The Ely miner., 1920-04-30
By HOLWORTHY HALL

den compliment. Quick to grasp the
nearest handle of diplomacy, he saw
that cheerfulness on his own part
would help the situation, for now that
his duty as courier was over, there
was no need for long protracted mel
ancholy.
1t was cheerful trio, then. that sat
down to breakfast; there was no ex-
hilaration about it, but at least there
was no somber cloud of mourning.
Angela, behind the coffee urn, had oc-
caSl0nal moments of pensiveness, but
that was to be expected, and con-
doned; indeed, Hilliard held himself to
be greatly favored by even this.
She was imaginative, and billiards
pose was calculated to appeal to live
ly imagination. He treated her not as
a young girl, but with the respectful
Difference which belongs to mature
woman, mistress of household, and
a hostess in her own right. She was
charmed and captivated, and so was
her father-moSt assuredly he was
So charmed. in fact, that instead of
leaving fol. his Office at half-past eight,
he fingered until half-past nine; so
captivated, that as his limousine slid
quietly down the long, steep hill of
James street, he found himself ascrib-
ing new degree of credit to Dicky
Morgan for the simple reason that
Dicky Morgan had gained the full es-
TEEN of such friend as Hilliard
A mighty nice young man, thought
Cullen. A man of soundest Judgment
through and through. A man of bril-
liant intellect and razor-edged analy-
Sis. Had he not said, and furnished il
! lustratiOns from his broad experience,
exactly what Cullen himself had said,
in regard to labor, and materials, and
transportation, and production, these
| half a dozen years? Cullen sat back
and smiled triumphantly. 1t does a
man good to hear his pet convictions
| approved, expanded and laid down as
axioms by another wise man.
Back on the wide veranda Angela
had curled up comfortably in the ham,
| mock and, beside her, Hilliard was en-
| joying a cigarette. He was enjoying,
too, this rare interludeSof respite; he
looked across at Angela, and thanked
his stars for the invitation which had
made this quiet hour possible.
She lifted her eyes, caught Hilliard
smiling at her and blushed furiously,
not for any shame accruing to her, but
| because she had arrived at the age of
| easy bushes.
81 +. suppose you're going over
to Carols pretty soon," she said, con-
strained to say something and grasp
ing at the first available idea.
$50 anxious to get rid ve me?" he
| asked, amused
"Oh, MOI" Horror was in her tone
and modification. "Only ;. wanted
to talk to you before you saw Carol
Because Carol doesn't /. I don't
think she'll exactly feel as do about
this 1 know she won't. Maybe
it's because Dick and / were chums,
and she and Dick were oh, you
know. It's different. You ought to
take that into consjderatiOn-whe
you talk TO her, mean. don't mean
/ don't care, because do-terribly-
but =. Iscan see what it meant to
Dick 7. and know how he'd have
loved it, and picked this out of every
possible way, to :. end things, but
Carol !. she's different"
"Howg' Hilliard's voice was even,
but very low.
"Older," she said, looking away.
"And =. /. and they were going to
marry each other some time"
"But wasn't that broken OFF,"
"Yes, but she was waiting"
"Waiting?"
"Why, of course"
billiards. breath quickened.
"I should have guessed that this Mr..
Armstrong"
"Oh, but that wasn't until she
thought Dick wasn't ever coming back.
And besides, she isn't really crazy
about him-just lonesome"
Indeed" Hilliard compelled him.
self to relax. $50 you think she'll be
/. hurt?"
"Hurt?" Angela's voice was thin
with emphasis. Rather ~
"If there's anything you think I'd
better say, or not say" He rose, out
of sheer inability to endure this in
genuous estimate of Carols heartache.
Perhaps you'll tell me-because it's
time for me to be going over"
Angela had risen, too, and stood be-
side him. Her features were COM
posed, but still suggestive of inward
emotions a little too tender to convey.
"If there's anybody in the world"
she said, "who could give Carol any
consolation just now, it's you. 1 don't
suppose you ever were minister, but
you look as though everybody could
come to you and tell most everything,
and you'd help anyway, you'd
try to. So wish you'd you'd
sit and listen : Carols got to
talk to somebody, and when you're
hurt the way she is. you can't talk to
your family :. and you were
friend of Dicks. And -. :" She
swallowed, and went on more slowly.
"You can use your own judgment, of
course, but if l were in yonr place
I'd Iie."
Lie" he repeated, aghast.
"Yes, 1 would! He he
must have sent her some word. Mr..
Hilliard! He must havew She was
desperately serious now, and thor
oughly aroused. "It means the whole
world to her! It's everything! Why,