The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1920-02-20


stopped noticing him on his own ac-
count. Just took advantage of the
fact that nobody could quite bear to
be harsh to his fathers son. But he
was always wild young chap, moth
ing very bad, except that just too
much of anything including liquor
was just enough for him! Had too
quick a temper to be diplomatic
enough to hold job, and didn't care
much about working hard, and finally
the tide turned, and he began to get
treated just as if his father hadn't
been a sort of popular idol, and then
his disposition soured, and he made
some bad mistakes: / gave him the
last job he ever had in Syracuse, but
l had to let him go and told
him some plain facts when | did.
That's what he refers to-"
81 assumed" said Hilliard, hesitat-
ly, ''that at one time he had been what
you might call +. disappointed
in love? Something was weighing on
him-he practically admitted i.
but that was one point that he didn't
appear to want to confess, even to
me-"
HE was engaged to Carol Durant."
Angela had taken the cross again, and
held it like a precious relic. "She
broke it off, just before he went
away"
''The day before" added Mr.. Gull
len. ''That was one of the two rea-
sons why he went"
billiard nodded.
81 see. On account of his
habits?"
"That was the gossip" said Mr. Gull
len heavily. Doctor Durant was sup
posed to have"
Didn't he write to her?" asked An
gela, raising her eyes.
."Not that / :" He stopped
quickly. II trust you'll forgive me,
but I'd imagined from various remarks
he made at different times, that he
was really that he was great
ly attached to you" This last was adj
dressed to Angela, who was both digni-
fed and shaken by the suggestion.
Her father, however, nodded in the
negative.
angela wasn't much more than fif-
teen sir, They were great friends; he
was very fond of her. No, it was
Carol Durant he was engaged to-.
Didn't he ask you to see her?p
"No."
"But you will, / hope, won't you?"
"You can see Carol here tonight, if
you care to-" said Angela, uncertainty.
"Sbe and -. and q friend of hers
are coming over to talk about another
Red Cross drive. Carols on the COM
mittee. They ought to be here any
minute now"
eyes" said HiIIiard. "If I'm going
to see her, / think / should rather
see her here"
Mr.. Cullen sighed stertorously.
'Well, perhaps it's better /.
and / shall want to telephone this to
the Herald if you don't object. It's
the least we can do, all things consid-
cred" He reflected mo-
ment. "How long are you staying in
town, Mr.. Hilliard?"
"I've made no plans whatsoever"
he said, after slight pause. Il sold
my interests to a British syndicate Of
bankers two months ago. My home is
where my baggage is. I'm thinking of
taking day or two to see certain of
Dicks friends-the ones he talked
about most-and after that, the future
is on the knees of the gods"
Mr.. Cullen regarded him with sin
cere respect.
"It would give me great pleasure"
he said, trifle pompously, eff you
would be my guest for the time you're
here, Mr.. Hilliard. 1t would please
me very much indeed" billiards.
heart pounded.
"And me too" said Angela, gently.
billiards. heart threatened to suffo-
cate him; not entirely because the
game was going so infinitely better
than he had dared to hope, but also
because 1t was Angela who entreated
him.
Its wonderfully good of you," he
protested, "but I couldn't disturb you
to that extent. Thank you, but"
Mr.. Cullen stopped him by an in
elusive gesture.
"You won't disturb us in the slight
est!N I wish you'd come with US, Mr..
Hilliard. I should feel much better
than having you stay downtown"
"Well-" said Hilliard, obviously.