The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1920-06-11
CHAPTER x-continued.


The doctor achieved perfect cir
clet, 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
1t was so apparent"
Silence.
tits not my habit" said the doctor
presently, ito offer any advice unless
I'm asked for it. Gratuitous advice
never did anybody any good. And no
body takes it unless it costs some
thing-and not often then. And I'm
neither your regular physician nor
your confessor. But if had made a
Fs.aiagnosis at this present minute I'd
say that you need preacher great
deal more than you do DOCTOR"
81 do" said billiard, look
Ing up sharply. "Only it's out
Of the question. Just personal things,
doctor-nothing / can very we'll talk
about
Your trouble" said Doctor Durant,
"isnt physical as much as 1t is spir-
ltual. It's nothing but taut nerves. It's
nothing but your struggle against the
restraints you put upon yourself. How
do know? You've told me so /.
every time I've seen you. It's in your
face, my boy. It's in your eyes. Con-
stantly. And it looks as though the
conference is about over be-
cause if that isn't Carol coming up the
steps, my ears aren't half as good as
they used to be-"
Both men were OF their feet as she
came in, swirling.
ooh !" she cried to- billiard. 81
didn't know you were coming up to-
night! 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
living room. Carol was in the old ia
miliar corner of the sofa; Hilliard was
standing by the fireplace, peering
down into the empty CRATE. He coughed
arShly, and an expression of utter
hopelessness crept into his eyes. He
turned abruptly.
well" he said, "just how much
would you have cared if you had?"
There was stately old lamp stand
ing at height behind the sofa; its
shadows were gracious and it's light,
rs it crept through shade of painted
vellum, touched Carol softly, in
delicacy Of radiance which was infin-
itely caressing. Her hands were lying
idle in her lap; she bent her head, and
viewed them studiously.
"Why, / should have cared great
DEAL" she said. "Tm always disap-
pointed when miss seeing a friend Of
mine. What makes you so pessimistic,
all of sudden?"
billiard REDEEMED, and his eyes grew
brighter.
''Friendshipw he said tardily.
"What an accordionlike sort of thing
that is I"
"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 -. 1
and it hasn't anything to say about 1t
You'll have to excuse mel
was thinking out loud -"
please dol" she said. "You were
on the way to be interesting. Think
out loud some more"
billiard glanced sharply at her.
Don't laugh at me'' he said, almost
roughly. 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"
"Oh, yes" Hilliard's accent was
very fat 81 suppose it was. 1t must
have been. / always seem to be
more or less up in the air when 1 come
TO see you, don't /? The last time we
talked about friendship"
But that was at least month ago."
she said hastily, "and in the mean
time, you've been just as nice and
cheerful as anybody. / thought you
We're all over your troubles"
"Cheerfulness wasn't what YOU
asked for" billiard swallowed hard.
81 l came up here, Miss Du-
rant, to have really serious talk with
you really serious. It's been
delayed too long already. It took me
two solid days to get my courage up
to 1t. And and now I'm here,
i don't even know how to begin"
He scowled heavily into the vacant
fireplace, and held out his palms with
a mechanic gesture as though to warm
them at an imaginary blaze. "You
know" he said absently, your father
is a very extraordinary man-very"
The compliment to the doctor had
its ,invariable effect upon her; she
glowed under it.
''rve always known that I'm
glad you realize it, too"
He stood erect, and faced her. 81
do it came to me, when was
talking to him, what great privilege
it must be for you to have his advice
and his sympathy -. when you
need it. And there are so few-so in
eredibly few-people who make you
feel like that. One In thousand. Or,
one in ten thousand. People who lift |
you clear of your trivial little self i
and make you think in terms of prin-
ciples, and not of your own selfish |
ileas-and still don't preach. i
1t must be privilege
,.It isn't only for me- she said .lIa