The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1920-05-21

glimpse their various expressions. All
Waring, striding stiltedly ahead, had
thunderclOuds on his forehead, and as
for Carol .
She turned to speak to Armstrong
and Hilliard knew
For the remainder of the first stage
of that walk, he spoke not word to
Angela, who trudged along by his side
with God knows what tumults in her
bosom. He thought not of Angela, nor
concerned himself with the storm he
had stirred within her. He was alb
sorbed solely with the puzzle which
lay before him, which was to detach
Carol as soon as possible, and to ex-
plain himself. Otherwise, his reputa.
ton was ashes even now.
And, to his unbounded joy, the op-
portunity came soOn-at the end of
the road, where the party halted for a
moment, to take a referendum as to
the route. Armstrong strayed yard
or two too far, and On the instant Hill
lard was at Carols elbow. She said
lioLiilhSy uOi uiu lC pul Tic
march was resumed, he was beside her
and beating his brains for an intro
ductory remark. He had to convince
her he had been trifling with neither
herself nor, Angela, and he walked a
good furlOng before he could devise so
much as an opening sentence. At
length he cleared his throat.
"Tve just decided" he said, shat
I'm growing old"
'Yes?" She was UNNECESSARILY sweet
and distant, and billiards. courage
faltered.
IL have indeed. I've made a most
touching discovery. Do look
grandfatherly, Miss Durant?"
mo; I'd hardly say that"
He made gesture of gratitude.
you've earned my permanent thanks.
But 1 am growing old How do I
know? Didn't you ever read Leigh
HuntY
"Just a little.' There was trace
of warmth creeping into her voice.
Hilliard held his breath: Hr
Say I'm weary, say I'm sad
Say that health and wealth have missed
me;
Say I'm growing old, but add
Angela kissed mel
He had spoken the lines magnifi-
Gently, with the precise humor and
pathos which go to make them inn
mortal. "Tm glad she fits into the
meter" he said thoughtfully, because
can understand just how Leigh Hunt
felt about Jennie"
"A1d-hOw do you think that WASP"
every sensitive" said Hilliard, "and
perhaps a little repressed and-de-
crepit." He smiled reminiscently. 81
suppose there are very few things in
life that make a man feel more mind
full Of his own crudity and general
worthlessness than to have child's
spontaneous affection" 1t was the
testing venture She looked at him
sidewise
"More than Tiff it weren't
child?'
81 think So" His tone was fault
less. "A woman can make a man feel
like Romeo. but it takes a very young
girl to make him feel like Launcelot-
at my age"
''She is adorable, isn't she?" His
heart jumped at her cordial accept
ance of his statement 'Only-she's
seventeen, Mr.. Hilliard."
81 know" he said gravely. "And
that's why Pm so conscious of my
own senility. Because all that beau
tiful innocence and ignorance is
doomed, Miss Durant-who knows
that I'm not the very last person to
see 1t? Today, I'm only much Older
man, some one she likes; tomorrow,
1 may be man without the only
and the more she liked me, the less
she'd show it. But there's been
mighty little of that sort of thing for
me in the last few years from any,
body, and 1 do appreciate 1t, and I'm
not ashamed of Ii. either"
"No," she said, "you couldn't be.
You're too human" She smiled at
him. and he was transported at the