The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1920-04-16


the sooner the better. I'm waiting for
you TO repeat what you just told us,
Rufus"
There were tears OF anger in the
law students eyes-of anger and Of
impotence. He gave Angela a look Of
superb dlsdain, shrugged his shoulders.
"Well. that settles that" he said,
and as Angela gave gasp of under
standing, and turned angrily white, he
laughed metallically.
Cullen moved nearer to him.
"Are you going to speak up or not?
Because IL you aren't :"
Waring folded his arms; hut he
still failed of the pose he planned, be-
cause his eyes and his muscles were
traitor to him.
"NO, I'm not Not until I'm ready
tol Tn not afraid of the whole crowd
of you! I'm not going to be bullied
and bulldo2ed into" He attempted
to brush past Cullen, the older man
caught him by the arm. Take your
hands Off mew
"You stay where you arew stormed
Cullen. "Until you can"
"If you lay your hands on me once
forget know what this means! I'll
have you"
"Oh. your laww Cullen snorted it
contemptuously. "For Gods sake,
don't SWIVEL about it stand up
and take it like man, il you've got
any manhood in you! For law stu
dent you're well, don't try to
run away from 1t, then. Are
you going to tell him, or am II"
The answer was delayed; Cullen
swung around to billiard. "Then I'll
tell you myself. Know what this boys
been saying about you? Coming up to
us when you're not here, and trying to
knife you when you're not bookings?
HiIliard, who had been standing
paralyzed, found voice.
"Why, can guess" he said, curious
ly calm. "And don't be harsh with
him, Mr.. Cullen. AS matter of
fact"
Angela had sprung between them;
Hilliard saw that her cheeks were tear
stained.
"It's nothing but jealousy" she
cried vehemently. "He's said horrible
things about you! He's always say
ing things about you! He said"
angela" Cullen almost fairly
shouted it. 81 tell you, this is my
house. and I won't have any more of
this Internal nonsense in it! Hear
me? I've had all the nonsense I'm go
ing to stand from anybody! Rufus,
you stay right there! Angela, you
keep quiet!" He turned to billiard.
eff you'd come in a half minute soon
er, you'd have heard this young whip
per-snapper trying to make you out
swindler! Trying to class you with
fake promoters and mining sharks !!
look at him Look ut him l want to
Yes that's what he did You! Ana
tell you, billiard, it'll take more than
his say-so to start anything around
OOA JOu OpCh JOul AhOuCh,
Rufus you had your chance
and you wouldn't take it! And | want
to tell you right here and right now"
''Wait a minute" Hilliard was
deadly quiet; the only quiet member
of the quartette. There's no use in
telling all the neighbOrs just yet" He
regarded Warning kindly. ''Do you mind
repeating precisely what you did say,
Rufus? Don't you think I'm entitled
to that much?"
The boy flushed agOnizedly; he was
the accuser, and yet he couldn't meet
billiards. eyes. It wasn't guilt; it was
mere intellectual inferiority; and yet
it gave exactly the opposite impress
sion.
"Well," he said desperately, IT know
hearsay evidence is no good, so | got it
first hand-in your own room in the
OnOndaga, didn't I? You won't deny
that, will you? / didn't just pick up
rumors-I got>it from you. Didn't /