The Dolores star., 1920-10-22
CHAPTER xii-continued.

Ma way West" said HIlliard. diff
..,,lv and added. with more generos-
NJ than waring had anticipated.
Tu,us and I both asked him to. Let
Rrfus-and Jack-handle 1t together
R.tveen them. they'll make rather an
,,hsustlve study, don't you think7 And
they might turn up something that all
n Us would want to know"
That's right! It's thought. Well
- Cullen looked at his watch. ~
nnt waste any more time on this tom
fool business. I ought to have been
ia the office an hour ago. Anybody 60
hs downtownT
Il am-but I'll walk" said waring
nllenly.
-Can I stay7" asked HIllIard of An
tela, In an undertone.
Il want you to-" she said. Her eyes
followed Waring to the doorway.
After they had been alone for full
minute, and neither of them had ut
tered a syllable, 1t came to HlllIard
that the chief difficulty in being evil
Is to make an end Of 1t. but that the
chief difficulty In being virtuous is to
begin. His brain was active and his
emotions we're placid; but 70 his mild
perple1ity he had no compelling de-
sire to make a start. There was no
restraining impediment working
lgainst him. as on the occasion OF his
Interview with Carol; his impulses
we're merely lazy. Indeed, he was
rather highly gratlfied Mt the course
Of things this morning.; he argued
that Warnings zeal and Armstrong;
itinerary had relieved him from any
necessity of an out-and-out avowal of
bis Innocent fraud; 1t was much more
satisfactory, since all the issues were
20 confused, to turn his affairs over
to Cullen, and to await the inevitable
verdict on an impersonal basis. In the
meantime. he was deeply touched by
Cullens confidence In him; Cullen and
Carol Durant alike had refused to be-
lleye the obvious truth; he wondered
him TO have had such reputation
from his youth onward; the gratifica-
ton now would have been superiatlve
provided only that he had been en-
titled to his pride.
Hes jealous of you" said Angela
abruptly. That's all-he's jealous.
Simply wild with 1t. You know that
don't your"
Hllliard started; for It wasn't an
emboldening beginning. Not the least
70; 1t Implied exactly the sort Of rival
p which he had feared. and which he
bad come to relInquish.
who is? Oh! Rufus Waring?"
Terribly jealous. Perfectly crazy
with 1t. That's what all this whole
mess Is about" She tossed her head
willfully. II don't care; do your
The unreserved bluntness of 1t near
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 a gold-embroldered
'0ia,cushion with one tiny fist.
'oh, he's Jealous of everything and
everybody That doesn't count any
more Only 1t made me perfectly
'urious. wanted to scratch him
80 the very Idea Of his daring to say
aas'nihs like that about you! Even
you do like me lott" She sighed
a.aSliy. And yet II you stop to think
soou. 1t, 1t was sort Of brave, too
.Anaing up to all Of us when 1t was
dearm ''e p'''
h'lilard looked down at her with
'eep aiection and troubled relief.
as long as I've a defender like you
"ou'dnt worry" he said, "but I'm
Aa'u 1t won't be for SO very long,
me-" ''"e u'ieh''''e
"hy not" she asked
'ust notion of mine. 1t strikes
w W. 'hat you're fonder of Rufus than
wv let yourself think. And he needs
n.s. snampion worse than do; I'm more
n. 10 taking care Of myself"
c,,,A Ae corners Of her mouth were PEI
>unafly sensitive.
4ws sucn queer notion ~ she said.
nered ao. you ever get It?"
w. 1t came Of Its own accord.
MIA as been such a funny day." she
nss s' muslng. Ruins was funny, and
,ns was funny. and you're so funny,
,nS Sarol was funny this morning.
~ N iunny now. and"
sha a'" + he echoed involuntarily.
coms, n.e laughed at him. enjoying his dis
, .ufe na, with the sweet insolence Of
vo,.s ushty juvenile; and 1t was note
n, s ~. mat her arraignment of War
y Stopped short at this point.
.u,,. Know something about you /" she
II dsr "a. 40 you know. bright chlldr'
n sanued, red to the temples.
m - anow" Her tone was singing.
wv 10 you'll Look at the man blush /
ser,n,, you guilty thingl Why. you red