The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1920-04-30
CHAPTER xlI-continued.

"Rufus and | both asked him to- Let
Rufus--and Jack-handle it together.
Between them, they'll make rather an
exhaustive study, don't you think? And
they might turn up something that all
of us would want to know"
THAT'S right It's thought. Well
-" Cullen looked at his watch. 81
can't waste any more time on this tom
fool business. l ought to have been
in the Office an hour ago. Anybody go
ing DOWNTOWN?
81 am-but I'll walk" said Waring
sulenly.
Can I stay?" asked Hilliard of An
gela, in an undertone.
II 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, it came to billiard
that the chief difficulty in being evil
is to make an end of it, but that the
chief difficulty in being virtuOus is to
begin. His brain was active and his
emotions were placid; but 10 his mild
perplexity he had no compelling de-
sire to make a start There was no
restraining impeachment working
against him, as on the occasion of his
interview with Carol; his impulses
were merely lazy Indeed, he was
rather highly gratifed at 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
his innocent fraud it was much more
satisfactory, since all the issues were
so 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
Cullen's confidence in him; Cullen and
Carol Durant alike had refused to be-
lieye the obvious truth he wondered
stolidly what it would have meant to
him to have had such a reputation
from his youth onward the gratifica-
ton now would have been superlative
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 it. You know that
don't yOu?"
Hilliard started; for it wasn't an
emboIdening beginning. Not the least
SO; it implied exactly the sort of rivals
~ which he had feared, and which he
had come to relinquish.
'WhO is? OIL Rufus Waring?"
Terribly jealous Perfectly crazy
with it. That's what all this whole
mess is about" She tossed her head
willfully. Il don't care; do you?"
The unreserved bluntness of it near
Iy took him off his feet; renewing the
devastating suspicion that Angela had
grown to care too much Tor him-toO
much for her own good.
"Why, Angela !" he said Iamely. "Of
course / do 1t hurts me-"
She hammered a Embroidered
sOfa-cushion with one tiny fist.
ooh, he's jealous Of everything and
everybody That doesn't count any
more Only it made me perfectly
furious. f. wanted to scratch him
=. the very idea of his daring to say
anything like that about your Even
if you do like me a lot % She sighed
heavily "And yet if you stop to think
about it, it was sort of brave too
standing up to all Of us when 1t was
three to one, and he was wrong-pO0r
dear"
Hilliard looked down at her with
deep affection and troubled relief.
GAS long as I've a defender like you
I 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 not?" she asked.
''Just a notion of mine. 1t strikes
me that you're fonder of Rufus than
you let yourself think And he needs
a champion worse than do; I'm more
used to taking care of myself"
The corners of her mouth were pc
culiarly sensitive.
''Such a queer notiOnr' she said.
"Where'd you ever get it?"
O1tg II ScllAC VI ALFo OHh ON'~VAN'
"It's been such funny day." she
said, musing. rufus was funny, and
Dad was funny, and you're SO funny,
and Carol was funny this morning,
and I'm funny now, and"
"Carol" he echoed Involuntary.
She laughed at him, enjoying his dis
comfiture with the sweet insolence of
a naughty Juvenile; and it was note
worthy that her arraignment Of War
ing stopped short at this point.
Il know something about your she
tainted wickedly.
"What do you know, bright child?"
he demanded, red to the temples.
81 knowi" Her tone was singing.
$50 do you! Look at the man blush
Why, you guilty thing! Why you red
geranium !"
He sat down beside her, staring at
her vivid, fower-like face.
"Angela, you little demon, stop
laughing at me!''
II was fresh incentive; she only bub-