The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1920-07-24
CHAPTER xIl-Continued.


Santly. and added. with more generos-
y. than Warning had anticipated.
"r,tus and ! both asked him to. Let
o,,sus-and Jnck-handle IL together.
oo,ween them. they'll make rather an
Exhaustive study, don't you think? And
NOV might turn up something that all
~ US would want to know"
.That's right! It's thought. Well
y Cullen looked at his watch. Il
ant waste any more time on this tom
90, business. | ought to have been
4 the office an hour ago. Anybody go
lne DOWNTOWN"
II am-but I'll walk said Waring
mIlenly
.Can | stay?" asked Hilliard Of An
sela. In an undertone.
~ want you to-" she said. .-er eyes
followed Warning to the doorway.
After they had been alone for a full
minute, and neither Of them had ut
tered syllable, II came to billiard
that the chief difficulty in being evil
Il 10 make an end Of II, but that the
chief difficulty In being vrtuous is to
begin. His brain was active and his
emotions were placid; but 10 his mild
prplexity he had no compelling de-
sire to make start. There was no
restraining impeachment working
against him MS on the occasion of his
interview with Carol; his impulses
were merely lazy. Indeed, he was
nther highly gratified at the course
d things this morning: he argued
thst Warnings zeal and Armstrong;
itinerary had relieved him from any
necessity Of an out-and-out avtwal of
his innocent fraud it was much more
satisfactory, since all the issues were
20 confused, to turn his affairs over
10 Cullen, and to await the inevitable
verdict on IN impersonal basis. In the
meantime, he was deeply touched by
Cullens confidence in him; Cullen and
Carol Durant alike had refused to be-
Iieye the obvious truth; he wondered
stolIdly what It would have meant to
him to have had such reputation
from his youth onward; the gratifica-
don now would have been superlative
provided only that he had been en-
titled to his pride.
aHe's Jealous of you" said Angela
abruptly. 'That's all--he's jealous.
Simply wild with 1t. You know that
don't YOUR
Hilliard started; for it wasn't an
emboldening beginning. Not the least
90: 1t implied exactly the sort of rival
~ which he had feared. and which he
had come to relinquish.
"Who is? Oh Rufus Waring7"
Terribly jealous. Perfectly crazy
with H. That's what all this whole
mess Is about She tossed her head
wIllfully. 81 don't care; do your"
The unreserved Guinness Of it near
y TOOK him off his feet; renewing the
devastating suspicion that Angela had
grown to care too much for him-too
much for her own good.
"Why. Angela!" he said lamely. "Of
course do. 1t hurts me-"
She hammered gold-embroidered
sofacushion with one tiny fist.
'0h. he's jealous of everything and
everybody. That doesn't count any
more. Only it made me perfectly
furious. wanted to scratch him
~. the very idea of his daring to say
anything like that about you! Even
II you do like me lot !" She sighed
heavily. sand yet If you stop to think
about 1t, 1t was sort Of brave, too
standing up to all of us when 1t was
three to one, and he was wrong-pOor
dearl"
billiard looked down at her with
deep affection and troubled relief.
AS long as I've a defender like you
wouldn't worry" he said, but I'm
AFRAID 1t won't be for so very long,
Angela. that you'll feel like defending
me"
Why notY she asked
Just a notion Of mine. It strikes
me that you're fonder Of Rufus than
you let yourself think. And he needs
champion worse than do; I'm more
used to taking care Of myself"
The corners Of her mouth were pc
euilarly sensitive.
Such queer notionl" she said.
"Where'd you ever get it,"
"Oh, It came Of Its own accord.
-"
Its been such funny day." she
sald. musing Rufus was funny. and
uad was funny. and you're SO funny,
ana Carol was funny this morning,
ana I'm funny now, and"
Carroll" he echoed involuntarily.
She laughed at him, enjoying his dis
comiiture with the sweet insolence of
naughty Juvenile: and it was note
worthy that her arraignment of War
ing stopped short at this point.
\ Know something about you!" she
tainted wickedly.
what do you know, bright childY
ne demanded, red to the temples.
KNOW Her tone was singing
90 40 you Look at the man blush
wv you guilty thing! Why. you red
gennium!"
ne sat down beside her, staring al
uer vivid. fiower-like face.
angela, you little demon, STOP
laughing ut mer'
was fresh incentive; she only bub.
oled the more.
told you I'd laugh at you some
Mne, she reminded him trinmnhantly