The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1920-07-02
CHAPTER x-continued.

"Why--ln way, yes"
The doctor achieved a perfect cir
elet, and beamed at it.
Something else?"
"A good deal else" said billiard, alb
stracted. But that's no reason for
me to bother you with it. / didn't know
It was so apparent"
Silence.
IT'S not my habit" said the doctor
presently, ito offer any advice unless
I'm asked for it. Gratuitous advice
never did anybody any good. And no
bOCy takes it unless it costs some
thifg-and not often then. And I'm
neither your regular physician nor
yo:r confessor. But If l had made q
dia inosis at this present minute I'd
say that you need a preacher a great
de,q more than you do a doctor"
~ l do" said billiard, look.
ing up, sharply. "Only . it's out
of Pie question. Just personal things,
dofTor-nothing l can very well talk
abdul"
"Your trouble" said Doctor Durant,
isn't physical as much as it is spir-
ituai. It's nothing but taut nerves. It's
nothing but your struggle against the
restraints you put upon yourself. How
10 l know? You've told me so =.
sver3 time I've seen you. It's in your
Shcs, my boy. It's in your eyes. Con-
gt8stly. And it looks as though the
aysference is about over be
cHuse if that isn't Carol coming up the
4teps, my ears aren't half as good as
shey used to be-"
10th men were on their feet as she
eame in, swirling.
"Oh!" she cried to billiard 81
didn't know you were coming up to-
hlght! Suppose I'd missed your
He merely smiled, and made no an
Bwer; nor did he speak to her until
after the doctor, protesting a sudden
desire for solitude, had waved them
Hospitality out of the study into the
diving room. Carol was in the old ia
aniliar corner of the sofa; Hilliard was
standing by the fireplace, peering
sl0wn into the empty CRATE. He coughed
harshly, and an expression of utter
hopelessness crept into his eyes. He
surned abruptly.
"Well," ne said, "just how much
would you have cared if you had?"
=
There was a stately old lamp stand
ing at height behind the sofa; it's
shadows were gracious and its light,
as it crept through a shade Of painted
Sellum, touched Carol softly, in a
.lelicacy of radiance which was infin-
iteIy caressing. Her hands were lying
idle in her lap; she bent her head, and
viewed them studiously.
"Why, I should have cared a great
DEAL" she said "Im always disap-
pointed when l miss seeing friend of
mine. What makes you so pessimistic,
al OF a sudden?"
Hilliard redeemed, and his eyes grew
brighter.
'Friendship! he said tardily
''What an accordionlike sort of thing
that isw
"Why, Mr.. Hilliardr' Her tone was
Mt the same time interrogatory and re-
rroachful.
"Oh, I'm not speaking of you" he
raid. "Only of the thing itself. {.
IT'S big or little, close or distant :.
and it hasn't anything to say about it
You'll have to excuse mel
was thinking out loud
please dor she said. "You were
on the way to be interesting. Think
on: loud some more"
billiard glanced sharply at her.
''Don't laugh at met" he said, almost
Soughly "For heavens sake, don't
you know that the one time you
shouldn't laugh at man is when he
deserves it?'
Carols attitude was vaguely less
suggestive of ease.
81 wasn't laughing at YOU she said,
''truly. But what you said was so
so queer"
ooh, yes" billiards. accent was
very fiat. Il suppose it was. 1t must
have been. l always seem to be
more or less up in the air when l come
20 see you, don't ]? The last time we
talked about friendship
"But that was at least a month ago."
she said hastily, land in the mean
slime, you'va been just as nice and
cheerful as anybody. I thought you
were all over yoar troubles"
"CheerfulnesS wasn't what you
asked for" Hilliard swallowed hard.
81 I came up here, Miss Du-
rant, to have a really serious talk with
Sou really serious. It's been
delayed too long already. It took me
two solid days to get my courage up
to it. And and now I'm here,
l don't even know how to begin"
He scowled heavily into the vacant
fireplace, and held out his palms with
a mechanic gesture as though to warm
them at an imaginary blaze. you
know" he said absently "yOur father
= Il very extraordinary man-yery.
The compliment to the doctor had
its invariable effect upon her; she
g0wed under it.
D., give always known that I'm
A., TOR