The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1920-04-15

I "1f there's anything yea think I'd
better say. or not say" He rsse. out
Of sheer Inability to endure this In
| genuous estimate Of Carols heartache.
Perhaps ysu'l tell me-becsuse it's
time for me TO be going over"
| Angela had risen, toe. and stood be-
side him. Her features were COM
posed, bat stiil suggestive Of inward
emotions little too tender 10 convey.
| IF there's anybody in the world"
she said, "who could give Carol any
consolation just now. It's you. ! don't
suppose you ever were minister, but
you look as though everybody could
come to YOU aud tell most everything,
and you'd help anyway. you'd
try to. So wish you'd you'd
sit aud listen Carols got to
hurt the way she is, yea csA't talk to
your family and yeu were .
friend Of Dicks. And :" She
swallowed. ana went On mere slowly.
"Yeu can use yeur ows Judgment. Of
course. but IL l were In ye1r place
I'd lie"
lie" he repeated, ashast.
"Yes. would! he he
must have sent her seine word, Mr..
Hillisrd! He mnst havew She vas
desperately serious now. and thor
oughly aroused. ut means the whole
world to her! It's ererythingl Why.
even I've got more than she has, and
she was waiting for him to come back
TO herl Td lie myself black in the
face. but I'd tell her sometbing-tell
her anything / could think of to make
her believe he hadn't stopped caring!
1t can't do any harm now. 1t can't
hurt you. And / won't even ask you
whether you do or not. Only you're
here. and she'll trust you"
"Will she?"
"How could she help It? And :.
and that's all. Please don't let her
think he didn't care"
billiard stood irresolute; chaos in
his brain. "Tll see," he sale
with difficulty. "I'll see"
Wont you promise me7 l won't
ask You afterward. if YOU"
Does it mean so much TO you?"
Ever and ever so much. 4.
Won't you please promise?"
He gazed at her moment, yielded
with a show of reluctance.
VERY well-I promise. Because
you've asked IL. And because it's the
dearest. most generous, most .thought-
full thing / ever heard of In all my
life. And after that, can't we
be truly friends?"
Flushed, perplexed, honored, she
gave him her hand with hesitancy
which betrayed the deep sense OF com
pliment she felt.
81 don't think I could be prouder of
anything that could possibly happen
to me-" she said.
Was II worth the blatant mummery
he had conceived and executed? Was
II not worth that, and infinitely more?
She was proud OF his friendship
and she shared that distinc-
ton with no one else in the entire
universe.
Proud of II! Hilliard was fulsome-
ly abashed. Abashed-yes, and stimuli
taneously glorified. He had come to
make the city proud. ignorantly proud,
Of the man whose deeds had merited
no renown. Here, at the very incep-
ton Of his plans, a seventeen-year-oid
girl was proud of him as he was.
Courage. Inspiration. Resolve.
He had won her respect by the prom
Use OF lie; and in this instant he
vowed to deserve, by other and in
creasing lies IL need be, the prestige
he was unalterably committed to gain,
whereby the past should be as moth
Ing. and the future should be mag
nifcent citadel of reconquered dreams.
She was proud Of him, and she had
approved the lie Ia behalf OF Dicky
Morgan's memory. Unwittingly, she
had sanctioned the very purpose OF
his coming, and the method Of his APP
proach. She had confirmed his own
intentions, and given him the will TO
advance. He was TO act as the stanch
defender Of her playmate persisted,
and to make Of himself q new and a
better man. worthy OF the eulogies
which, as trustee, he now accepted for
the unworthy Morgan. He cOnsecrated
himself TO this end. Told himself
fiercely that he would succeed. And
she was proud of him! 1t was an
other omen.
1t was eleven o'clock to the minute
when billiard. not quite so blithe as
wedding guest. and yet not alto
gether az doleful as a mourner, waved
his hand to slender girl who stood
OH the veranda of house diagonally
across the street, and went slowly up
the Durants' brick walk. He had an
ticipated the effect of this pilgrimage
upon his nerves, he had discounted
It; and Angela's advice had given him
an artificial stimulus for the moment;
nevertheless, as the front door opened
to him. and he saw, over the head OF