The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1920-08-14


there Is little pleasure in monopoly
of happiness; not even q joke is fully
established until some one appears to
share 1t; 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 if she re-
fused him.
What would be left? Only the shell
Of achievement. Would he 20 back to
France? or would he remain In Amer
lea, and struggle for success by en-
downing war charities out of his glOri-
Gus income-to-be? Also and
this was eneryating what
should he say to her? 1t IS given to
few men to propose twice, i'm different
characters, to the same girl.
The train plowed and painted through
the thlckening drifts; billiards. watch
was coming out of his pocket at five
minute intervals; here was Rochester
at last three hours late 4.
and there, shining dimly through
banked clouds, was the sun! The
train seemed warmed TO greater effort
by It's mere appearance; Hilliard, 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
Syracusei
His feet were on the platform; he
was hurrying forward. Ahead of him
/. and I'm 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 himl
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.
dinner to the second A house hang
ing with evergreen; 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; a hush; gravely spoken bless
ing-Oh, that Christmas!
There came time early in the eve
ming when billiard found himself
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
1t in the sun-parlor, where they had
wandered. But the sun-parlor was hap
PLY unoccupied; and there were COM
Portable chairs in it; and something
very green and red and seasonable in
all the windows; so that they both de-
layed prodigiously, and exchanged a
number Of highly inconsequential re-
marks about the decorations. Pres
emily, without so much as a transient
thought for the corn-popper, they sat
down with one accord. From 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 him-not I'M
til she spoke second time.
II saba penny for them" she re-
peated, amused.
"Oh!'' billiards awakening was ex-
plosive. "Why, that's queer - !.
l was just thinking about that my
self mean the first Sunday | ever
came up here TO dinner. You said
the same thing then. Remember it?"
ayes. indeed and they were
wonderful bargain at the price !"
He didn't seem to recall that she had
ever looked so mischievous.
"They are now. then" he said. BE
cause it's just as it was before-I was
thinking about you Regarding her,
he was transported anew by her 'ove-
Illness. And il wasn't only her ex-
ternal loyeliness that he adored, it was
what she had of sympathy, and kind
ness, and sweetness of disposition. A
very womanly girl she was not
a flaming character to blaze and die,
bur a steady and enduring soul =.
such rs he craved
She turned her head away.
II was very angry at you this morn
ing. she said; Il thought you'd for
gotten about me entirely"
Hilliard affected alarm. How could
that happen?
"Not even so much as little card
with Merry Christmas on it. she
said. Father and mother had one