The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1920-07-30
CHAPTER x-continued.

I'm sorry. Business worries?"
"Why-in way, yes"
The doctor achieved a perfect cir
cet, and beamed at it.
Something else?"
"A good deal else" said billiard, alb
stracted, But that's no reason for
me to bother you with it. didn't know
II was so apparent"
Silence.
ITS not my habit" said the doctor
presently, "to offer any advice unless
Tn asked for it. Gratuitous advice
never did anybody any good. And no.
bocy takes it liz .ess il costs some
thirg-and not often then. And I'm
neither your regular physician nor
yorr confessor. But if / had made a
iaInosis at this present minute I'd
say that you need a preacher great
deal more than you do doctor"
q l do" said Hilliard, look
ing up sharply. "Only it's out
of Die question. Just personal things,
doftor-nothing 1 can very well talk
abdul"
"your trouble" said Doctor Durant,
isn't physical as much as it is spir-
itual. It's nothing but taut nerves. It's
nothing but your struggle against the
restraints you put upon yourself. How
10 1 know? You've told me so :.
svey@ time I've seen you It's in your
5hcA. my boy. It's in your eyes Con
StAatly. And it looks as though the
ccaference is about over be
chuse if that isn't Carol coming up the
steps, my ears aren't half as good as
they used to be-"
Both men were on their feet as she
FAme in, swirling.
"Oh!' she cried to Hilliard. 81
didn't know you were coming up to-
hight! Suppose I'd missed you'll"
He merely smiled, and made no an
swer; nor did he speak to her until
after the doctor, protesting a sudden
desire for solitude, had waved them
Hospitality out of the study into the
Giving room. Carol was in the old ia
,niliar corner of the sofa; billiard was
standing by the fireplace, peering
down into the empty CRATE. He coughed
harshly, and an expression of utter
hopelessness crept into his eyes. He
turned abruptly.
"Well," he said, "just how much
would you have cared ifyou had?"
*
There was a stately old lamp stand
ing at height behind the sofa; it's
shadows were gracious and it's light,
as it crept through shade of painted
gellum, touched Carol softly, in a
dnlicacy of radiance which was infin-
itely caressing. Her hands were lying
lille in her lap; she bent her head, and
viewed them studiously
"Why, l should have cared a great
DEAL" she said. "I'm always disap-
pointed when I miss seeing a friend of
mine. What makes you so pessimistic,
al of sudden?"
Hilliard redeemed, and his eyes grew
brighter.
'Friendship!" he said tardily.
what an accordionlike sort of thing
shat is"
"Why, Mr.. Hilliard" Her tone was
at the same time interrogatory and re-
proachful.
"Oh, I'm not speaking of you,'' he
said. "Only of the thing itself. :.
It's big or little, close or distant !.
and it hasn't anything to say about it
You'll have to excuse mel
was thinking out loud :"
"Please dor she said. you were
on the way to be interesting. Think
gu. loud some more"
billiard glanced sharply at her.
Don't laugh at mel" he said, almost
soughly. "For heavens sake, don't
yOu know that the one time you
shouldn't laugh at man is when he
deserves it?"
Carols attitude was vaguely less
suggestive of ease.
81 wasn't laughing at you" she said,
"truly. But what you said was so
so queer"
ooh, yes" billiards accent was
very flat. 81 suppose it was. It must
nave been. / always seem to be
more or less up in the air when / come
20 see you, don't L? The last time we
talked about friendship"
sBut that was at least month ago."
she said hastily, "and in the mean
zine, you've been just as nice and
cheerful as anybody. l thought you
we're all over yoAr troubles"
"Cheerfulness wasn't what you
asked for" billiard swallowed hard.
AZ l came up here, Miss Du-
rant to have a really serious talk with
gou really serious. It's been
delayed too long already. 1t took me
two solid days to get my courage up
10 it. And :. (. and now I'm here,
| don't even know how to begin"
He scowled heavily into the vacant
fireplace, and held out his palms with
q mechanic gesture as though to warm
them at an imaginary blaze. "YOu
know" he said absently, your father
:. d very extraordinary man-very."
The compliment to the doctor had
its invariable effect upon her; she
T,v6ov.