Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1920-04-01

pie, and no mOre-there wasn't the
slightest use in Armstrong; lettering
disconsOlately in the neighbOrhood; it
had maximum capacity of two. Fur
thermore, it was removed by several
feet from the nearest listening post.
He was so close to her that their
sleeves touched; he looked into the
beautiful eyes which were so clear, so
unsuspecting; and his will swayed
perilOusly. Had he prepared so long
and savagely for his requital, only to
lose his impetus at almost the first
glance of those brown eyes? He re-
Elected that there was nothing to pre-
vent him from being a good salesman,
and from renewing his prediction for
Carol at the same time. The idea of
counting her again, in his false char
acter, was highly dramatic.
Il know you won't misunderstood
me-" he said, his heart shaking, "and
| hope that you won't consider it as
too presumptuOus-but- other day
you spoke of Dicky Morgan as very
dear friend of yours. Miss Durant,
want to do everything in the world
can for you, and he was my dear
friend as well as yours. I'm not dis
loyal to him, or to you, or to myself
but l should like more than l can ever
tell you to feel that l had done my ut
most to take his place. No one can do
that literally am not so vain-but
feel, and have felt from the time we
met each other, Dicly would have
wanted US to be friends"
"That's-that's wonderfully thought
full of you," said Carol, softly. "And
:. and think he would have wanted
that . . if he'd known. . - Her
eyes were suSpiCiously dim and Hill
liard's loneliness dissolved into a
great spasm of longing which held
him and shook him and left him weak
with impotence
"Then I'll stay in Syracuse" he said
abruptly. "Provided-provided you
won't be offended if l do have to want
to know you for yourself-just Il little
sefishly. I'm afraid that isn't very
clear-it's difficult to separate it-but
you see
Don't try to explain" she said, sub
dued 81 know how hard all this must
be for you-and l think perhaps you
need my friendship as much as l need
yours"
pnfnrA hn np1,1I rpY,1yr thnro n
futter of Understandable gracefulness
before them. Angela was courtesying
in mock Obeisance to the floor. Behind
her, Waring was watching her pos
sessively.
"If your majesties will wake up half
second" she said, "everybOdy's going
to walk up around the Sedgwick farm
tract to get some fresh air. Coming"
AS they stood together, drenched
with regret for the condolences that
might forever remain unsaid, a maid
appeared in the doorway.
please. ma'am," she said breath
lessy, cts the Western Union-for
Mr.. Efllard."
Right in my study" called the doc
tor, hurrying. Just across the hall.
There you are!" and ushered him into
the door.
Despite the urgent summons which
the average person feels under such
circumstances Hilliard was astOnish-
ingly tardy in sitting down to the re-
ceiver. For one thing he was still
vibrating from his recent stress of
passion; for another he knew pretty
certainly what the message was going
to be, and for a third, he was some
what emotionally under the spell of
the Doctors room. billiard had spent
a hundred hours in it-pleasant hours,
so that involuntarily yielding to its
kindly atmosphere, and all that the at
mosphere implied, he took time to sur
vey all four walls before he took up
the receiver. And after he had lis
tened to the telegram, and ordered a
copy mailed to him in care Of Mr.. Gull
len, he took time to survey those walls
again, more closely; and this was
partly for their intrinsic significance,
and partly because his feelings were
so fresh and tender that he dreaded to
return at once to the gathering which,
as whole couldn't be expected to de-
fer to them. His eyes fell upon the
doctors desk, wandered and suddenly
focused hard and pierclngly. He
went over to the desk and slowly put
out his hand and lifted up small pho
tograph in a metal frame.
"Well, I'll be darned" said billiard,
Just above a whisper. The turning of
the doorknob reused him; he wheeled
with the photograph still A his hand.
Hello" said Doctor Durant, cheer
fully. Get your message all right?
What's that you've found? Oh, yes
Dicks picture"
Hilliard swallowed hard, and found
that his voice was queerly out Of con-
troll.
"It's-it'S the same one"
"Yes-it's the same as the one you
brought back. I've had it there ever
since he gave 1t to me-"
He took it gently from billiards.
hN InUly