The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1920-06-11
CHAPTER x-continued.

"Why-in way, yes"
The doctor achieved perfect cir
Glet, and beamed at it.
Something else?"
"A good deal eIse," said billiard, alb
stracted. but that's no reason for
me to bother you with it. didn't know
1t was so apparent"
Silence.
IT'S 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.
bo6y takes it unless it costs some
thifg-and not often then. And I'm
neieher your regular physician nor
yorr confessor. But if had made a
dia !nosis at this present minute I'd
say that you need preacher a great
deGI more than you do doctor"
d! l do" said Hilliard, look
ing up sharply. "Only it's out
of the question. Just personal things,
do6tor-nothing l can very well talk
abdut."
"Your trouble" said Doctor Durant,
'isr't physical as much as it is spir-
ituat It's nothing but taut nerves. It's
nothing but your struggle against the
restraints you put upon yourself. How
10 l know? You've told me so :.
svey4 time I've seen you. It's in your
5tca, my boy. It's in your eyes. Con-
xtAatly And it looks as though the
rcaference is about over be-
cIuse if that isn't Carol coming up the
6leps, my ears aren't half as good as
stey used to be-"
Both men were on their feet as she
fame in, swirling.
COIL" she cried to billiard. Il
didn't know you were coming up to-
night! Suppose I'd missed your
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
diving 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.
"Wen," he said, "just how much
would you have cared if you had?"
= 4
There was a stately old lamp stand
Ing at height behind the sofa; its
shadows were gracious and it's light,
ns it crept through shade Of painted
Eellum, touched Carol softly, in a
anlicacy of radiance which was infin-
itely caressing. Her hands We're lying
!ule in her lap; she bent her head, and
viewed them studiOusly.
"Why. l should have cared great
deal" she said ''Im always disap-
pointed when miss seeing a friend of
mine. What makes you so pessimistic,
all of a sudden?"
billiard redeemed, and his eyes grew
brighter
Friendship he said tardily.
what an accordionlike sort of thing
that isl"
"Why, Mr. Hilliard" Her tone was
ut 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 il hasn't anything to say about ii
You'll have to excuse me-
was thinking out loud
"Please do!' 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 sc
so dueer.'
"Oh, yes" billiards accent. was
very fiat. az suppose it was. 1t must
have been. always seem to be
naore or less up in the air when come
20 see you, don't 1? The last time we
talked about friendship"
"But that was at least month ago,
she said hastily, "and in the mean
gime. you've been just as nice and
cheerful as anybody. | thought you
we're all over yoAr troubles"
"Cheerfulness wasn't what you
asked for" Hilliard swallowed hard
II l came up here, Miss Du
Yant, to have really serious talk with
tou really serious. It's been
delayed too long already. 1t took me
two solid days to get my courage VI
TO it. And and now I'm here
l don't even know how to begin"
He scowled heavily into the vacant
fireplace, and held out his palms with
mechanic gesture as though to warm
them at an imaginary blaze. You
know" he said absently, your father
:. ii very extraordinary man-very."
The compliment to the doctor had
its invariable effect upon her; she
glowed under it.
give always known that I'm
c,Iod Won rn1liZe if too"