The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1920-02-28
By HOLWORTHY HALL

himself, nor Armstrong but wait
moment Who was Armstrong?
Whence and whittier, Armstrong? A
newcomer to Syracuse (that is, within
two years. and already proprietary
billiard frOwned. and rubbed his eyes,
and wondered anew. He was a trifle
amused and trlfle ashamed of him
self; was II credible that he could be
jealous of man who had merely APP
propriated what billiard had no fur
Their interest In? How inconsistent
and yet how superbly characteristic of
human natureI billiard chuckled to
himself in recognition of 1t and dis
missed the proposition as unworthy of
further attention. Dismissed 1t, yes
=. as u child dismisses n rubber ball
with an elastic cord attached to it,
From below stairs a japanese gong
chimed softly and billiard, without de-
laying another instant, leaped to the
floor. Half an hour later, bathed,
shaved and dressed, he descended
complacently; the second day of his
remarkable performance was begun.
The Cullens, father and daughter,
were waiting for him. They greeted
him cheerfully; and he was glad that
grief hadn't chung to their eyelids; he
would have felt depressed, even al
though he would have sensed the hid
den compliment. Quick to grasp the
nearest handle of diplomacy, he saw
that cheerfulness on his own part
would help the situation, for now that
his duty as courier was over, there
was no need for long protracted mel
anchOly.
1t was q cheerful trio, then, that sat
down to breakfast; there was no eX-
hilaratiOn about it, but at least there
was no somber cloud of mourning.
Angela, behind the coffee urn, had Oc-
casiOnal moments of pensivenesS, but
that was to be expected, and con-
doned indeed, billiard held himself to
be greatly favored by even this.
She was imaginative, and billiards.
pose was calculated to appeal to a live
ly Imagination. He treated her not as
young girl, but with the respectful
Difference which belongs to a mature
woman, a mistress of household, and
a hostess in her own right. She was
charmed and captivated, and so was
her father-mOSt aSSuredly he was
So charmed. in fact, that instead of
leaving for his Office at half-past eight,
he fingered until half-past nine; so
captivated, that as his limousine slid
quietly down the long, steep hill of
James street, he found himself ascrib-
ing a new degree of credit to Dicky
Morgan for the simple reason that
Dicky Morgan had gained the full es-
teen of such friend as Hilliard.
A mighty nice young man, thought
Cullen. A man of soundest judgment,
through and through. A man of bril-
liant intellect and razor-edged analy-
sis. Had he not said, and furnished il
Illustrations from his broad experience,
exactly what Cullen himself had said,
in regard to labor, and materials, and
transportation, and production, these
half a dozen years? Cullen sat back
and smiled triumphantly. 1t does
man good to hear his pet convictions
approved, expanded and laid down as
axioms by another wise man.
Back on the wide veranda Angela
had curled up comfortably in the ham
mock and beside her, Hilliard was en-
joying a cigarette He was enjoying,
too, this rare interlude of respite; he
looked across at Angela, and thanked
his stars for the invitation which had
made this quiet hour possible.
She lifted her eyes, caught billiard
smiling at her and blushed furiously,
not for any shame accruing to her, but
because she had arrived at the age OF
easy bushes.
81 suppose you're going over
to Carols pretty soon," she said, CON
strained to say something and grasp
ing at the first available idea.
$50 anxious to get rid of me-? he
asked, amused.
"Oh, mol" Horror was in her tone
and modification. "Only $50. wanted
to talk to you before you saw Carol.
Because Carol doesn't | don't
think she'll exactly feel as / do about
this know she won't. Maybe
it's because Dick and / were chums,
and she and Dick were oh, you
know. It's different. You ought TO
take that into consideratiOn-when
you talk to her, mean. I don't mean
1 don't care, because 1 do-terribly-
but can see what it meant to
Dick and 1 know how he'd have
loved it, and picked this out Of every
possible way, to p. end things, but
Carol she's different"
"How?" billiards. voice was even,
but very low.
COLDER" she said, looking away
"And and they were going to
marry each other some time"
"But wasn't that broken Off?
eyes, but she was waiting"
"Waiting?"
"Why, Of course"
billiards. breath quickened
81 should have guessed that this Mr..
Armstrong"
ooh, but that wasn't until she
thought Dick wasn't ever coming back.
And besides, she isn't really crazy