Elbert County tribune and Elbert County banner., 1920-10-15
CHAPTER xII-contInued.

IDENTIFY. and added, with more generos-
lty than Waring had anticipated
"Rufus and ! both asked him to- Let
Rufus-and Jack-handle 1t together.
Between them, they'll make rather an
exhaustive study. don't you think7 And
they might turn up something that all
of us would want to know"
That's right It's thought. Well
~ Cullen looked at his watch. 81
can't waste any more time on this tom
fool business. ought to have been
In the office an hour ago. Anybody GO
Ing DOWNTOWN
81 am-but I'll walk said waring
sullenly.
gela, in an undertone.
II want you to-" she said. Her eyes
followed Waring to the doorway.
After they had been alone for full
minute, and neither of them had ut
tered a syllable. 1t came to Hilliard
that the chief difficulty in being evil
Is TO make an end of It, but that the
chief difficulty in being virtuous is TO
begin. His brain was active and bis
perplexity he had no compelling. de-
sire to make start. There was no
restraining impediment working
against him. as on the occasion of his
interview with Carol; his impulses
were merely lazy. Indeed, he was
rather highly gratified at the course
Of things this morning; he argued
that Warnings zeal and Armstrongs
Itinerary had relieved him from any
necessity of an out-and-out avowal of
his innocent fraud; it was much more
satisfactory. since all the issues were
SO confused, to turn his affairs over
to Cullen. and to await the inevitable
verdict on an impersonal basis. In the
meantime, he was deeply touched by
Cullen's confidence in him; Cullen and
Carol Durant alike had refused to be-
iieve the obvious truth; he wondered
atolidly what 1t would have meant to
him to have had such a reputation
from his youth onward; the gratifica-
tion now would have been superlative
provided only that he had been en-
titled to his pride.
Hes jealous of you," said Angela
abruptly. THAT'S all-hes jealous.
Simply wild with it. You know that
don't your
Hilliard started; for 1t wasn't an
emboldening beginning. Not the least
20; 1t implied exactly the sort of rival
~ which he had feared. and which he
had come to relinquish.
who is7 oh! Rufus warIng?"
with 1t. That's what all this whole
mess is about" She tossed her head
willfully. II don't care; do your
The unreserved bluntness Of 1t near
iy took him off his feet; renewing the
devastating suspicion that Angela had
grown to care too much for him-too
much for her own good.
why, Angela w he said lameiy. "Of
course I do. 1t hurts me-"
She hammered gold-embroidered
sofa-cushion with one tiny fist.
"Oh. he's jealous of everything and
everybody. That doesn't count any
more. Only 1t made me perfectly
furious. i. / wanted to scratch him
:. the very idea of his daring to say
anything like that about you'll Even
If you do like me a lott She sighed
heavily. And yet II you stop to think
about 1t, 1t was sort of brave, too
standing up to all of us when It was
three to one. and he was wrong-poor
dearw
Hilliard looked down at her with
deep affection and troubled relief.
''As long as I've a defender like you
] wouldn't worry" he said. "but I'm
afraid 1t won't be for so very long,
Angela. that you'll feel like defending
me-"
why notY she asked.
Just a notion OF mine. 1t strikes
me that you're fonder of Rufus than
a champion worse than do; I'm more
used TO taking care of myself"
The corners OF her mouth were Pc
cullarly sensitive.
Such g queer notionl" she said.
''Where'd you ever get it?"
"Ob. 1t came of Its own accord.
IT'S been such funny day." she
said, musing Rufus was funny. and
Duu WAS luuuy, anu Sou lie 81 lunuys
and Carol was funny this morning,
and I'm funny now, and"
Carroll" he echoed involuntarily.
She laughed at him, enjoying his dis
comfture with the sweet insolence of
a naughty juvenile; and 1t was note
worthy that her arralgnment of War
Ing stopped short at this point
81 know something about you !" she
taunted wickedly.
What do you know. bright child"
he demanded. red to the temples.
II knowp' Her tone was singing.
$50 do you Look at the man blush
Why, you guilty thing Why. you red
geranium |"