The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1920-07-01

bulldog faith had made him forever
independent, even Rufus Waring,
whose modest contribution, accepted
out of spleenless commiseration, had
swelled to the dignity Of four figures,
and given him the means 10 show the
world 10 Angela. And billiard himself
had made far more than all the other
venturers combined OF In money,
perhaps. but in dividends payable in
the medium Of his self-respect.
And yet, as the realities stood, now,
he was sensitive TO the nothingness Of
his triumph, until such time as he had
some one TO divide II with him. For
there is little pleasure In a monopoly
Of happiness; not even joke is fully
established until some one appears to
share It; q secret Is delectable 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, he began vaguely to
wonder what he should do II she re-
fused him.
What would be lefti Only the shell
Of achievement. Would he go back to
France? or would he remain in Amer
lea. and struggle for success by en-
downing war charities out of his glori-
ous income-to-be? Also and
this was enervating what
should he say to her? 1t is given to
few men to propose twice, in different
characters, TO the same girl.
The train plowed and painted through
the thickening drifts; billiards. watch
was coming out of his pocket at five
minute intervals; here was Rochester
at last three hours late :,
and there, shining dimly 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
Syracusel
His feet were on the platform he
was hurrying forward. Ahead Of him
and in his excitement he STUN
bled heavily there, coming
toward him Carol and the
Doctor, befurred and 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 1t
greater justice by the disconnected
sounds he made. And then he was
entering the Doctors closed car; they
were bouncing over the cobbles OF the
lower city; they were attacking the
grade of James street, and he was
peering out in an ecstasy of memory
at the houses where he had played In
boyhood.
Two o'clock on time for
dinner to the secondi A house hang
ing with evergreen; a Christmas
spirit permeating every nook and
Granny; Christmas odors-not all Of
evergreen-drifted in tantalizing whiffs
to meet him.
A joyous interlude; gay process
sion; hush; 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 a vague
recollection that they had been sent
TO look for something corn
pepper or some other equally futile
article and for an instant
he marveled at their expecting to find
II In the sun-parlor, where they had
wandered. But the sun-parlor was hap
PLY unoccupied; and there were COM
very green and red and seasonable In
all the windows; so that they both de-
layed prodigiously, and exchanged q
number Of highly inconseqnential re-
marks about the decorations. Pres
emily. without so much as transient
thought for the corn-popper, they sat
down with one accord. From a dis
lance the murmur Of cheerful voices
in the living room was an adequate
accompaniment TO their thoughts.
billiards. head was dropped low his
reverie was so profound that not even
Carols voice could rouse hlm-not un-
I'll she spoke second time.
II saba penny for them" she re-
peated, amused.
"Ohp Hllliard's awakening was ex-
plosive- "Why, that's queer =.
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 and they were
a wonderful bargain at the pricel"
He didn't seem to recall that she had
ever looked so mischievous.
"They are now. then" he said spa-