The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1920-06-25
CHAPTER x-continued.
~

I'm sorry. Business worriesT
Wlly-in way, yes"
The doctor achieved perfect cir
ciet, and beamed at it.
Something else?"
"A good deal else" said billiard, ab-
stracted But that's no reason for
me to bother you with it. ! didn't know
II was so apparent"
Silence.
Its not my habit" said the doctor
presently, ito offer any advice unless
I'm asked for it. GratuitOus advice
never did anybody any good. And no.
bo6y takes it unless it costs some
hifC-and not often then. And I'm
neither your regular physician nor
yOrr cOnfessor. But if had made a
DIAGNOSIS at this present minute I'd
say that you need a preacher a great
de$l more than you do doctor"
Il do" said Hilliard, look
ing up sharply. "Only it's out
of 1he question. Just personal things,
doftor-nothing 1 can very well talk
abdul"
"Your trouble" said Doctor Durant,
"isn't physical as much as it is ,spir-
itual It's nothing but taut nerves. It's
notlgSng but your struggle against the
restraints you put upon yourself. How
10 | know? You've told me so :.
svey4 time I've seen you. It's in your
8ttcS, my boy It's in your eyes. Con-
1taatly. And it looks as though the
ccnference is about over be
cause if that isn't Carol coming up the
steps, my ears aren't half as good as
shey used to be-"
Both men were on their feet as she
fame in, Swirling.
"Oh!" she cried to billiard. II
didn't know you were coming up to-
night! Suppose I'd missed you'll"
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
siving room. Carol was in the old ia
sniliar corner of the sofa; Hilliard 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
burned abruptly.
"Well," he said, "just how much
would you have cared if you had?"
Il x
There was stately old lamp stand
Ing at height behind the sofa; it's
shadows were gracious and it's light,
as it crept through shade of painted
gelum, touched Carol softly, in a
lalicacy of radiance which was infin-
Sicily caressing. Her hands were lying
idle in her lap; she bent her head, and
viewed them studiously.
"Why, 1 should have cared great
DEAL" she said. I'm always disap-
pointed when miss seeing a friend of
mine. What makes you so pessimistic,
AL of a sudden"
billiard redeemed, and his eyes grew
brighter.
"Friendship! he said tardily.
what an accordionlike sort of thing
shat is"
"Why, Mr.. Hilliard!" Her tone was
at the same time interrogatory and re-
proachful.
"Oh, I'm not speaking of you" he
said. "Only Of the thing itself. E.
"a Il ole Of Mt
and ii hasn't anything to say about it
You'll have to excuse mel
was thinking out loud :. :"
"Please dow 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
Houghly. For heavens sake, don't
you know that the one time you
shouldn't laugh at a man is when he
deserves it?"
Carols attitude was vaguely less
suggestive of ease.
Il wasn't laughing at you" she said,
truly. But what you said was so
so queer"
ooh, yes" billiards. accent was
very flat. 81 suppose it was. It must
have been. / always seem to be
more or less up in the air when | come
20 see you, don't I? The last time we
talked about friendship"
"But that was at least a month ago."
she said hastily, "and in the mean
slime, you've been just as nice and
cheerful as anybody. I thought you
were all over yoAr troubles"
"Cheerfulness wasn't what you
asked for" billiard swallowed hard.
81 l came up here, Miss Du-
Eant, to have d really serious talk with
you really serious. It's been
delayed too long already. 1t took me
two solid days to get my courage up
10 it. And and now I'm here,
/ don't even know how to begin"
He scowled heavily into the vacant
fireplace, and held out his palms with
a mechanic gesture as though to warm
them at an imaginary blaze. you
know" he said absently, ''your father
= Il very extraordinary man-very."
The compliment to the doctor had
its invariable effect upon her; she
glowed under it.
'Pve always known that I'm