Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-06-18
CHAPTER x-cortinued.

Wny-l0 way yes.
The doctor achieved perfect cir
clet, and beamad at it.
Something elSe?"
"a good ieal else" said billiard, alb
stracted. "But that's no reason for
me to bother you with it. didn't know
it was so apparent"
Silence.
sits not my habit" said the doctor
presently, "to offer any advice unless
I'm asked for It, Gratuitous advice
never did anybody any good. And no
body takes it unless it costs some
thing-and not often then. And I'm
neither your regular physician nor
your confessor. But if had made
diagnosis at this present minute Ia
say that you need preacher a great.
deal more than you do doctor"
81 do" said billiard, look
ing up sharply. "Only it's out
of the question. Just personal things.
doctor-nothing l can very well talk
about"
''Your trouble" said Doctor Durant,
'fsn't physical as much as it is sBir-
itual. It's nothing but taut nerves. It's
nothing but your struggle against the
restraints you put upon yourself. How
do | know? You've told me so ;.
every time I've seen you. It's in your
face. my boy. It's in your eyes. Con
stantly. And it looks as though the
conference is about over be-
cause if that isn't Carol coming up the
steps. my ears aren't half as good as
they used to be-"
Both men were or their feet as she
came in, swirling.
"Oh!" she cried to billiard. 81
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
living room. Carol was in the old ia
miliar corner of the sofa; billiard was
standing by the fireplace. peering
down into the empty CRATE. He coughed
Iharshly. and an expression of utter
Shopelessness crept into his eyes. He
turned abruptly.
WELL" he said. "just how much
would you have cared if you had?"
There was a stately old lamp stand
ing at height behind the sofa; it's
shadows were gracious and its light,
las it crept through shade of painted
iveIIum. touched Carol softly, in a
delicacy of radiance which was inf1n-
iitely caressing. Her hands we're lying
idle in her lap; she bent her head, and
viewed them studiously.
why I should have cared great
DEAL" she said. "I'm always disap-
ipointed when miss seeing friend of
mime What makes you SO pessimistic,
4all of a sudden?"
billiard Redeemed, and his eyes grew
!brighter.
"Friendship!" he said tardily.
'"'What an accordionlike sort Of thing
that isl"
"Why. Mr.. HiIliard" Her tone was
rat the same time interrogatory and re-
lproachful.
, 'Oh, I'm not speaking of you." he
rsaid. "Only of the thing itself. !.
Its big or little, close or distant
tand it hasn't anything to say about 1t
You'll have to excuse mel
twas thinking out loud :"
: "Please dol" she said. "You were
Jon the way to be interesting. Think
tout loud some more"
! billiard glanced sharply at her.
, "Don't laugh at me!' he said, almost
1rough'y. 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.
81 wasn't laughing at you," she said,
i"truly. But what you said was so
/. :. so queer"
"Oh, yes" billiards. accent was
very fiat. Il suppose it was. It must
have been. / always seem to be
more or less up in the air when come
to see you. don't 1? The last time we
talked about friendship"
! "Bur that was at least month ago,
she u6id hastily, 'and in the mean
, time. you've been just as nice and
cheerful as anybody. / thought you
were all over your troubles"
"Cheerfulness wasn't what you
asked for" billiard swallowed hard.
III came up here, Miss Du-
rant, to have really serious talk with
you really serious. It's been
delayed too long already. It took me
two solid days to get my courage up
\ to 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
is very extraordinary man-very."
The compliment to the doctor had
its invariabIe effect upon her: she
glowed under it.
give always known that I'm
glad you realize it, too"
He stood EJECT. and faced her. SCI
do 1: came to me, when was
talking TO him. what great privilege
1T must be for you to have his advice
and his sympathy when you
need it. And there are so few-so in
.credibly few-people who make you