The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1920-06-19

glimpse their various expressions. All
Waring, striding stiltedly ahead, had
thunderclouds on his forehead, and as
She turned to speak to Armstrong.
and billiard 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 detacb
Carol as soon as possible, and to ex
plain himself. Otherwise. his reputa-
ton was ashes even now.
And, to his unbounded joy, the OPP
portunity came soOn-at the end of
the road, where the party halted for a
moment, to take q referendum as to
the route. Armstrong strayed yard
or two too far, and on the instant Hill
lard was at Carols elbow. She said
nothing, nor did he; but when the
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
good furlong before he could devise so
much as an opening sentence. AT
length he cleared his throat.
'Tve just decided" he said, that
I'm growing old"
"Yes?" She was UNNECESSARILY sweet
and distant. and billiards courage
faltered. -
II have indeed. I've made most
touching discovery. Do LOOK
grandfatherly, Miss Durant?"
mo; I'd hardly say that"
He made a gesture of gratitude.
"You've earned my permanent thanks.
But l am growing old. How do
know? Didn't you ever read Leigh
Hunt?"
"Just little" There was trace
billiard held his breath:
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 magnif-
Gently. with the precise humor and
pathos which go to make them inn
mortal. I'm glad she fits into the
meter" he said thoughtfully, because
I can understand just how Leigh Hume
felt about Jennie"
"And-how do you think that wasp
very sensitive" said billiard. "and
perhaps little repressed and-de
crepit." lie smiled remtniscently. 81
suppose there are very few things In
life that make man feel more mind
full of his own crudity and general
worthlessness than to have a child's
spontatfeous affection" 1t was the
testing venture. She looked at him
sItlewise.
.More than Tiff it weren't
cllildT
II think So His tone was fault
less. "A woman can make a man feel
like Romeo. but 1t takes 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.. billiard"
II know" he said gravely. And
that's why I'm 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 II? Today, I'm only much older
man. some one she likes; tomorrow,
may be a man without the only
and the more she liked me, the less
she'd show 1t. But there's been
mighty little of that sort of thing for
me in the last few years from any
body. and do appreciate 1t, and I'm
not ashamed of 1t. either"
NO." she said, you couldn't be.
You're too human" She smiled at
him. and he was transported ct the