The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1920-02-13


throat was dusty dry.
AS he gained the level Of the YER
Ianda, there was stir of activity off
to the right, and an erect, middle
aged man clambered out of ham,
mock, and came brlskly forward.
Back in the shadows billiard could
detect the soft outlines Of a white
dress.
"Yes?" The middle-aged man was
politely brusQue.
SIS this Mr.. Cullen? Mr..
James Cullen?
Eyes sirw The middle-aged man
was very convincing about it. yes,
sir. What can / do for you?"
Hilliard bowed stiffiy from the hips
"a touch Of foreign courtesy which
had it's effect.
eff you're at leisure, Mr.. Cullen,
should like very much to have word
with you. OIL think may call it
so--urgent private matters. My name
is Hilliard. In brief, I've come up
from New York today to bring you
letter from young man named Rich
ard Morgan"
"Morgan" said the older man
sharply. "Dick Morgan" Back in the
shadows there was sudden rustic.
where's he?"
Hes dead" said billiard. "He died
in France" Mr.. Cullen stood perfect
ly still, and billiard, watching him
intently, was overcome by resentment
at the knowledge that two years ago
this man had held billiards fate in
his thick fingers.
"No!" said Mr.. Cullen. "Of all
things Well, what dyou know about
that! Dick Morgan dead" There
was surprise, but little poignancy in
his tone. isn't that terrible! And
over in France! Angela, did
you hear tiiat?"
More rustling from the shadows, and
a slim figure stepping out of them into
the foreground it was Angela Cullen,
Just over the brink of seventeen, ex-
quisitely small and blonde, and pro-
foundry agitated by the news. Hill
lard bowed mechanically; he had re-
membered her as a vivid little h0yden.
Queer, that his heart should skip q
beat or two at beholding her now.
But she had brought the first remem-
brance of untroubled days back to
him, and the contrast hurt-abomi-
nably.
ooh, dad" she said with quick
intake of her breath "Oh {.
dadm And chung to him for refuge,
staring the while with wide and fear
full eyes at the tall stranger who had
delivered the laconic message.
Cullen held her close, and cleared
his throat. He was in the common
enough situation of man who feels
that he ought to be deeply moved, and
isn't, and wonders why; and his trans
parent effort to be funeral was slight
ly overdone.
'Tt's a great shock to us-of course"
he said, speaking slowly. "a great
shock. Oh! Mr.. Hilliard-
daughter. Well, l must say l. /.
Suppose we sit down and talk this
over"
Hilliard bowed again; Mr.. Cullen,
his arm encircling Angela, led the way
to the hammock and it's reinforcement
of wicker chairs. The trio was
seated: Hilliard coughed delicately,
and after that, there was brief
silence. Gradually, the air was
charged with constraint. Here he
was, and there was Angela and
Mr.. Cullen-all of them little
older all of them a great deal more
repressed, but even so, here they were,
these three, just as they had sat in
the same place, on the same sort of
summer evenings, when Dicky Morgan
wasn't yet anathema, and when i. !.
'"This this thing happened
some time ago, did it2 You were
abroad yourself?"
"Yes, l was"
81 want to hear about Dick" said
Angela in a dry little voice. please!
And and who are you, Mr..
Hilliard?"
''Angela!" said her father, reproach-
fully, but billiard, coughing with
great vehemence, felt sudden in
rush of triumph which gave him con-
fidence. 1t was the triumph of dra-
matte success; the consciousness that
whatever might come next, he had ac-
tually appeared before people who
knew him best, and that they saw
stranger. He smiled, as church
man smiles.
"All l pretend to be Is friend Of
Dicks. +"
"Oh! A friend" Cullen's intona-
ton was curiously warped.
perhaps you'll understand better If
1 go back to the beginning. Shall II"
DO" Cullen motioned him carte
blanche, and billiard took long
breath, and began.