.