Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-02-19
CHAPTER XIII.
hOI. WORTHY HALL
copyrisht by oOod Mead & Co. Inc

there were Few OF lntIns MS u1lHu
puld never have been equal TO In
icate detail.
II was a slight consolation TO him
realize that the city had a habit
judging men by personal rather
an ny financial standards; for all
pride and wealth, 1t would CEN
lre him more for his wrecked per
lnality than for whatever money
sses he had caused. He was pre-
hred to endure that censure; and
bcause he understood the provoca-
on behind IT. he was all the more
Ager to aid in the salvage. There
oufd be more saved from the
pderwriting project, he thought,
IAN from his character.
He had deposited with Cullen all
owned, except for his private be-
(ngings, his rInabout, and a trivial
nm for current expenses. The run
bout he would offer for sale; it
Aeant q few hundred dollars more
Be divided among his contributors.
eyond that there was nothing else
q could restore to them.
He didn't believe that Harmon
rould ever carry out his promised
etrayal: not that ne had faith In
lannon's code Of ethics, but because
K trusted HarInon's horse sense. II
billiard were alone TO be accused.
harmon would gain nothing and
night, II he offered any adverse
sesimony, even impHcate himself.
ndeed, If Harmon should say enough
o establish the proof in the danger
nus status Of an accessory before
he fact No. . this was the
)ane procedure; TO let the memory
II Dicky Morgan rest in peace. and
et the brunt OF anger fall on Henry
billiard. who was a nobody from no
where, with a lying face, lying
tongue, and no clique to mourn at
bis exit
But then there was Angela's
btareliRs allegation .. She had
declared that everybody" in town
knew all about Hilllard and Carol.
Everybody" would have a different
opinion. He had tried to explain
himself to Carol, and he had failed;
and In the light of Angela's revela-
hon II was difficult TO decide
whether Carol herself. in protesting
that she wantedsto retain him as a
friend, had meant that and nothing
more. or that and a great deal more.
But no matter what abe had In
tended TO convey. he dared not so
To her again, he dared not see her
and speak TO her, for if he lied 10
her but he couldn't lie TO her
nuw, and every word OF truth would
prove boomerang. He was trapped;
ana altno his heart was breaking for
the love ne had almost won a sec
ono time. he remained steadtast TO
the Ideals he had created II Carol
were TO lose him as sutton. she
should never know that her first and
foremost sutton had gone to the
devil
He told himself dercey there was
one definite and permanent way out
of 1t. Nobody would then have
cause TO gossip about Dicky Morgan;
no one-after the first natural ioou
of excitement and denunciation-
would remember very much about
Henry Hilliard. 1t would save such
deal of needless trouble: ii wouI%
save such a wearisome amount Of
shame.
But against the pitiless back
ground of the war, self destruction
as a means of avoiding persona
difficulties, self-caused, seemed curl
ously repellent-curtously cheap.
No it WAS a part of his own
grievance that Carol and the others
must grieye, too; he had dual re-
sponsibility to society. He had no
right TO leave these matters clouded
by any uncertainty Of motive.
Syracuse had right TO know the
facts; and II the facts brought pain
to those he loved, why. that was
something he should have though,
about in June, and not In November
AS he chung comfortless to the last
slipping hours Of the reputation he
had so carefully bu;lded. ne knew
that It wasn't the punishment of the
law that he dreaded. It was the
ostracism which would accompany IT,
1t wasn't his own shame which
gripped him, It was the conscious
ness OF the shame which would at
tach to his friends. And 30, for a
day or two, all his faculties were
strung upon the attitude Of the
public toward him; he was watching
franrically for the first signs OF
adverse demeanor, and bracing HIM
I self for the shock which was UNI
ayoidably to come. For secrets will
out, and altho he had no reason 10
expect Waring to break his pledge
he knew that when rumor smolders
among as many as four people, there
comes-there always comes--a mo-
ment in which 1t bursts forth in
spontaneous combustion.
presently he sensed subtitle
supercharging of the atmosphere
whenever he met a male acquain-
! tAnce: he couldn't deny that the
( greeting OF his bankers was suddenly
less informal, more impersonal: he
\ perceived, with sinking spasm of
4 foraboding, that fewer people
stopped to chat with him on the
street and that those who still were
! willing to halt and pass the time
8cf day were uneommonly FESTIVE
about Il. Syracuse hadn't yet array
Y -